OT: workers comp; labor and industries

[motorcyclemac]

Hey folks,

I am just wondering if any of you have experience with L&I / workers comp claims. Does anyone ever get a satisfactory outcome? Do most folks get screwed as the final result? I am currently in the midst of my back injury claim and wondered if I was the only one that has taken it in the swarf chute on this type of deal.

Discuss please if you can.

Cheers
Mac.

[Ries]

I am an employer, not an employee- and I have sure "taken it in the swarf chute" as you put it.
That is, when an employee of mine hurts himself (which, thankfully, has been very rare and not serious) it costs me a lot, it takes mounds of paperwork, and it never seems to end.

In Washington, they dont exactly charge employers directly- they have some funny, mythical "account balance" of some portion of my payments, and then they increase my percentage- its way too complicated to figure out.

But I assure you, as an employer, I am just as much at the mercy of the state and its 19th century beauracracy as you are as an employee.

However, the alternatives are worse- if you had private insurance, they would probably deny most of your claims, and then drop you.

[MTNGUN]

Workman's comp was designed to protect employers, not employees.

Of course, they are going to fight your claim. It is profitable for them to do so. Do you think they are running a charity ?

In the employer's defense, the root cause of back injuries is usually that the person is out of shape, as most Americans are. Bending over does not cause back injuries -- unless you are out of shape. Heavy lifting does not cause back injuries -- unless you are out of shape. If I were an employer and if an out of shape employee filed a claim for a back injury, I'd feel like I was getting the bill for the employee's personal health problem.

If we had no-fault health care like a 1st world country, we wouldn't be arguing about who is to blame for your back injury.

[tattoomike68]

I was hurt on the job and got $11,000 after a surgery that did not work 2.5 years later.

then I fought social security for 3.5 years more and got $30,000 and $6,000 went a to a lawyer.

Its better to just die, they flat dont give a fukk about you. Just wait for Obama care , it will make you want to die faster, they sure as hell will crap on you for sure.

I hate to tell you this but you are screwed, start growing dope, selling guns and drugs because you are screwed. the government dont give a Zhit about YOU.

[motorcyclemac]

Hey TattooMike68...

Yeah...you are right...they don't give a crap.

My injury wasn't from being out of shape. In fact I have always been quite strong from delivering 55 gallon oil drums. My injury was due to losing a battle with gravity. I fell..on ice...and drove my tail bone up my arse. It splattered a disk (L4-L5)..like playdough and pinched a nerve. I have had a spinal surgery which was partly to mostly ok (for now). I still ache...and there is pain but I CAN feel my leg again..so ...well.. I guess I'll take the good with the bad.

My employer fired me. They decided that my job could be filled by alternate employees and thus they politely told me to F*** off. I have no job to go back to and it looks like L&I is satisfied that having aches and pain is ok.. as my leg works. I am signed up to do physical therapy now. The surgery was in July..and they are just now getting around to that?!?!

It is a wierd mess to say the least. I have never had an on the job injury ever..and I have worked since I was 16 with no gaps in employment or claims. This is all new to me...and I just wondered if others have been "stuck" with after effects of injury and been told to accept it. My doc and paralegal's office have had to fight for everything.

Thankfully I do have my machine shop side business and will pursue that to make money as the job market here is soft and offers nothing but low end jobs. I can't sit to drive long distances anymore so driving tanker is out. So..my shop is going to be my ace in the hole..and I AM going to do machine work, gunsmithing and sell guns (no drugs). How did ya know? Well..hopefully I can make my shop run hard enough to be a primary source of income..as the L&I folks don't have any obligation to re-employ me it seems.

Cheers
Mac.

[dp]

Agree with the purpose of the protection. I ruptured a disk in my back at work. L&I was a pain just below my back to deal with. I'd have been light years ahead if I'd not filed L&I, and because of the pain I'm in continually, I'd probably qual for disability and deserve it were it not for L&I.

Following my disk rupture I was in extreme pain and had to use a wheel chair for several months because I could not stand, and to be honest, wondered if I ever would again. L&I finally ruled in my favor and authorized surgery.

Like an idiot I believed I was not allowed to just pay for it on my own, or I would have. I'm still far from pain free but I'm no longer in a wheel chair. But what I learned is to avoid the L&I like it was a plague and find any other funding possible. They're bastards.

[motorcyclemac]

They're bastards.

Thanks...for the info..

I have heard some interesting stories from others.. Yours is in line with what I have heard.

Cheers
Mac.

[chief]

MTNGUN,
Sorry but you are wrong again. Back injuries occur for a variety of reasons, being out of shape is only one. You need to do some due diligence before making your obamasque statements.

