Workers Comp Help
Oregon Injured Worker Stories
I am an 38 year old female. In 2000 I was injured on the job, doing a job that I had never done before. I have had multiple surgeries, including 2 fusions at separate times and surgery on my back. After my first fusion in my neck I was sent to a pain management center for a month. I had to see a psychologist, therapist, doctors, nurses all to convince me that my continued pain was all in my head, and that I just had poor pain management skills and that I was depressed.
They made me feel as if I was faking it and just not wanting to put forth the effort, so I pushed myself. Even so they still made statements that I could have done more. After completing this program I finally got another MRI done to find that I had another herniation which was far worse then my original injury.
I had to have another fusion. I have had steroid injections, numerous months of therapy and lots of IME's. I have been fought every inch of the way. Now that I am considered to be medically stationary they are questioning my motives for getting my claim closed. I can't get a preferred workers card until my claim was closed. I want to try to get back to work although I don't know how.
So many people pay into WC and yet the only rights we really seem to have is as follows:
WE HAVE THE RIGHT
- To lose everything that we have worked our whole lives for. Our House.
- Our dignity
- To be called fakers
- To be called malingerers
- To hurt for the rest of our lives
- Our integrity is questioned over and over again.
- Not to be able to enjoy the things we use to because the pain is overwhelming.
I think we all need to go sit in wheelchairs at the legislators step and protest. We need to ban together and truly make ourselves heard.
We should be entitled to get enough education to earn 80% of our wages at time of injury. Not training and then if you can get a minimum wage job then you are stuck. That is not right.
As someone else said the state workers make their money off of our injuries and we get the shaft. I called an ambudsman about the mistreatment that I was receiving and I got nothing but excuses, and questioning of my motives. My claims adjustor continually makes mistakes that are costly to my well being and livelihood and yet there never seems to be any repercussions to them. If I don't "cooperate" by their definition then you can better believe that I would suffer repercussions.
I have to continually show objective findings but they are entitled to state opinions, such as not in any acute pain, claimed weakness and fatigue but wasn't notable. As someone else stated if you look ok then you must be ok. I live in constant pain but because I don't fall over or crying my head off then I am not really in pain. If I was crying then I would just have poor pain management skills. Would someone please explain to me how I am suppose to close my eyes, mind over matter, while writing out a report.
Being injured and on workers compensation has been one of the worst experiences of my life. Before I got hurt on the job, I averaged $6000 a year overtime. In the 11 years that I was in the workforce. I missed four days of work. Three of which was because my daughter was hit by a car. One half day was because my finance was in a car accident. The other one half day was because I had a migraine and was physically ill. No one wanted me throwing up on the bakery products. People at work would give me a hard time because I never missed work and worked so much overtime yet now I am being accused of not wanting to work. I pride myself in any job that I do. Who will hire me if I can't do the work or concentrate and do the job right.