Workers Comp Help
On The Job Head Injury
I am a Registered Nurse that worked in a rural hospital over 13 years. I was hurt at work from a wall-mounted stand dislodging crashing the stand and t.v. on my head.
I was given a month off work will poor evaluation. The HR department discussed with my Dr. my case in the hallway for my return to work. I tried for a month to return but was harassed by place of employment continued to be assigned to areas that could not meet my physical restrictions. Within a month I was sent home and told you will work where we tell you to work. They have then and still continue to refused to accommodate my injury.
In addition, Workman's Compensation benefits did not reflect my dollarly wage. It has taken over two years and legal proceedings for W/C to admit their guilt. However, I cost me two thousand in attorney fees for admission of guilt two months ago and I still have not seen an adjustment in benefits.
My injury is throughout my body. My life is drastically limited and I endure pain now every minute of my life. The great American myth is if you look good you feel good. That is the myth. My MRI's orig. showed multi-level damage, cervical, thorasic, and lumbar thorasic area was where an edge of the T.V. fell and is symptomatic. No films were ever obtained. Cervical fusion was done after much therapy. Recovery was painful as bone from my hip was taken for fusion. I never recovered from the injury. Later a functional capacity test was done that rated my out sedentary. I was intimidated during testing that I needed to endure the two day test and was reassured that this test was geared for me and my specific injury. I was reinjured. The new MRI's showed injury above and below the fusion along with "active" arthritis. .
Job search was initiated for work as a RN for two to three months to exhaust all leads. This was done 5 month with one interview secured and no employment. My place of employment still refused to take me back. I re-evaluated my life and my choose were to go on disability or look at alternative career options. I found Nurse Practitioner as sedentary and proceeded to move on with my life. It feels though that W/C assumes control over one's life. My job search was to be in a 50 mile radius from my home and they were telling my QRC to include metro areas nearly 200 miles away. I did not have their permission to move on with my life but I am.
I am now 51 years of age spending all my energy attending graduate school. I should do this in three years but have financial concerns and will try to do it it two. I have left my home, family, and friends to resume hopes for once again working as a nurse. I took out a FAFSA government loan, and remorgaged my home. Workman's Comp. is fighting retraining. I just finished a two hour phone deposition having to reveal intimate details of my life. Information that had nothing to do with the injury, my plce of employment or how I feel today.
Stress is very harmful to chronic injury. In school I found literature that my injury will lessen the amount of years I live. Stress plays a role in this. I also read that stats show people on W/C have poorer outcomes. I assume this is due to the huge stress they place on injured workers adding to injury. My life's journey is MY lifes journey. I choose to not take it personal that some people in this world have careers that act as a synergist to injured peoples suffering. I feel the injured people of our nation have been sold out by our governmental workers as they are not following up on what happens to us once we are injured. We will live with pain and limitation every moment of out lives. By the time we are old, our chronic illness will be deep in our bodies and the burden will fall on Medicare. Billions of dollars are wasted as our nations struggles with how to care for their aged. Our nation needs to re-examine Workman's Compensation Insurance to lessen the suffering of individuals and our nation
Currently I have very limited access to healthcare. Because I moved out of state to begin my education this year rather than wait another year, health providers here are afraid they will not receive reimbursement so therefore I can not get my foot in the door without paying cash. I call my W/C insurance to ask if she will make a phone call and am denied. My QRC is redetailing my injury as I am told that my lumbar pain and nerve involvement in my lower back is not recognized for possible treatment. This letter could go on with detail but I hurt and must waste time in my life now to lie down and rest pain out of my body.