Video Transcript
Hi my name is Jermaine.
Well I was a security officer working at a jewelry store. So it happened, I’m chasing somebody out the store and fell and popped my right shoulder out of place and tore my rotator cuff in like two to three different places. Say for instance, my son wanted to go out to the park, play a little, you know, throw, catch football. It’s just certain things that I’m not able to do anymore that I was doing before. Now I can’t help with the grocery bringing in, I can’t carry nothing heavy.
I said I didn’t start receiving workman’s comp till almost two months later, and I know your bills got to be paid, mortgage, rent, whatever the case may be, you still got food to put on the table, you know. I work with Z that’s his first name, you know that’s my guy. Now like I said they like a second family, they took care of me very well and I appreciate it. You know they here to look out for your best interest. Know if anybody was to get hurt, I advise you to get a lawyer ’cause if you don’t, you going to lose out. I was able to do you know pay off some bills, take care of the family, you know my kids, my wife. But I say go with them, you know they going to hammer that nail real good. So whoever they going up against, they going to do a pretty good job.
At The Illinois Hammer, we know that an injury at work doesn’t just affect your job—it can affect your entire life. That was the case for our client Jermaine, a 49-year-old security officer who was seriously injured while doing his job at a Chicago jewelry store.
Jermaine was chasing a thief who had stolen a high-value watch when he tripped on a rug, fell, and severely injured his right shoulder. “I popped my right shoulder out of place and tore my rotator cuff in like two to three different places,” he said. This was medically determined to be a “full thickness” torn rotator cuff, and the injury required surgery, over a year of treatment and resulted in missed work for Jermaine.
The Impacts of His Injury
Beyond the physical pain, the injury took a toll on Jermaine’s everyday life. “My son wanted to go out to the park, play a little, you know, throw, catch football. It’s just certain things that I’m not able to do anymore,” he shared. “Now I can’t help with the grocery bringing in, I can’t carry nothing heavy.”
Jermaine’s workers’ compensation benefits were delayed for nearly two months—a delay that left him and his family under serious financial stress. “Your bills got to be paid, mortgage, rent, whatever the case may be—you still got food to put on the table,” he said. During this time, we helped him access settlement loans so he could stay afloat.
How Our Team Helped Jermaine Move Forward
Working with our attorney Zachary Kerska (or “Z,” as Jermaine calls him), we fought to make sure he was fully compensated for all his time off, his medical care, and the permanent damage to his shoulder. When it became clear he could no longer return to his old job—he was released with permanent lifting restrictions of no more than 20 pounds—we negotiated for substantial future wage replacement as part of the settlement, in addition to his permanent disability compensation.
“I said they like a second family. They took care of me very well and I appreciate it. They’re here to look out for your best interest,” Jermaine said. “If anybody was to get hurt, I advise you to get a lawyer. ’Cause if you don’t, you going to lose out.”
Thanks to the settlement, Jermaine was able to pay off bills, support his wife and kids, and begin moving forward with his life.
“I say go with them. They going to hammer that nail real good. Whoever they going up against, they going to do a pretty good job.”
We're Here to Help You, Too
We’re proud to have helped Jermaine get the compensation and support he deserved—and we’re ready to do the same for you. If you’ve been injured at work or due to another’s negligence, our personal injury attorneys are ready to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
