Workers Comp Help
Struck By A Car At Work
I was hit by a bumper of a car that was going about 4 mph, while flagging for a road construction company. After getting hit, I had to stand there for 10 minutes waiting for a supervisor to come by so that I could tell them. I could not put weight on my right leg, whereas the car hit the back of my right knee.
After I told the supervisor, I had to stand there in the street, still flagging the traffic, while waiting for another boss to come around. 30 minutes after the accident, after my sister-in-law, who was on the other end when it happened, went and complained to the state worker that was there.
After the boss came around and I agreed to go to the ER, I still had to stand there until someone could come and relieve me. Total, I stood there flagging the traffic for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours after the accident. From there it just got worse. I had to drive my sister-in-laws car to the ER, cause no one else would take me, then called my husband to come and get me so that I could go !
to the office that was 30 miles away so I could take the drug test that was required. The next day I went to see my own doctor, cause the pain was worse. He put me in a knee immobilizer and crutches, and made an appointment with an orthopedic specialist.
The specialist wanted an MRI and bone scan done as soon as possible. The following day, which was about a week after the accident, I was told by Workers' Comp. (Liberty Mutual) that since I live in Iowa that I couldn't go and see my own doctors, and that I should of known that from the books I got when I was hired. I told them that it would of been nice to of gotten those books then. I didn't even know that there was such a thing.
Well, I went to see the company doctor right after that, who agreed with my specialist, and he set up the MRI for the following week, along with another orthopedic surgeon the day after. I live an hour away from all of this. The new specialist never looked at the MRI films, this I know cause he asked me if I had one done, where it was done, and I had given it to the nurse when I first walked into the doors of the place. The doctor jerked my leg and knee around, told me to get rid of the immobilizer and crutches, that he didn't see anything wrong.
He wouldn't prescribe anything for the pain, and told me to put ice on it, and go to physical therapy, that it was probably just strained and needed retightening. This went on till April of this year. That is when he decided to ban me from his office, saying that I was just putting on a show. He had released me for work as of the last part of Oct, but I hadn't been back. I finally told Liberty Mutual that I had a lawyer, Cause I was t!
ired of the runaround that they was giving me. I was even informed that I was not allowed to go to the ER for the severe pain that I was having, and if I did, I would be responsible for the payment. My lawyer got them to finally send me to another doctor in Nebraska, for a second opinion, and there I got the diagnosis of RSD. RSD is Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, which was caused by the car hitting the nerves in the back of my knee.
As of right now, after a month after seeing the last doctor, I got to go and see another one who does the Pain Management. I have to go to Physical Therapy 3x's a week, along with Occupational Therapy. This is an hour drive for me, one way. I am not allowed to drive now, doctors orders, so I have to find a baby-sitter and a driver so that my husband doesn't have to take off of work just to take me.
I just hope that someday, maybe one of those insurance workers has to deal with something like this, just so that they can see what its like to have their spouse miss alot of work to take them some where, which means you not only have lost your income, but part of your spouses also.
By the way, as of Jan, I never received another check either. My lawyer is working on that part right now, to see why not.
I just hope that some day, although I will have pain for the rest of my life, that this will be all over with.