Ups driver having to work injured

ROCCO

New Member
:biting:HI I AM A UPS DRIVER IN FLORIDA. I RECENTLY SPRAINED MY LEFT KNEE PUSHING THE CLUTCH. I HAD BEEN HAVING PAIN IN MY KNEE ABOUT 3 WEEKS AND FINALLY IT POPPED. I CALLED REPORTED IT. THEY CAME AND TOOK ME TO A UPS DOCTOR DROVE 30 MILES SO THIS DOCTOR WOULD TELL ME I HAD SPRAIN MY KNEE AND RELEASED ME FULL DUTY SAID I COULD PUSH A CLUTCH WITH A SPRAIN. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I COULDN'T WORK. WORKMANS COMP REFUSED MY CLAIM. SO I FILED FOR DISABILITY THEY REFUSED ME I HAVEN'T GOTTEN PAID SINCE MY INJURY 2 MONTHS. HAD TO GET AN ATTORNEY THATS NOT GETTING ANY WHERE. I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GO BACK TO WORK WITH A HURT KNEE. GOT LOVE THE WAY THEY TREAT UPS EMPLOYEES LIKE :censored2::censored2::censored2::censored2: WHILE THEY SIT IN THERE OFFICE EATING DONUTS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE OUR DAYS MISERABLE.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
Do not apply for disability! You should have gotten an attorney right away and go to your own doctor and have him look at you. If its a sprain it should be better by now, unless its something alot more serious. Get an mri and this will show any problems with your knee.
 

helenofcalifornia

Well-Known Member
Red is right. Get an attorney. Don't let UPS convince you that you are able to work if you are not. If you have been working the past two months with a bad knee, you might have compromised the recovery. An MRI, at UPS' cost, will tell you if you have. An attorney is needed by you since UPS is not willing to listen. And all UPS management does not respond like this. Good luck.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Must be driving one of the old P800's with the killer clutch that you had to stand on to get it to disengage. I always disconnected the 2 clutch pedal return springs under the dash. That helps alot but it does piss off the mechanic when he finds out. Just look him in the eye and say "I don't have a clue what you are talking about- they must have fallen off":wink2:
 

longlunchguy

Runnin on Empty
Where are you in Florida? PM me if you like and I would be happy to recommend a couple of attorneys that I know are not afraid to take on Big Brown. I am amazed at how "our company" treats people when they're injured. We (the injured) are a bunch of lying, cheating, insurance frauding low lifes. I'm shocked we ever got hired in the first place.
 
Your first mistake was in going to the "company doctor". Common sense tells me that if you sprained your knee on the clutch that continuing to use that clutch will just make it worse, not better.
Does Florida have a workers compensation board? If the do, you need to talk to them directly.
 

Channahon

Well-Known Member
:biting:HI I AM A UPS DRIVER IN FLORIDA. I RECENTLY SPRAINED MY LEFT KNEE PUSHING THE CLUTCH. I HAD BEEN HAVING PAIN IN MY KNEE ABOUT 3 WEEKS AND FINALLY IT POPPED. I CALLED REPORTED IT. THEY CAME AND TOOK ME TO A UPS DOCTOR DROVE 30 MILES SO THIS DOCTOR WOULD TELL ME I HAD SPRAIN MY KNEE AND RELEASED ME FULL DUTY SAID I COULD PUSH A CLUTCH WITH A SPRAIN. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I COULDN'T WORK. WORKMANS COMP REFUSED MY CLAIM. SO I FILED FOR DISABILITY THEY REFUSED ME I HAVEN'T GOTTEN PAID SINCE MY INJURY 2 MONTHS. HAD TO GET AN ATTORNEY THATS NOT GETTING ANY WHERE. I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GO BACK TO WORK WITH A HURT KNEE. GOT LOVE THE WAY THEY TREAT UPS EMPLOYEES LIKE :censored2::censored2::censored2::censored2: WHILE THEY SIT IN THERE OFFICE EATING DONUTS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE OUR DAYS MISERABLE.

Rocco,

Welcome to the Brown Cafe!!

How long have you been with UPS?

As you can see you have gotten some serious advice from the members here, on how to deal with your injury.
 

chopstic

Well-Known Member
Your first mistake was in going to the "company doctor". Common sense tells me that if you sprained your knee on the clutch that continuing to use that clutch will just make it worse, not better.
Does Florida have a workers compensation board? If the do, you need to talk to them directly.

just for future reference... if i get injured on the job, do i have the option to have my own doctor check it out, or am i required to see a UPS company doctor?
 
just for future reference... if i get injured on the job, do i have the option to have my own doctor check it out, or am i required to see a UPS company doctor?
Unless there are different laws in other states...YES you DO have that option. However do not take your supervisors or your CMs word for it. Best to find out now, just in case something should happen.
One other catch to seeing your own dr. could come in that your Doc doesn't accept worker's comp cases, but there are plenty that will that are not connected to UPS.Another good thing to know, just in case.
Here, the company can require you to see their doc to get released to return to work, but all treatment and diagnosis is by the doc you choose. Well, there are other things like second opinions that the insurance carrier can require but usually don't unless there are unusual circumstances.

