Opinion ID: 2013815
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: todd's income

Text: Todd testified that he had received workers' compensation benefits for a 1993 back injury. Todd was found by the Iowa Workers' Compensation Commission to have a 25-percent permanent whole body disability. The record contains a contested case settlement in which Todd settled his workers' compensation case for a lump-sum payment of $130,000. After the payment of attorney fees and outstanding medical expenses, Todd was to receive $63,665.33. The record also contains checks, drawn on the trust account of Todd's attorney, which show disbursal of the lump-sum award. After Todd's attorney fees and medical bills were paid, Todd received a check in the amount of $62,618.71. The settlement released Todd's employer from all future liability for Todd's work-related injury, including liability for future medical expenses. Todd also testified that he received, before child support was deducted, $713 per month in Social Security benefits. The record also contains pay stubs for a job with Anderson Drywall, Inc., which Todd held between February and September or October 1999. Todd earned $10 per hour as regular wages and $15 per hour for overtime. While Todd's hours varied during his employment, Todd averaged between 30 and 40 hours per week and often worked overtime. Todd testified that he left this job because he reaggravated his back injury in October 1999. Todd's final paycheck was dated September 9, 19998 days after the date on the $62,618.71 check to Todd from his workers' compensation settlement. The record indicates that on September 30, 1999, Todd had approximately $38,000 remaining from his workers' compensation settlement. Todd testified that he had spent approximately $24,000 in 1 month on medical and other expenses. Todd testified that he was not working based on medical instructions, that he was still seeing doctors, that there was no surgery that could help his condition, and that his medication cost approximately $200 per month. No independent evidence was presented to substantiate Todd's testimony in this regard, or to account for the $24,000 that had been spent in September 1999. When cross-examined on that issue, Todd testified that the money was expended because I had other people I owed money to that supported me.