Workers Comp Help
Ruptured Discs While Moving Boxes At Work
I was injured on Sept. 29, 2000. I was working as an administrative assistant on a temporary assignment. The personnel office I represented encouraged us to perform beyond our regular duties if the client needed extra assistance.
On this particular day, the client that I was employed by was moving its office location to another location.
Another temporary helper and me were asked to move some packed boxes from one location to another location in the new offices. They were currently on roller boards.
As I was moving boxes that were on a roller board to another room the supervisor came and took the roller board away from me. He stated that the moving company was going back to the other location and needed the roller boards. We would just have to use our hands to carry all the boxes. There were at least 100 25-50 LB. boxes packed to be moved.
As I was squatting to pick up about the 40th box I felt a "snapping" in my back. I didn't move any thing else after that. It was about three hours before work was over.
I went home. I was slightly agitated in my lower back the rest of the night. The next morning I could not move. I was in extreme pain. I attempted to get up to go to the restroom and it was impossible.
I called my workplace to let them know that I had injured my back the previous day at work. They took an accident report and said they'd have to call me back after they found out how to file a claim.
Several hours later the office personel contacted me to inform me of an appointment they had set up for me. I made this appointment by driving myself. I had no other options. I did not know anyone who was able to miss work to drive me. I had a 15 year old daughter and a 10 year old son in my care.
The attending physician said it was a pulled muscle and insisted that I return to work. I couldn't even set up. I had to argue with him that there was no physical possibility that I could sit up very well, much less return to work.
He released me to go back to work. I couldn't. I missed another 9 days of work. I went back to the same clinic, yet was seen by a different doctor. He told me the same thing. This time I really became angry. I had confrontational words with this physician. Firmly letting him know that there was no way in Hades or on earth that I was going to be able to return to work.
To keep this story short: I have seen 6 different doctors, got the shaft from an expensive law firm which I released after 13 hours of claimed work time and $1700.00 later, been refused medications, moved 4 times and looking at a fifth in two months, barely able to make my monthly bills without raising extra cash by renting out rooms to help pay the rent, was being refused physical therapy, didn't have any assistance in locating a qualified physician for my injury, don't have a car, no help with transportation to and from doctor outside of reimbursement mileage-which I was never informed of until the time limit had passed to turn in receipts.
I have been denied a TENS unit for my injury because its not been deemed medically necessary, yet without it I must take large doses of painkillers and muscle relaxers, I have been humiliated, been placed in further debt than I was already, unable to work but certain they will try to release me soon, had bogus doctor reports from doctors working with or cooperating with Worker Comp before considering me or my condition.
My experience with this company has caused me a great deal of pain and suffering physically and mentally. I long for this to come to an end, but I fear it will never truly be over, not as long as I am in pain as I am now.