Workers Comp Help
Thumb Amputated By A Machine At Work
I suffered a hand injury on the job the beginning of March 2002. I work for a concrete plant. When the accident occurred I was alert and aware the time to the surrounding and the way the accident happened. I was fixing a machine that had failed to work right. I had the power off and the supervisor on the job next to me. As we were repairing the malfunction another employee, who was in a rush flipped the power on while I was still in the machine.
Everything happed so fast that I had no way of moving. As the 42lb steel plates cam at my hands, one caught my right thumb and I got caught up in the machine as everyone tried to figure out how to release me. I was released and take by ambulance to a Trauma Center in Florida. I was in surgery for 12 1/2 hours the first day and went to ICU the next day. For 8 hours everything looked good when my hand failed and they took me back to emergency surgery for another 8 hours. In the mean time no one from my job called, came to see how I was or checked in with my family.
I was in ICU for 4 days and never heard anything from them. On the 5th day they called my wife demanding an update on the status of his injury for the main office. I stayed in the hospital for over a week and came home with healthcare at home for the wounds. We were having problems getting the prescriptions, because we had no idea who the insurance carrier was. When the doctors office called because the workers comp carrier would not return their calls we got worried. Come to find out the job hadn't even filed a claim. As I sat home in pain for 2 days, before I could go get the couple hundred dollar medicine from the insurance. For 3 weeks I was home and still no visit, calls from the employer.
Now I have been released to light duty. I have been paid once by workers comp for the first 2 weeks I have been out of work. Now it's been a month and I have not been paid. My bills have not gone away. I went to work to let them know I have been released with no right hand use. Now I sit for the past 4 days in a chair doing nothing. As I have been told by the personnel office that they are going to pay me for 40 hours so they can take me off workers comp.
I got an attorney, because that is less than what I am receiving from workers comp. You are suppose to get 66.2/3% I am not. To take you off they have to pay at least 80% I am not. I am not someone who like to sue or fight, but I feel as the victim I am not being treated fairly. When asked about a check and when I would get one, they said it could take 6 weeks. I have to live still and I have a family. If I could go back to work the way I that I was working I would. Unfortunately I can not and now I am paying the price for it.
When I returned this past week. They all thought I would be happy to read in the company news letter the safety part was about my accident. Why would I be happy that they said it was my fault. No mention that someone was careless and turned the machine on while I was working on it. Not only did this news letter go to all employees at our plant, but all over the United States to other plants. So now here I sit not knowing how much money I make or when the next time I will get paid. Therapy 4 times a week and still having pins hanging out the top of my hand. The amputation part was bad. Luckily after all the surgery I have it, along with a road map up my arm and hand where they took all the veins, tendons and arteries to save it.
Employers need to learn some bed side manner and compassion for their employees, who work hard and long for them.