Hi, I’m Anthony Castelli.  I’m a Cincinnati personal injury trial attorney.  My message today is a question that I’ve been asked by more than one of my clients, and it is can I have a personal injury case, a workers’ compensation case and a Social Security case at the same time.

And the reason I get asked that is it just so happens that those are the three areas that I exclusively practice in.  I won't do your divorce.  I won't handle your DUI.  I won't even do your will.  I just do personal injury trial work, claimants’ workers’ compensation and claimants for Social Security Disability.

How does it come about that you have three cases in one?  Well, let’s say you’re out driving around for your employer, and you're in a car wreck.  Well, there's two cases right there.  You were working.  You were on the job, when you were hurt, so you file a workers’ compensation claim and get benefits through the workers’ compensation system.  You have a claim against the person who caused your injury, so that's your personal injury claim for pain and suffering above and beyond what you got from workers’ comp, and workers’ comp doesn't completely compensate you for your wage loss, believe me.  And for Social Security, if you’ve been so ill or injured that you will not be able to work at any job for at least one full year, or sometimes never get back in the workforce, then you would have a Social Security Disability claim.  

And there's an interplay between the three of them and the important thing is there's information that goes out in each case and reports and evidence that's generated and you want to make sure that your attorney has all that information, so they have a full and complete deck in each and every case that you have.  

So I hope that never has to happen to you, because it happens in rare cases, when people are severely injured.  You know, they’re not able to work for at least for one full year or never able to go back.

So even with all those benefits, I’ve never seen someone that got enough money and got compensated for all they were going to go through for the rest of their life, but at least we can try to get them everything they’re entitled to.

Thanks a lot for listening today.