Workers Comp Help
Serious Workplace Back Injury With Disc Herniation
I am 25 years old, and recently had the opportunity to deal with Workers Compensation of West Virginia.
I was hurt at work on April 1,2002. I went to the E.R at a local hospital the next morning, I had to have my mother take me cause i could not stand, let alone walk by myself. The attending Dr. told me i just have a lumbar-sacral strain.
I was then advised to see my family physician, who insisted on doing nothing except drug me, even though I was experiencing depression, loss of sleep I had to sleep sitting up, I could not straighten out enough due to being bent over at the hips in a 45 degree angle) and not to mention the pain that hit every time i breathed.
After 2 more trips to the E.R and about a month later I was referred to a bone specialist who flat out told me he couldn't help me and referred me to a Neurosurgeon. Upon the first visit to him I was informed I had a L4-5 disc herniation and a L3-4 bulging dics, spinal stenosis and moderate Degenerative Disc Disease, I was then told i had to have surgery to fix the problem or i would never be better.
I had the surgery on June 8,2002. It was supposed to be an hour and a half, but turned out to be almost 4 hours, the scar was to be a half of a inch but was 5 and a half. I spent 4 days in the hospital and 3 months in Physical Therapy and one month in Work Reconditioning and I still am experiencing nerve damage in my right leg that my surgeon said I would have to live with for the rest of my life.
Through it all I can honestly say that I never had a problem with Workers Comp or my employer at the time. From what I have heard I should consider myself one of the fortunate ones. It's now time to settle up with Comp. If anyone has any tips on how to deal with this end of the deal please let me know.