July 9, 2008
Jeffrey Grabelle obtained an award for Total Disability with Second Injury Fund involvement on behalf of a worker who sustained injuries to his lower back that included right paracentral disc herniations at L5/S1 and L4/5 involving compression of the right S1 nerve root, leading to disc excision at L4/5 and L5/S1, decompressive laminectomy at L3 and posterior lumbar interbody fusion at L4/5 and L5/S1 utilizing interbody cages at L4/5 and L5/S1, and bilateral fusion at L3/4, L4/5 and L5/S1, utilizing autologous local bone graft and allogenic bone graft and implantation of a spinal stimulator with subsequent removal. The worker also sustained a loss of half of his visual field resulting from the subsequent back surgery.
The matter was settled on the record before the Judge of Compensation in Toms River, New Jersey. The terms of the settlement require the Respondent to pay 50% of the award, with the Second Injury Fund picking up the remaining 50% of the initial award, plus lifetime benefits commencing after the expiration of the first 450 weeks.
