Have you ever been injured at work?

[gurglingsuitcase87]

I just recently broke my nose at work (OUCH!) I collided with another server while heading into the kitchen. This happened fridays so I had to wait all weekend to make a claim and what not. I just spent yesterday on the phone doing stuff for workman's comp so I can see an Ear Nose and Throat doctor. I feel like I'm best friends with my claims adjuster! haha Such a headache this stuff is! Luckily the company I work for was super helpful, but man this can be stressful, especially when you aren't feeling your best! Anyone ever have to deal with this?

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

I did three years ago and it was a pain in the butt. The corporation had its own medical facilities, so I had to go to their doctors for checkups. I had to beg for a referral to a specialist and even the nurse said to me "it's about time!" when I finally got that referral. It was more than a year before I was back to normal.

 

[Magpie]

I'm sorry to hear you got hurt!

I had a bad fall at work (as in over 20 feet through a bunch of metal shelving, onto a concrete floor! ) many years ago. My boss kept saying, "You're not hurt, are you? I don't have report this, do I? Please tell me I don't have to report this!"

Amazingly I didn't break any bones, and being Canadian I didn't have any worries about the cost of heath care.

So I told my boss I was fine but I wanted to quit early, if that was good with him. He told me to go home, so I dusted myself off and got in bed for about 12 hours of nausea (shock, probably). The bruises were spectacular and I was stiff for a long time after.

In retrospect I think I probably should have reported it... especially since it was partly his fault as he had me doing something really stupidly dangerous, and he shouldn't have done that. I was just too young to know any better.

 

[BEloveDisney]

I fell at work after slipping on ice when I was 7 months pregnant. Work made me call my OB who of course made me go to the hospital. (I was fine and fell very gently) Then work made me take sick time...half a day and I only left an hour early. And I had to pay the copay and 30% of the cost for monitoring.

 

[Silent1CB]

Yes, 20 yrs ago. Weird accident involving safe deposit box door & my index finger. Going to dr for it tomorrow actually because the pain has been returning lately. Its in the joint.

And my neighbor, just about 2-3 wks ago slipped on wet tile floor while carrying tray of drinks in the dining room. She just had reconstructive surgery for her shoulder that shattered in many places. She's got a year recovery coming. Her waitressing & hostessing days are probably done.

 

[almburr]

A few years ago while managing the city pool (I still work there), the chlorinator blew and I was shutting it down I got a chemical burn on my arm. I didnt have to fill out any forms at all. I went to the Dr. They treated it and billed it to the Rec. commision.

 

[rabyoga]

I sprained my ankle at work. I was walking with my kids (I'm a teacher) and fell off the quasi-sidewalk (we were in portable trailers... so the sidewalks were just asphalt and it was very uneven). I didn't think it was bad but went to our nurse afterwards. Good thing, the next day my ankle was so swollen and black. I went to the provider our school system uses. I saw a doctor right away. Better service than I've had in all my years as a military dependent. Just be sure that you fill out an accident report. I'm lucky I just sprained it and it healed pretty quick.

 

[gurglingsuitcase87]

who knew working could be so dangerous! I only went to the ER because it happened at work, and good thing I did because it was broken! So silly, I feel so dumb haha I finally got to make my ENT doctor with the hospital dr, that was the hard part, so I go on thursday and they might have to re-break my nose if its blocking my sinuses. I already have terrible sinus issues, so I don't want them to be any worse. I go back to work tomorrow and i am TERRIFIED!

 

[kilee]

Fell on the ice in my work parking lot 2 years ago. I went to the ER and had sprained my knee, I was off work for a few weeks, then returned. Originally I didn't think it was workers comp as I felt it was my own clumsy fault. However, turns out the same day another co-worker fell on the ice about 1/2 hr after me and did have a fractured ankle. So, they said mine was comp too. I had no problems being seen or being paid.

My husband had a 3 yr comp case that also went really smoothly. In his case though he fractured his tib/fib in 6 places. So it was pretty clear cut, you go to work without a fractured leg, and you get one while there.....ummmmm really no room for any problems. He ended up w/ 3 surgeries including bone grafts to get it to heal. He was on the side of the road picking up garbage and a car hit him. They said they didn't see him it was too rainy. Anyhow, it was actually really interesting dealing w/ both comp and no-fault on the same injury case.

 

[binny]

OUCH sorry you got hurt!

I was once, years ago. I was working as a tour guide on a bus up in the Yukon Territory and we hit a major frost heave. I was thrown into a coffee carafe spigot that was attached to the wall. Had a concussion and whiplash but was only off the road for a few days.
The funny thing was within seconds I had 3 lawyers business cards in my hands, all wanting to represent me if I decided to sue. This was towards the end of my 2nd summer tour and the worst thing that had happened to me, I figured it could have been WAY worse! That was a great group of passengers! They tried to wait on me the rest of the tour LOL.




It IS a PITB to deal with though! Just make sure you have everything in writing of what is promised and what isnt.

 

[Jennasis]

Yes. When I worked in tv news, I was on my way back to the station after covering our umpteenth firefighter funeral, shortly after 9/11 (on Long Island). It was myself and my reporter in the vehicle (I was a camera-person). We were broadsided by some punk kid in his mom's brand new Civic. I was driving our crew vehicles...a Chevy Blazer. He hit me so hard that he pushed me into on coming traffic. I had to swerve hard to avoid a truck, and the force of the impact coupled with me swerving caused the Blazer to flip.

My window on the driver's side shattered and the glass cut my wrist (though I was smart enough to pull my hands in to avoid them getting crushed). The reporter was screaming bloody murder as she dangled above me, trapped by her seatbelt. The truck was still running. I shut it off....heard yelling outside the vehicle...good samaritans who stopped to pry us out. They had to climb onto the side of the truck and pry the door open and haul us out. It was NO fun climbing out.

