Workers Comp Help
Welder Suffers Shoulder Separation From Job Injury
Oklahoma
Zurich
Shoulder Separation
I am employed by Honeywell Inc. as an aerospace welder, but at the time of my injury it was Allied Signal.
I suffered my injury 6/3/98 at 5:30am, while performing my normal duties I separated my right shoulder while trying to move a part from storage to my work area. I immediately reported to my supervisor (a leadman) that I was injured and was then informed that I had to wait until his supervisor came in at 7:00 am before a decision could be made on what to do.
After a conference of the supervisor's, I was sent to a minor emergency clinic where x-rays were taken and it was determined that I had a second-degree separation to my right shoulder.
The attending doctor (whom I later found out was really a "doctor's assistant") proscribed me pain medication and told me to go home and rest until I could be evaluated by an orthopedic doctor.
I went home that day from work with sever pain and discomfort, with my arm in a sling and started the pain medication.
Later that same day I was called by the vice president of the company and told that it would be in my best interest to come to work the next day. It seems that the company wanted to avoid any "loss time to injury" time. I told the VP that I was in a lot of pain and discomfort and was also taking a narcotic pain medication and couldn't drive. He told me that I could call a taxi at the company's expense and they would find a place for me to be isolated and that I could lie down if necessary. At the time I thought this was a ridiculous ideal but I told the VP that I would try to come in the next day. After a sleepless night and still in a lot of pain and discomfort I decided that it would not be "in my best interests" to go to work the next day. I also missed the following day (Friday). The following Monday after the weekend I went back to work.
Being at work was a complete joke. There was no light duty that I was able to perform, so my days consisted of sitting in the lunchroom area and reading books. This was the attempt to keep the company from losing any "loss time" due to an injury. While this was going on, an orthopedic surgeon was evaluating me. After several visits and some minor physical therapy it was decided by the Doctor that surgery was the only way to improve my condition. As a point I will also mention that at about this same time the supervisors at my work were growing tired of me being at work and doing nothing, a position they had put me in. They had called me into the office and told me that they would try to find some jobs I could do. The job they finally came up with was to vacuum the cracks in the shop floor. But when I told them that the doctor had recommended surgery they immediately told me that they were going to put me on workmen's comp because it might be harmful for my condition for me to stay at work!
I was set up for surgery to my right shoulder on 8/6/97 and go on workman's compensation. The procedure seems to go well and after the surgery I go for physical therapy for twice a week for five weeks. Although I continue to have pain, discomfort and lack of mobility they release me back to work in December of 98.
I continue working through February of 99 until the pain and the lack of mobility makes my performance of duties almost impossible. I then try to schedule an appointment to go back and see the doctor that has done the surgery. Workman's comp denied anymore visits. At this time I went and got an attorney and stop work. From February of 99 till May of 99 I was off work, then the court appointed me another orthopedic surgeon. I saw this doctor until September of 99 when he finally decided that my deltoid muscle had torn loose and dropped and that my rotor cuff was impinged. He scheduled surgery for 9/9/99. That is when my Workman's comp. payments started back.
I went through the surgery well. But there was no formal physical therapy this time. I was only given some isometric exercises to do at home to improve my mobility. My condition never improved. I still had a lot of pain in my right shoulder area and numbness and lack of mobility. Near the end of my recovery from the surgery the doctor suggested that I see a neurologist because there may be some other problems. I then did what the doctor recommended and had a MRI ran by a neurosurgeon. It was discovered that I had three herniated disks in my neck C-5,6,and 7. The doctor could not confirm that I had done this at the same time I hurt my shoulder but said that my shoulder had surely aggravated the injury. I informed my attorney of these findings and he tried to get this injury added to the original shoulder injury. The courts denied this had anything to due with the original injury!
Since that part of my case was denied by the courts the Workman's comp. Attorney then stated that they had over paid me and that I would have to pay back about nine months of compensation benefits. It is now June of 2002 and I have still not returned to work nor has my condition improved any. After a re-evaluation of the last doctor that did surgery on me and another MRI it has been determined that no further surgery would benefit me, but maybe "conservative treatments" of some kind might.
I'm still awaiting a decision.