What exactly is workers compensation?
Workers compensation should cover your medical expenses and a certain percentage of your salary only IF your doctor determines you cannot go back to work. Realistically, most physicians try to get you back to work as SOON as possible...even if on light duty because all the evidence shows that those who do NOT return to work in a timely manner have very poor outcomes. Yet, for some, it is necessary that they remain at home. If you are supposed to stay at home, you can only collect worker's compensation after a predetermined time....this may vary by state, but is one week where I live. In otherwords, you have to be off at least this amount of time before you can collect anything. Also, your compensation check is usually much less than your actual salary...60% in my state. It depends on the nature of your injury and opinion of the physician. Good luck for a speedy recovery
Why does workers compensation take so long?
I understand that there has been fraud with workers compensation and they want to make sure you are not lying or malingering, but once they know the injury and understand what physically wrong with a person why do they patch things instead of fixing it right. In my opinion they cost themselves more money dragging things out. I know some people just give up but when you can not even work anymore because of the injury, they are creating more injury dragging it out. In most states the workers compensation has changed to favor the employer and insurance company. Tennessee is one of the states that done that. With all of the protection that is out their for them how does a Truly injured person have a chance. I know lawyers are suppose to help but I question that too. I have been told they get paid off at times too and having to go to workers comp panel doctors is another issue. I do not see how people can not sue for mal practice against the insurance company and the doctor in some cases.
Can you sue workman's compensation?
I’ve been told and read on a blog somewhere that if workman’s compensation is negligent with your case, you can sue them. What exactly constitutes neglect? My experience with workman’s comp has been horrible to say the least. They kept me from seeing a doctor on an accepted/closed claim for over a year. The reason that they closed my claim was I forgot to go to my final doctor’s appointment (I was insanely busy with a double major in college and still continuing to work..I eventually left my job because I could no longer do the lifting required because of my injury). No one followed up with me and they closed it…problem was, I was still in pain. I thought after they closed it I was screwed so I sought treatment on my own until I was told that workman’s comp should be paying for it. When I finally had permission after a year of asking, they switched adjusters on me twice. And I had to get new approval each time they changed adjusters. Once I finally saw a specialist (who said it was the same work injury), workman’s comp then said I was lying about my pain and denied any medical EVEN after I went on my own and saw a second specialist who said that the pain is related to my work injury. So that’s two doctors saying yes, it’s from the work injury and workman’s comp saying there is not enough medical evidence. Not only this, but when the claim was at first accepted, they kept me from receiving benefits after I had been approved for receiving benefits for over 30 days (so I basically had no money for food, rent, etc). I was in college, broke, so it’s not like I had any savings. My adjuster kept saying he mailed out check after check, but nothing ever came. He said they could not do direct deposit until I went around him to a supervisor and found out they could. They also failed to pay doctor bills that went to collections and on my credit report (took me a while to clear that up). So do I just get the short end of the stick here, or can I sue them?
Do workers need to wear steel toe footwear if a doctors note says otherwise?
At my workplace in BC Canada, steel toed footwear is manditory. Several workers have received doctors notes saying the can't wear steel toes for medical reasons. Are they still allowed to work in the workplace? Who is liable if they injure their feet?