What happens after TAW?

So I hurt my back pretty badly on August third and made an injury claim, supervisor took me to the doctor. Doctors gave me a 10lb weight restriction and some pills to take, suspected it was my sciatic nerve. However no x-rays or anything have been done and I really suspect I have a herniated disc causing the problem as the nerve hasn't seem much improvement. I went on TAW at a Max of 29 days. Getting near my 29th day and I know if I go back on the truck my back is just going to go right out again. What do I do after my taw time period is up? My union steward said to just tell the doctor it's still bothering me but I don't see him until next Friday after my 29th day. New to all this sure and not really sure how it works at all.
 

Johney

Well-Known Member
After 30 days you should go out on full comp. They may try and stretch it for more , but if they work you too much more they have to bid that position(at least here they do)and if you have good stewards they should be right on top of that.
 

bumped

Well-Known Member
Why didn't you see your own doctor? Do you expect for someone else to take care of you? Do you think UPS cares about your lifelong well being? They only care about getting you back to work and off their injury list. Take care of yourself, so one day you can hold your grandchildren.
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
So I hurt my back pretty badly on August third and made an injury claim, supervisor took me to the doctor. Doctors gave me a 10lb weight restriction and some pills to take, suspected it was my sciatic nerve. However no x-rays or anything have been done and I really suspect I have a herniated disc causing the problem as the nerve hasn't seem much improvement. I went on TAW at a Max of 29 days. Getting near my 29th day and I know if I go back on the truck my back is just going to go right out again. What do I do after my taw time period is up? My union steward said to just tell the doctor it's still bothering me but I don't see him until next Friday after my 29th day. New to all this sure and not really sure how it works at all.

Get an MRI, that's why we have insurance.
 

Hump dump and roll

Well-Known Member
Just go to your own doctor with whatever you got from a company doctor and then call an attorney. You’ll be going out on comp and you’ll need an attorney to deal with UPS.
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
100 percent agree but many doctors, especially company doctors are reluctant to order one. Also insurance won’t pay if ordered without proper diligence by the doctor.

He should have gone straight to his primary care physician after leaving the company doc and got the ball rolling. He could go to urgent care this weekend and see what they say. Maybe at least get an ultrasound.

I delivered to a guy who used to drive in my center before I worked there, and he wasn't that old. Career ended due to a back injury. His advice was to get an mri with any back injury, so that if you end up getting a serious back injury they can compare the images and UPS can't try to claim it was pre-existing.
 

barnyard

KTM rider
The OP needs to google the worker's comp laws for the state where he/she lives. State laws vary, so it is important to know the law and how it applies. That will also determine if the OP needs an attorney. The OP should see his/her personal physician regardless. It will be a workers comp case, which may change the billing, but it should still be done.

In my state, the laws worked in my favor. I did not need an attorney, the state forced the company to follow the doctor's recommendations. The state also was on me about making sure I did what the doctor told me to do.
 

clean hairy

Well-Known Member
You see the co. Doc first, then immediatly your own doc who becomes the treating physician.
What you doc says and tests or referrals made b6 him or her are the final word.
 

Staydryitsraining

Well-Known Member
You'll get shots to numb the pain, that will work for a while. Your disk will eventually completely deplete and you'll need a fusion or artifical disk surgery. Could take months could take years. Work on your core muscles. Start bending at the knees every time you bend. Good luck.
 
After 30 days you should go out on full comp. They may try and stretch it for more , but if they work you too much more they have to bid that position(at least here they do)and if you have good stewards they should be right on top of that.
30 days you have to make a permanent position That's why they cut you off a 29 days
 

ironclad

Active Member
My TAW was actually extended to 45 days, then I went on workman’s comp.... be prepared to have a workers comp case nurse manager assigned to you. They will attend every doctors appointment with you and can even be pushy enough to try and come in the doctors room with you... There job is to get you off workman’s comp so I highly recommend you do not let them accompany you in the doctors room, they will take notes and may try and use info against you.
 

DriverNerd

Well-Known Member
My wife hurt her back too. She went to the ER with intense back pain. Sent her home with meds only - said if it's still bad in a couple days we'll take a closer look. Then her primary doc who gave her more meds - said said if it's still bad in a couple days we'll take a closer look. Also gave her a referral for rehab. Went to rehab, said couldn't do anything for her because they didn't know what is wrong. Her chiropractor then gave her a referral for an x-ray. X-ray didn't show much. Still in pain she made another appointment with her primary who referred her to a specialist. The Ortho asked her some questions, asked what meds she was on, checked her pain; thought it was a herniated disk so ordered an MRI. MRI came back showed a bad herniation. Next visit was to the surgeon. Now she has surgery next week.

Moral of the story... Keep pushing the doctors until you either feel better or they find out what is wrong. Some doctors won't do a thing, others are awesome.
 
Why didn't you see your own doctor? Do you expect for someone else to take care of you? Do you think UPS cares about your lifelong well being? They only care about getting you back to work and off their injury list. Take care of yourself, so one day you can hold your grandchildren.

My union steward said if I see another doctor of my own that UPS would somehow try to get out of it and it would hurt my worker comp case
 
My TAW was actually extended to 45 days, then I went on workman’s comp.... be prepared to have a workers comp case nurse manager assigned to you. They will attend every doctors appointment with you and can even be pushy enough to try and come in the doctors room with you... There job is to get you off workman’s comp so I highly recommend you do not let them accompany you in the doctors room, they will take notes and may try and use info against you.

Thanks. So who am I supposed to contact to go on workers comp or file a claim? My steward just says to do whatever the doctor says but the doctor just walks in for 30 seconds and sends in a nurse before I can even hold a conversation with the guy. It's like an act of God to get him to listen to me
 
You see the co. Doc first, then immediatly your own doc who becomes the treating physician.
What you doc says and tests or referrals made b6 him or her are the final word.

My steward told me that I need to stick with the company doctor because seeing my personal doctor would hurt my case and point to it being an off the job injury. Is this true?
 
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