Workers' Compensation Discussion Forums

In California

First, I know my case is not as long or maybe not as complicated as others in the forum. My heart goes out to each one of you for your pain, emotional and financial difficulties. I know there is light at the end of the tunnel for all. Just have to go around a few turns to see it. At least we have some sort of roadmap here in this forum. Thanks to all.

I was injured 12/08 by another employee throwing parcels that caused a fracture in my C7 and caused 3 disc bulges. I did get an attorney and finally got an approval for an epidural 7/09. During the procedure, my right side went numb and I lost feeling from my right ribs down to my right foot. Epidural did not help with the neck and arm pain/numbness. A neo-surgeon concluded that I need to have an operation (should have had it as soon as the results of the MRI were known in February). I have trouble at times keeping my balance and have fallen due to the numbness in my leg. I ended up injuring my knee when I fell and the doctor has to wait for all the swelling to go down to get an MRI (the docs conclusion is either damaged ligament or torn meniscus). My attorney said that it is all related because it is a domino effect from my initial injury.
Now, for the 6th time in 9 months, I have a new case worker assigned to my account by **G (the insurance company). It has stalled there, as they need 'time' for the new rep to go over my claim. There has been no history of neck injury and all the doctors (seen 9 now) agree that the neck injury is the result of the industrial accident. Even at the deposition the **G representative acknowledged this too.
I have filed a complaint (per 1170) (nothing came of that), wrote to the political powers that be (per 1170) (got the 'sorry to hear that, but it is what it is') and my attorneys have also done their thing to move this along. If all agree that my injury is the result of the 'accident', **G could have had this fixed way back when and none of these other things would have happened.

There is my vent and now my question: Do I wait for something else to happen or does anyone have any ideas or thoughts with the above events that could expedite this along?

I had the same problem with my IC and once they denied my claim my husbands medical insurance picked up and started the ball going.....then their lawyers went after the WC lawyers.....I got my treatment but it took a year by that time more permant damage was done......I fell alot also and everytime I did it was noted in my medical charts....good luck this is a awful system.....much like the socialized medical system in Germany that our movie star president wants us to have......wait wait wait

if the court allows them time to prepare and the politicians won't get involved then you'll have to live with the decision until the court is ready to allow a trial.
It's in the courts hands and you can't get out of the legal system other then by settlement ---and only if the carrier will agree.

It sad that we have to fight for medical treatment. There are several people that feel they have had more trouble because of the delay in getting treatment and sometimes it's hard to say for sure. I for one feel if my employer would have had gotten me treatment sooner things would be better in my case. I think it was bad boy that put it best when he said we should receive treatment first and worry about the payment later. Sorry bad boy I don't think that was how you said it but I think it says the same thing. But all the fighting over who and what we need would best be left to all the lawyers after we get the treatment. I know it's not alway cut and dry what we need or what will help and that is the real problem. If it was as simple as you have a broken arm, we set it and let it heal, then the problems would not be so bad. But sometimes it's hard to get two doctors to agree what will help us. And the bad part is we have so many doctors that will say just about anything the employer pays them to say.
Good luck in getting what you need and be ready for a long fight.