[Evan]

They're bastards.

Funny, that is a perfect description of them here too. It must be a standard job description requirement. Here they are the single largest employer of private investigator services along with the Provincial operated auto insurance corporation. You have back pain? They will get a video of you bending over to tie a shoe lace and your claim is history.

[Rustybolt]

Hey folks,

I am just wondering if any of you have experience with L&I / workers comp claims. Does anyone ever get a satisfactory outcome? Do most folks get screwed as the final result? I am currently in the midst of my back injury claim and wondered if I was the only one that has taken it in the swarf chute on this type of deal.

Discuss please if you can.

Cheers
Mac.

Get a lawyer. You will be screwed around until you do. In my state(Illinois) you have two years to file a claim. After that TS.

[gnm109]

I worked in the workers' compensation industry for some 12 years. I can state affirmatively that the workers' compensation system does nothing for the employer, the employee or society for that matter. It's a bureauocratic mess that serves no one well and most everyone ill. .

Rates out of control, endless delay, lawyers and doctors fighting amongst themselves on each side about rating percentages while the worker waits for some help. Judges that are dumber than stumps with work piled to the ceiling.

As a matter of fact, if you want a preview of Obamacare, just embark on a study of workers' compensation in almost any state. California would be a good example.

Workers' compensation is a vile joke. I have a unique perspective since I've worked on both sides of the fence - as an insurance company drone and an advocate for injured workers as a lawyer. The whole system is enough to make you puke, if you think about it. Me, I'm trying to forget.

[Roy Andrews]

before cancer i raced dirt bikes as a hobby(enduro and hare scrambles).i was occasionally injured and my wife always worried about the financial side if i was ever injured badly. as a result of this i took out a fairly large disability policy. although the dirt bikes didn't get me cancer did. S.S. initially denied me because i didn't use a lawyer. but with a lawyer submitting the paperwork they had no problem saying i was disabled for life. (lawyers have to get their share) the insurance company still insists that i am not disable at all and delays going to court at all costs. i was told in the beginning by my lawyer that they would be able to delay for three-three and half years and so far its been three. so the financial security i thought i had was not realistic. the way the system works the insurance companies have no reason to pay you and they will do nothing but delay until they are forced to pay. in the mean time you just suffer and try to get by.

[motorcyclemac]

[QUOTE=gnm109]Rates out of control, endless delay, lawyers and doctors fighting amongst themselves on each side about rating percentages while the worker waits for some help. Judges that are dumber than stumps with work piled to the ceiling.

[QUOTE]

That is what is going on with me right now. L&I trying to shut the case down...one doc says I am recoverd...another says I need PT... The paralegal office says I need to wait and see how the PT goes.... The attorney says...I should sue.


Sheesh.

[gnm109]

[QUOTE=motorcyclemac][QUOTE=gnm109]Rates out of control, endless delay, lawyers and doctors fighting amongst themselves on each side about rating percentages while the worker waits for some help. Judges that are dumber than stumps with work piled to the ceiling.

That is what is going on with me right now. L&I trying to shut the case down...one doc says I am recoverd...another says I need PT... The paralegal office says I need to wait and see how the PT goes.... The attorney says...I should sue.


Sheesh.

The attorney is correct. I say that because that will get you an independent medical examination paid for by the company and the attorney will increase your rating and therefore your benefits.

I'm truly sorry that you have to deal with this stuff. They are truly bastards. I hurt my back once at the insurance company and all I wanted was physical therapy. My no good SOB supervisor told the doctors that he thought I was fakng it.

I threatened to get an attorney and then, and only then, got my therapy approved. I didn't even miss any work and they tried to screw me.

The workers compensaton ststem is a government-run medical insurance operation. They are the scum of the earth.

Sorry about your issue. Get a lawyer. They don't get paid up front and they only get around 12-14% of your award. You can get paid back to the date of filing.

Good luck.

[motorcyclemac]

gnm109...

Thanks for your heartfelt concern. I appreciate it. I am seriously thinking about taking someone to task as this is getting really messed up.

I have had to do some serious financial work with the bank to keep my house.

This has been going on for 11 months now...and the wife and I are flat broke. None of this was my fault..but it sure has caused some serious issues.

I just wondered what was typical as none of it seems right and none of the parties that caused the mess seem to give a sh!t.

I have depleated all my savings, cashed out my 401K under hardship..and sitting around wondering what I can sell to make some money.. My truck, shop equipment and firearms are the last things I wannna sell...but they are all I have. I tell ya...it would kill me to sell my shop stuff. I worked too hard to get it.

Cheers
Mac.