In 2007, our client was lifting some equipment when he overexerted himself, and felt a terrible pain in his back. As a result of the injury he eventually had a laminectimy, discectomy and fusion performed at L5-S1. Unfortunately, his surgery did not alleviate all of his back pain, and he remained with a painful back long after the surgery. His physicians all agreed that he could return in a light duty position, and declared that the patient had reached maximum medical improvemenrt, After negotiating the claim, and attending a mediation we were able to settle the claim for $177,000. It should be noted that overexertion type injuries are one of  the most frequent on the job injuries seen in Virginia. The annual reports of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission detail the types of injuries, and overexertion usually ranks at the top of the list.