Is this really how I'm suppose to be treated??

[maint314]

I feel you bodybuilder.i'm now down to 1100 dollars, to my name. Cant pay for medications or medical care because WC is disputing the claim and not sure where rent is gonna come from. So I'm with ya!
Cycler- If your employer isnt responsible and their policy is to drop you from insurance after of month of leave, WC isnt responsible intil deemed responsible, How is someone like me, bodybuilder, suppose to pay for all the medical testing, treatments, medications?Without insurance the medications I'm suppose to be taking are over 1000$ a month and Iam sitting on 15,000 in doctors bills and also the doctors cant treat me anymore cause I have no insurance.If I have a sever asthma attack(which i had no history of till i started working around cobalt and carbide) I have been told to go thew emergency room. I am not responsible for this, I'm not looking for a handout, just the care to get back to where I was physically before I started working in my last job.

[freebird]

WC has denied your claim and will not be held responsible until they are forced to. You have to ask your Attorney if you have a case or not. If you are able to go to work, this is your best option and allow your Attorney to work out the details with WC of your state.
It would not be wise to try and wait for WC to react and you are capable of working. If you are not able to do any gainful employment, then you have SSDI and still a long wait for any money to arrive.

I can promise you that WC of your state and SSA do not give a damn if you are living under a bridge.
They cope with so many who are trying to scam them that they have a hard shell over any type of compassion.
They have a job to do and I am sorry you are caught in the middle. It is just a job to them.

[Still in Limbo]

Sadly Freebird is Correct. W/C is not Pro-Active, and if You don't Fight, You'll Surely Lose! The Hardest thing for Anyone who is just getting Involved in the w/c System is to Realize it's Nothing Personal, We are a Case Number, a File, and a Liability. Unless Our Case is Heard by Standing Up for what is Ours, They are not going to Act in Our Best Interest. 80% I Believe of w/c Cases go Smoothly, and the Longer Term Injury Cases Seem to get Complicated and Fought. Learn Your States Rules and Laws, Make Sure You have Trust in Your Attorney and They are Acting in Your Best Interest, and be Prepared come Hearing Time!! I had to Endure 15 Hearings, 2 Appeals, and I'm awaiting My Case being Filed with the Commonwealth Court, and I have Won 14 1/2 of My Hearings, and the Battle still Rages 5 Years Later!! It's a Rough Road, but there is an End at Some Point in Time, and I Hope Yours Ends in Your Favor!!

[freebird]

The problem winds up being who can endure financially and fight these "bears". I am in my 6th year and I still have not settled with WC. We have a settlement but the contingency of the MSA has not been met but..............

I do continue to draw a weekly check froms WC and monthly SSDI. Approx. $3900 a month total not counting my wives income. Kids grown; only me and my woman of 32 years at home and my 13 year old wennie dog. LOL

I guess my injury was "cut and dry" because WC has never attempted to cut off my weekly check in 6+ years. I have been denied and delayed medical.

With SSDI I was denied but won the appeal. It took 14 months from the 1st time I applied until the 1st SSDI check arrived. I also received over $38k in back pay after the Attorney received his $5300 cut.

I also have no offset financially between WC and SSDI. I am blessed.

Finances has not been a issue for me. The actual Injury, the Permanent Disability and the chronic pain are my problems. I do worry about the final settlement with WC because everything has to be done right.

We were financially in good shape before my Injury + my wife has a great job with benefits. We had money to fall back on. We have more than replaced this.
We are basically debt free and recommend everyone work toward this goal because know one knows what tomorrow will bring.

[maint314]

That is the problem now. I cant financially endure any longer. I am broke.Checking is gone Savings is down to 1100. Told dr my situation and he, against his better judgement, released me to work. Have interview tomorrow. Physically 100% or not. Finacially 100% broke.WC has never paid me a check. If tomorrow doesnt go well then I have NO clue of what to do.I told my lawyer that dr signed a release to work note and I was going to apply for unemployment. His reply was "that will reduce what you can recover from WC, but if you need to eat, you need to eat." Hmm. Sound advice huh.What a load of crap this all is.A concern I just had is the doctor released me to work at sedentary and clean air environment. How should I handle this at my interview with my potential employer. When HR called me for the interview i told her the reason I left my former employer. How should I handle this?

[bodybuilder1958]

Wow, how to handle a potential employer. The truth, be honest. It can be done, getting a job with a potentially serious health problem. With an open work comp case it's harder though.

Good luck, prayers going with you

[maint314]

Being truthful is the plan. but how much should I reveal.I told them why I didnt work at my former company anymore. That the carbide and cobalt gave me respiratory trouble so the reason i left was medical. They didnt ask anything about workers compensation. Should I tell them or just not bring it up if they dont ask? I hate being sneaky.but I NEED employment.

[Cycler]

it'a none of their business. You can ask for an accommodation if you feel it is necessary to do the job they are hiring you for but other than it's a private matter.

[maint314]

I dont plan on asking for anything but employment.

[bodybuilder1958]

Agreed, if they ask.. well they shouldn't. I was advised to write this on applications to explain my 2 year work absence. "Injured family member requiring my assistance". They didn't need to know the 'injured family member' was me.

I did notice on one of the applications that they asked if I had ever filed a work comp claim.

You might need to have a medical release for you to carry your inhalers on you. My son did when he was employed.