If you ever do get hurt on the job, see your choice of Doc, talk to the Worker's Compensation Board and IF need be see a W/C specialist lawyer.
Here's hoping you never need to use this info.
 

3 done 3 to go

In control of own destiny
Any time you are injured on the job you file a injury report. Before or as soon as you get back from YOUR doctor. Management hate it because it waves a red flag. I wish you good luck. You only need to see a UPS doctor to be released to come back after an injury
 

Channahon

Well-Known Member
A UPS doctor is a joke. Do you remember your DOT physical. They are a waste of time. All they cover is basic Crap.

Here's the crap the UPS physical covers:

To get the employees treated for high blood pressure, which can cause a stroke or heart attack, or diabetes which can affect your vision, feeling light headed or worst case scenario, a diabetic coma.

Which put the employee and public at risk.

So have a DOT physical or have a stroke or heart attack, go blind with diabetes? And there is no cost to the employee for a DOT physical, so why not, make sure you are not in any of the above categories.
 

Bad Gas!

Well-Known Member
Any time you are injured on the job you file a injury report. Before or as soon as you get back from YOUR doctor. Management hate it because it waves a red flag. I wish you good luck. You only need to see a UPS doctor to be released to come back after an injury

Actually if you are approved to an ortho doc he can release you after treatment...I've had both knee's scoped for meniscus tears.A meniscus tear feels like a sprain deep inside the knee.It is diagnosed by mri reports.There are closed and open mri's.The closed mri with dye injected shows the very most acurate diagnosis...Good luck..I hope it's a sprain.
 

longlunchguy

Runnin on Empty
I guess workers comp laws vary from state to state. Here in Fla if you are injured you must report it to your sup. Then you see the "approved" doctor (usually accompanied by said sup). If your injury is more serious, the approved doc can recommend a specialist. Liberty Mutual will assign your case to an approved specialist. The original poster on this thread should ask for a second opinion. Get an ortho to look at your knee. Insist on this second opinion. Ask friends, family, and coworkers which ortho they recommend. Then ask Liberty for the list of approved orthos in your area. Once you see an ortho, that physican makes all the calls on your case, from surgery to rehab to when you are released. You have rights, even in Florida. You will have to fight for them. Best of luck.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Here, and in many other places, you can not trot off to see your personal doc, if you want workers comp to pay for the visit. if you are going to shell out the cash, then do as you please.

but dont make the mistake of going to your doc, let your insurance pay for it, then it turns into a workers comp claim. your insurance will ask for the payment back, and you will owe the money.

in most states, you are allowed to see any of three "panel" docs. in my area it is the ER at the hospital, the quick care where they send you for the physicals, and one other doc. in the event of a back injury, they must include a chiropractor in the list. you must see one of the authorized providers to get the initial injury looked at. they can and do refer you to specialists if the need is there. any one else not on the list, you pay for. and any testing they order, you pay for as well, even if the company doc would have ordered the same tests.

as for the injury to the knee, there are many ups drivers that end their career with a knee injury(s). if they have not done any testing (mri/xray etc) go see another one on the list, or go back to the same doc and repeat the visit.

and while i hate lawyers, it would be a good time to get one. while he probably wont get you any more money than they would normally offer, he can usually get enough extra to cover his part.

also, one last thing, document everything you do, every call you make, everything that involves this injury. ups and liberty do. without your notes, you are a sitting duck.

d
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
...but dont make the mistake of going to your doc, let your insurance pay for it, then it turns into a workers comp claim. your insurance will ask for the payment back, and you will owe the money. d


I wish you had given me this advice about 3 years ago. I was having pain in both of my elbows with tingling and loss of sensation in the tips of my fingers. I went to my family doctor who referred me to an ortho who scheduled surgery. I was doing all of this through my insurance (Excellus BC/BS) and using vacation time (2 weeks) for my recovery. Well, I mentioned this to my BA and he urged me to file a comp claim, which I did. I was lucky in that my ortho accepted comp for payment, comp repayed Excellus and I received a comp check for the time that I was off work. The injury is now documented and if needed the case can be reopened in the future but the process would have been so much easier had I pursued it as a comp case from day one.
 

Johney

Well-Known Member
The injury is now documented and if needed the case can be reopened in the future
Upstate,
Make sure you check the comp laws in your state, because here in Florida if you are not seen by the comp Dr. at least once a year (within a year) they close the case and are no longer responsible for you.
 
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