Fall From Ladder

[Cervical_Fusion]

I have a great friend who's wife was working over night Sunday night at one of the big box stores at the mall. They were resetting there depts to there back to school mode. After working only a couple of hours that eveing she fell from a ladder. Landed on her right side. They called the EMT'S who transported her to the local hospital. She broke the humerus of her right shoulder. She also busted up her right knee. THe local hospital put her arm in a sling and informd her there is nothing they can do for her knee here. They had her transported to a larger city near by (by ambulance that night). In the larger hospital they did surgrey on her knee the next morning. He knee is all busted up they put a medal plate in over her knee cap. They could not find any cartlidge in her knee when they had it opened. But to only find the cartlidge shoved down inside of the bone. This lady is in excruating pain now. They told her she would be in the hospital for at least 4 days. The dr is not happy about her even comming home and wants to send her to a rehab place to stay where there is people that can care for her there. The arm and leg are her right side and dominant side. Dr says she is wheel chair bound and may not work for at least a year and may never work again. I spoke to her husband earlier tonight and the employers insurace company is calling there house and leaveing messages and wanting to talk to her. Now they know she is in he hospital .. cant even wait untill she is released. I bet they are in for a long haul with this insurance company.

[jayne]

get a lawyer nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[Lilly]

Elaborate on NOTHING to the adjusters when they call, IF you do answer. Keep it short, w/ yes, no answers.
Yes, i agree....a lawyer is needed promptly. As this sounds like a dehibilitating injury that is going to effect her future greatly .This will also put a stop to the iC calling their house all the time.
Tell them good luck & keep in touch w/ us! Lilly

[1171]

many employers and carriers try to practice early contact with those involved. It's a standard complaint that once they are injured the worker is kept in the dark about the comp process.
you can't accurately predict the situation from just one point of view.

[stiffnecked]

Ballderdash!!! The adjusters are just trying to appear that they are caring individuals. They are only looking out for the interests of the IC. That's there job. With injuries this serious you should get an attorney, post haste!!!!!!!!

[Cycler]

stiffnecked Wrote:BS. The adjusters are just trying to appear that they are caring individuals. They are only looking out for the interests of the IC. That's there job. With injuries this serious you should get an attorney, post haste!!!!!!!!

It may be so but is not necessarily so.

Nothing has occurred per OP's post that would require an attys attention. The family can ask them not to call just as easily as the atty and far quicker.

Adjusters and others such as NCM's etc are often in place quite early on catastrophic injuries as a a great deal of coordinated care must be put in place and only the adjuster or payor can make that happen in a timely fashion. A lawyer can only slow the process down by re-routing communication and coordination absent any indication of hostile action on the part of the employer of payor. Signing one up at this point on the face of it is more an exercise in guaranteeing the atty a future payday than directly benefitting the injured.

This is just a general observation regardless of this injury and your opinions may vary.

[stiffnecked]

Sorry, but after having ridden this pony for 20 plus years in this dog and pony show the OP in this case is going to need someone to look out for them from a legal standpoint. I have yet to see any adjuster or nurse case manager that was truely looking out for the rights of the employee. It just doesn't happen. It is an adversarial
system. Adjusters and NCM will not volunteer information to the IW that may be of benefit to them. Thier whole job is to get the IW out of their system and back to work as soon as possible. Regardless.

Having an attorney at this stage will force the IC to provide all of the benefits that the IW is legally entitled to.

[Cycler]

My opinion was not if but when. No doubt the IW will need an atty at some point in the claim but in the acute phase of injury there just isn't anything for an atty to do as long as the treating Drs. recommendations and the patients needs are being addressed in a timely manner and those needs are not very complicated in the first few months of care. On the other hand, steering all communication through an atty in the acute phase when there are no issues being contested ( THE key point ) stands a very real chance of actually slowing needed services down.

I don't think for a second that this argument would slow anyone on this board from engaging representation by it's very nature but I do think it unfair to paint every and all interested party on the other or neutral side as a bad actor by definition and simply said so in so many words. That has not been my experience while your milage may vary.
Peace

[jayne]

many of us on here are totally disabled because we waited to long to get an attorney involved.....if from day 3 I would have had my attorney involved I would be back at work today and continuing on toward the retirement goals my husband and I had set into motion 35 years ago when we married......But because my husbands case had went along with little or no interferrance from the IC and they took care of him mostly ok.when they didnt a call to HR would take care of the problem I thought that because I worked for a christian company that goes all over the world helping others in disasters that they would take care of me,well they didnt and they fought me tooth and nail and it wasnt till I got a lawyer that I even got to see a good Doctor....and when the court Doctor told the court that if I had been seen in a timely manner and fixed I would be back to work but because of their BS I was now permantly disabled....It cost them alot...Dollar wise..But I would rather have my neck and back back...

[1171]

Stiffneck:
knock the "BS" out of your post. we all get an opinion on this board without being insulted.