[kerrtxgjg]

Fell off a Bus. I am a bus driver. Been off work since july 2011. **no names please** paying benefits through 2 surgeries till last Thursday.

My Treating Doctor , **no names please** found another 3rd new tear on MRI last month , and requested another 3rd surgery, was denied by the insurance company , and is filing an appeal, . I also have back problem from related surgery in 1984 and insurance company refused to acknowledge back and feet problems.

MMI ordered in the meantime by the insurance company and Idiot chiro-quack MMI 'doctor' , yeah, the guys who is a chiropracter and couldn'rt even get into Med School) diagnosed MMI disability at 2% (and also reaggravated my injury , and so the Insurance company stopped benefits as of last Thursday.


I am in awful pain in back and knees still, especially since MMI chiropracter reaggravated injury, and I still have the Meniscus tear , that treating doctor who did previous two surgeries from fall) wants to operate on to repair. Doctor is now appealing to **no names please** pre- auhorization. I am Looking for permanent disability.

What do I do? Would there be any interest in this for a Lawyer? In Texas there is no settlement.

Can/ Should I file a disagreement with this 2% rating through Texas workforce commission ombudsmen?

How can I be at MMI when my Surgeoun has done an MRI< found another different tear, and ordred surgey, and how can it be denied??
Thanks.

I am still on light duty orders ( cannot go back to my previous heavy job ) from my treating surgeoun, and now have no income. So I'm freaking out now , since my old job is too strenous and don't have any source of income.

What about Social security? Unemployment?

Thanks so very much for your input.

[1171]

you can talk to a lawyer without cost.
lawyers are still used in Texas comp to help resolve disputes.
you need medical evidence if you are to challenge the rating.
you only need to be at MMI for your work injuries.
yes file for SSDI.
unemployment won't pay unless you can find a job and work.

[kerrtxgjg]

(06-04-2013, 11:29 AM)1171 Wrote: you can talk to a lawyer without cost.
lawyers are still used in Texas comp to help resolve disputes.
you need medical evidence if you are to challenge the rating.
you only need to be at MMI for your work injuries.
yes file for SSDI.
unemployment won't pay unless you can find a job and work.

Thanks. Again, how can I be at MMI if I have a torn miniscis that the doctor want sot operate on- that was a work related injury same as the other two knee tears.
Do you mean I 'have to be at MMI for work injuries' in order to talk to a lawyer? Aren't I somehow going to have top say I'm NOT at MMI, even the the insurance company declared so?

[1171]

initial consultation with a lawyer is no charge.
if you retain a lawyer, any fee will be deducted from future benefits.
yes you can dispute MMI with medical evidence.
have you contacted Ombudsman/Office of Employee Counsel yet?
http://www.oiec.texas.gov/topics/ombudsman.html

more here on handling comp disputes in texas
http://www.tdi.texas.gov/wc/employee/dispute.html

[kerrtxgjg]

If the denied surgery is finally approved, whcih i think it will be, can the office of injured workers counsel order disablity benefits to be reinstated? The adjustor for the insurance company told me that even if the surgery was approved by them, there would be no more disablity checks, which leaves me wondering how I am going to afford the time off to recupaerate after surgery?

[1171]

no, they have no judicial authority.
they can help with benefit review conference, arbitration, and other judicial proceedings that do have legal authority to award benefits including disability.