Dad, 24, Earning $60K Survives Building Collapse, Wonders If He’ll Get $1M Settlement — Dave Ramsey Says It’s Just 'Gravy On The Biscuit'

Two hours under a collapsed building was only the start of the uncertainty. A 24-year-old husband and father from Louisville, Kentucky, called into "The Ramsey Show" while recovering from a construction accident that nearly killed him. Workers’ compensation covered most of his income and medical care, but he wanted advice on what to do if a negligence settlement eventually came through.

"So mathematically speaking, any settlement you get would just be gravy on the biscuit," personal finance expert Dave Ramsey said. Don’t Miss: Explore whether your retirement strategy is optimized for income, taxes, and long-term withdrawals — take the AdviserMatch quiz today. Most people wait until they’re in legal trouble to find a lawyer — by then it’s too late.

LegalShield gives 4+ million members 24/7 attorney access starting at $29.95/month. A Normal Workday Ended Under Rubble Alan said the accident happened on a large construction campus involving about 30 buildings.

He was working in heavy concrete and foundations shortly after dirt had been excavated when part of the construction site collapsed and buried him underground. Alan said his coworkers and firefighters got to him fast enough to save his legs, but getting him out took nearly two hours. By then, he had suffered a broken leg, shoulder injuries and a small brain bleed.

His recovery included time on a ventilator and weeks in a wheelchair. By the time he called Ramsey, Alan was walking again and preparing for another surgery to remove a screw from his knee. At the time of the call, Alan said, attorneys were looking into whether third-party negligence tied to excavation work contributed to the collapse.

Trending: You don’t need $100,000 for a rental property anymore — this platform lets investors buy stakes in real homes starting at $20 A Seven-Figure Maybe Changed Nothing Before the accident, Alan said he was earning about $60,000 a year in construction. He and his wife were renting, with about $5,000 in savings and roughly $2,500 in older medical debt . While Alan was off work, workers’ compensation and disability benefits were replacing most of his income, leaving him about $100 below what he normally brought home.

His accident-related medical costs were also covered. Alan asked what would happen if the settlement became "something crazy like a million dollars" and whether he should wait before making major decisions. Since his income and medical care were already mostly covered, Ramsey told him to continue living as though no settlement was coming.

"They don’t give up a million dollars easy," he said. See Also: Flying Cars Once Sounded Like Science Fiction. This Company Has 600+ Preorders And Is Targeting Deliveries By 2028.

‘It’s Not A Scratch-Off Ticket’ Alan said he expected to return to construction, though he might not be able to do the same physical work after tearing three rotator cuffs and a bicep. Co-host John Delony said those long-term effects were exactly why settlements exist. "The idea of a settlement is to make you whole," he said.

"It’s not a scratch-off ticket." Ramsey also pushed back on treating any payout like a windfall. "You didn’t hit a lottery ticket," Ramsey said.

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