Steinberg Law Firm Announces $325,000 Settlement for Port Truck Driver in Disputed Brain Injury Case
North Charleston, South Carolina – Steinberg Law Firm has obtained a confidential $325,000 settlement for a Charleston port truck driver whose traumatic brain injury claim was initially denied, the firm announced. This case underscores the challenges injured waterfront workers may face when an incident is not captured on video or does not involve a direct blow to the head.
The case arose after a shipping container was abruptly placed onto the bed of the driver’s truck while the driver was working on the Charleston waterfront. The impact produced a strong jolt through the vehicle. The worker did not strike their head inside the cab, had no visible head trauma, and there was no video footage of the event. Days later, they developed symptoms that led to the discovery of a subdural bleed, a dangerous form of bleeding around the brain.
Since the injury did not follow the common pattern of a head strike or obvious trauma, the employer’s insurance carrier immediately disputed whether the workplace incident caused the brain bleed and related neurological problems. The dispute threatened the workers’ access to benefits at a time when they faced serious health concerns and uncertainty about their ability to continue working.
“One of the most challenging aspects of this case was helping others understand that a traumatic brain injury does not always require someone to hit their head,” said Partner Adam Greene of Steinberg Law Firm, who handled the matter. “Medical science recognizes that sudden acceleration and deceleration forces can injure the brain. Proving that connection, however, often requires extensive investigation and testimony from physicians and other medical professionals.”
The claim involved both the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act, an overlap that commonly arises on busy waterfronts. Determining which benefits apply, and in what sequence, can influence the total compensation available to a longshore or port worker.
Greene worked with medical specialists to analyze the mechanism of injury and to explain how the forces generated when the container landed on the truck bed could have caused the subdural bleed. The case required detailed causation analysis, review of medical records, and coordinated advocacy in both the Longshore and state workers’ compensation systems.
“Insurance companies often focus on what they believe should have happened rather than what the medical evidence actually shows,” Greene said. “Our task was to present the science, present the facts, and demonstrate that this worker’s condition was directly related to the forces involved in the accident.”
As the evidence developed, it became clear that the brain injury would significantly affect the worker’s future, including their ability to earn a living and their long-term health. The dispute was ultimately resolved for $325,000 through a settlement that drew on both Longshore and state workers’ compensation benefits.
Port-related injury claims in Charleston and other maritime hubs frequently involve similar layers of complexity, from overlapping state and federal laws to contested medical issues and delayed-onset symptoms. Steinberg Law Firm continues to represent waterfront and maritime workers navigating these combined Longshore and state workers’ compensation claims across South Carolina.
*Disclaimer: This case result does not mean the future case results will be the same and results are not guaranteed.
The Steinberg Law Firm has been assisting victims of negligence in South Carolina since 1927, including personal injury, workers’ compensation, and car accidents. For more information, please contact the firm at 843-720-2800 or visit our website at https://www.steinberglawfirm.com/.
Steinberg Law Firm
3955 Faber Place Drive, Suite 300
North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 720-2800
pbaron@steinberglawfirm.com
https://www.steinberglawfirm.com/
Press Contact : Patti Baron
Distributed by Law Firm Newswire
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