Workers Comp Help
Back Injury After Slipping At Work
I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. I will give you a brief history as I when it comes to worker's comp there is no end to the nightmare.
I am 32yrs old, married for 13yrs and have two kids. In 1990 I was 19 and a preschool teacher and slipped on juice the was spilled on the floor and fell flat on my backside. In 1992 they figured out I had ruptured discs and went in for disc fusion surgery in L4 L5 S1. It took two years for workers comp to agree I was hurt and needed this surgery which I am sure worsened the original injury.
Then six months later one of the screws broke so had to go in again and have it refused. I was never out of pain and even told to deal with it. Moved to Colorado and found a wonderful dr who told me I had flat back syndrome but since this was workers comp they are protected from everything I think. So In 1994 had third disc fusion with four rods and six screws put in. After yrs of back braces, wheelchairs and therapy it was a success!
I was able to go through some crappy re-training they provide and in 1998 I started working full time. I was told I would have to have the one surgery and since I was so young I would bounce right back and be good as new! Well I ended up being temp disabled for eight yrs. But Wait............ I am here again at the age of 32 for my second fight with workers comp out here in Nevada. Now, I have not seen a back dr since 1996 for my last check up and why? Because was pain free and had my life back or so I thought.
I started working as a PBX opr for Ballys and Paris Hotel, Park Place Entertainment, the largest gaming company in the world I would like to add. I had been promoted so at this time Aug 30, 2002 I was a supervisor and on my break in our break room. I was on the phone and just as I leaned forward to hang it up something crashed and hit my tailbone. It was a 40pd wooden light box fixture that was recently installed and crashed down on me from a 12ft ceiling. I also want you to picture this happening to someone who is 5'2 and 95lbs soaking wet. I was taken right away to their clinic Industial Medical group and looked at for under five min and told it was just brusied, go home and rest and go back to work on Monday, this was the end of my shift on Saturday.
Now you would think since I had hardware right where it hit they would of taken xrays because I thought for the amount of pain I am in it had to of cracked it or something. Did what I was told and went to work and it was a living hell but it was a holiday and of course a skeleton crew because the casino's don't want to pay the extra holiday pay and I was a supervisor, I had commitments. The next day I could not walk due to the pain being so severe and the leg pain started. Us back people know what the leg pain means so I called and said something is really wrong and they sent me back to the clinic. Can you guess what I was told? Yes, its just bruised go home and you will be fine by tomorrow. Now at this point I could not walk without assistance and they wouldn't allow my husband in the room with me which I found out later was against the law. I asked him for a release from work since I couldn't walk and give me the time to let it heal then for goodness sakes. I was told by him that "It is Nevada state law that I cannot release you from work". So I called my Human Resource Dept crying telling them I couldn't walk and he they won't give me a sick note. They at least put me out on workers comp until I could see who I was told was a specialist, Dr. *****.
I KNOW THIS IS LONG BUT IT GETS EVEN MORE SHOCKING SO PLEASE KEEP READING!
I was told to put in writing that I want to see a second Dr. and they have a list of several and we could go off that list. I did at this time get an atty. The two sides agreed on a Dr. and took a month to see him so I was in and out of ER's while waiting. The day before I called for directions and was told that the appt got cancelled awhile back because the DR read the earlier report and said there was no need to see me, there was nothing more that could be done that already wasn't done. The only thing done was a ct scan! So again both atty's agreed on another Dr. which took another month and the same thing happened and then a third time!
I was told this was very unusual so I got copies of my report from Dr.****** and boy did he just rip me apart. Said I was theatrical and addicted to pain killers and basically a liar trying to get out of work. I mean what's the point of having this list to choose from if they refuse to see you? I finally figured out they were forcing me to the bottom of the list which was one of the worst Dr.s and was the only one willing to see me. So by this point I felt like they were leaving me to die so I went and saw a DR through my private insurance and didn't tell them it was a work injury right away.
Do you know that I was believed that I was in pain and told we would start doing all these tests and wouldn't stop until we found the problem! They refuse to pay me workers comp until a workers comp dr releases me from work which they refuse to and even lie to my face that their not allowed to. Now my private Dr. release me no problem but that's not good enough to start my workers comp money back. And to top it off I have a catch 22, I can't collect medical leave money from my union because they say the light fell out of the ceiling on you its a work injury but workers comp says its not work related because she had a pre-exsiting condition, its most likely inflammation due to my prior injury. Now let me repeat myself, I have not seen a back dr since 1996 because I had no need to.
I see them "comping" out stuff left and right to keep hotel guests happy when they have a problem. Could you imagine if I was a guest and this happened. I know I would of gotten a call from the somebody at the hotel very concerned. But since its just me and employee who put my heart and soul into my job I am being threatened and forgotten. Because of my newly found disease and many of you could be going through the same type back pain I have a wonderful place to help with information and support.
Thank you for your time and I hope to find away to stop this injustice, I can't be the only one and one of many horror stories!