Good news was, while we were battered and bruised, no major damage. I gave my notice a few weeks later when I found out that when my boss was called to tell him whathad happened, the first thing he asked was "Did you get the camera out?"

 

[PatsGirl]

I hurt my back 9/11/01 (hard date to forget) when bringing down some boxes from above my head. I was out of work 16 weeks, the first four I couldn't get out of bed. After lots of tests, etc. turns out that although I did some disc damage that day I had previous undiscovered genetic/degenerative back problems (spinal stenosis and spondylethesis) which were getting progressively worse...

My employer was really nasty about the injury and hired their own lawyer to stop the workmen's payments but lost. I did get back to work after four months but have had two minor relapses in the last 8 years, both times keeping me out of work for about a week.

I work in the health care field and it is common for my company to bully you into NOT making a claim and making you feel guilty when you do. There have been several torn rotator cuff injuries where employees have needed to be out for considerable time on workman's comp, recently a broken ankle, and a back injury from slipping on ice in the parking lot. They continue to treat these employees badly because of their injuries

 

[DisneyFirefly]

When I was working for Disney, actually

On my first CP, I was a housekeeper at the Boardwalk. I was on my way out of a vacant room that I'd just finished cleaning when I somehow wound up on my butt with my right ankle throbbing. I managed to make it down to the office (I was in the far far corner of the fifth floor) and they sent me to the cast first aid center where they checked me out. I'd sprained my foot and, to this day (six years later), have no clue how. They took care of everything and then put me on light duty for a couple weeks until it healed. I learned how to make towel animals while on light duty.

 

[browneyes106]

When I was 16 I had a summer job at a family friend's cafe and on the last day I was working I tripped and sprained my ankle while helping clean up.

 

[Micca]

A loooooooooooong time ago I was kind of goofing around at work and severed a tendon on my left hand. Worker's comp paid for it even though it was my fault.

 

[ChrizJen]

I'm sorry to hear you got hurt!

I had a bad fall at work (as in over 20 feet through a bunch of metal shelving, onto a concrete floor! ) many years ago. My boss kept saying, "You're not hurt, are you? I don't have report this, do I? Please tell me I don't have to report this!"

Amazingly I didn't break any bones, and being Canadian I didn't have any worries about the cost of heath care.

So I told my boss I was fine but I wanted to quit early, if that was good with him. He told me to go home, so I dusted myself off and got in bed for about 12 hours of nausea (shock, probably). The bruises were spectacular and I was stiff for a long time after.

In retrospect I think I probably should have reported it... especially since it was partly his fault as he had me doing something really stupidly dangerous, and he shouldn't have done that. I was just too young to know any better.

Your story and those like it make me cringe!! I handle all of the worker's comp claims statewide for a large warehouse-based company, and let me just tell you that practices like this are SO against the law (at least here in the US, anyway. I'm not familiar with Canadian labor/safety laws).
We send our folks to be checked out for anything and everything. You stepped off of your equipment and now your foot hurts? Go to the clinic and have it looked at. If it happened at work and it was significant enough that you came to me and mentioned it, I'm going to take it 100% seriously. Yes, it's a pain to have to go through the claims process, but employers like the one above are opening themselves up to a whole mess of trouble when they treat injured employees that way!!! ANY employer who blows off a work-related injury or tries to talk an employee out of making a claim is just plain dumb!!

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

My husband has injured himself at work - including a torn ACL in his knee. That required surgery, rehab and him being off work for about 5 months. He just was having so much fun that summer. Was fully paid for all his time off and could go to a doctor of his choosing for the surgery.

 

[Arielle22]

Your story and those like it make me cringe!! I handle all of the worker's comp claims statewide for a large warehouse-based company, and let me just tell you that practices like this are SO against the law (at least here in the US, anyway. I'm not familiar with Canadian labor/safety laws).
We send our folks to be checked out for anything and everything. You stepped off of your equipment and now your foot hurts? Go to the clinic and have it looked at. If it happened at work and it was significant enough that you came to me and mentioned it, I'm going to take it 100% seriously. Yes, it's a pain to have to go through the claims process, but employers like the one above are opening themselves up to a whole mess of trouble when they treat injured employees that way!!! ANY employer who blows off a work-related injury or tries to talk an employee out of making a claim is just plain dumb!!

I thought the same thing. I handle claims (among other duties) for a 160 person company in 7 states. I had to talk someone last week into filling out a report. She was shredding and stood up, forgetting there was a metal shelf above her head. She hit the shelf, stumbled and her hair ended up in the shredder. She lost only a dozen strands and did not want to visit a doctor. She was very embarassed and I told her that the company required the report but it was up to her whether to seek medical treatment.

 

[dis75ney]

My dad works for a city as the water plant superintendent. On his way home one day, he had to stop at City Hall to drop off some paperwork. As he was leaving the building, he slipped on some ice and shattered his elbow. The workers' comp company that was used at the time tried to deny his claim because he was "off the clock." My dad's boss and the city officials fought the denial, since he was still doing company business when he fell, plus he's salaried (so there's no clock for him) and on-call 24/7. It was really important for Dad to get worker's comp to pay, as his injury is now considered a pre-existing condition and if he were to change insurance plans, any further problems with the elbow would not be covered. It took two years, but Dad's elbow finally healed and he finally got his worker's comp claim. And the city terminated their contract with the worker's comp company...

 

[John VN]

Severed a tendon for middle finger of left hand. The ortho surgeon was pretty impressed at how clean it was thus making it easy to re-attach. Was told to take time off but I did not, just didn't use left hand...much.