brother in brown
Active Member
Hello to fellow brothers and sisters in brown. Anyone get injured on here and have to go through the work comp system? Any advise or anything that helped you?
work comp
- Thread starter brother in brown
- Start date
Catatonic
Nine Lives
patience in waiting around to get approvals and sitting in doctor offices
and
tolerence for the 3rd world clinics they might send you too. It might be worth the travel time to go to an authorized clinic in the "nicer" parts of your city.
Get to your own doctor ASAP as a double-check.
Last edited:
brownrodster
Well-Known Member
I was out injured once. It all went well and I had no complaints. Sat around the office on TAW for a while. Went to the company doctor and physical therapy. I was surprised how well they treated me. I thought it would be much worse.
trplnkl
555
What state are you in?
If your personal Doc takes workers comp, go to him/her, if not ask him/her to suggest someone. You DO NOT have to go to the company/insurance company doctor as your treating physician regardless of what UPS tells you. The company can and probably will demand that you see the company doc at some point, but they do not get to choose who treats you. Get in touch with your states Workers Comp board ASAP and find out what rights you have under state laws. If this looks like it will be weeks or months off of your regular job, take a withdrawal card from the union(call your local about this) while out on comp, this saves you from paying union dues during that time, but does not stop your union services. DO NOT let the company intimidate, harass you in anyway over this injury. DO NOT go back to full duty until YOU nad YOUR Doctor agree that it is the right time.
I can't stress enough, YOU CHOOSE WHO TREATS YOU NOT UPS.
If your personal Doc takes workers comp, go to him/her, if not ask him/her to suggest someone. You DO NOT have to go to the company/insurance company doctor as your treating physician regardless of what UPS tells you. The company can and probably will demand that you see the company doc at some point, but they do not get to choose who treats you. Get in touch with your states Workers Comp board ASAP and find out what rights you have under state laws. If this looks like it will be weeks or months off of your regular job, take a withdrawal card from the union(call your local about this) while out on comp, this saves you from paying union dues during that time, but does not stop your union services. DO NOT let the company intimidate, harass you in anyway over this injury. DO NOT go back to full duty until YOU nad YOUR Doctor agree that it is the right time.
I can't stress enough, YOU CHOOSE WHO TREATS YOU NOT UPS.
stevetheupsguy
sʇǝʌǝʇɥǝndsƃnʎ
Ditto, and it does depend on how long you will be on compensation. If you forsee months out on comp, follow everything that trplnkl says plus get a good comp lawyer. The lawyer knows the comp laws, won't charge you anything till the end and will make sure you get in to see the right Dr's.
If it will be less time, just do what trplnkl says above and enjoy the wait time of going from this Dr to that Dr and then to rehab.
Bad Gas!
Well-Known Member
What kind of injury?Can you say how serious or how it happenned?..Also, keep your story straight on injury report.Don't say I guess the injury could've started 3 months ago but I didn't say anything....
If you search UPS injury claims you will see some nightmaires...
I had first class treatment on my injury but I was leary the whole way.I made a file on reports. I commented each day a couple of sentences on how the injury felt that day..Keep up with mileage to doc and from doc's..Good luck and it should go well..
If you search UPS injury claims you will see some nightmaires...
I had first class treatment on my injury but I was leary the whole way.I made a file on reports. I commented each day a couple of sentences on how the injury felt that day..Keep up with mileage to doc and from doc's..Good luck and it should go well..
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
This may be a good time to consider purchasing supplemental health insurance. I have Combined but you may be more familiar with Aflac. Basically you pay a monthly premium (mine is roughly $100 for all of my policies) and when the need arises you file a claim and receive a check in the mail. I am covered 24/7 for injuries and illness both on and off the job. This is in addition to any payments that you would receive from Comp.
longlunchguy
Runnin on Empty
I think it's important to mention that when you're on comp there is ALWAYS a next thing. Next doctor's visit, next therapy appointment, next surgical consult... whatever. If someone asks what's going on with your comp case, and you say "nothing". then something is wrong. The other important thing has already been stated. You choose your doctor. Not UPS or the insurance company. I had knee surgery in 2006 and Liberty Ins. tried to shove the surgeon they wanted me to use down my throat. My wife had surgery 3 yrs earlier with that same doctor, and it was a disaster. It took some screaming and yelling and jumping up and down(on one leg...it was knee surgery) but I was finally presented an approved list of surgeons in our area to choose from. You have rights, and responsibilities to your family to get the best care you can recieve. This way, you'll be back to work quicker and healthier so you can provide for them. Best of luck and I hope your injury isn't too severe.
You can choose your own doctor for treatment, but don't ignore the doctor Liberty Mutual sends you to. We had one driver who got so upset at the company doctor he refused to go back and went to his personal doctor for treatment. They are now refusing to settle his claim since he disregarded their instructions. Last I heard he was still in litigation but it doesn't look good.
rocket man
Well-Known Member
Im injured everyday. They hurt my feelings.
stevetheupsguy
sʇǝʌǝʇɥǝndsƃnʎ
And then you pass that right on to upstate, the nerve of you.
brother in brown
Active Member
Wow, thanks for all the replys. I got my hand crushed by one of the coveryer belts and went "out" for a little while at first doing the whole comp doctor b.s., returned to work and had problems the whole time until comp got tired of hearing me complain and had to go back "out" and get surgery. Still not right and they assigned this nurse to follow me around all my appointments. Still out and not to sound wimpy but fear I will continue to have problems in the future. I have been advised to get a lawyer, has anyone been on comp and got a lawyer without retaliation when they return?
brother in brown
Active Member
sorry, posted to soon. I was thinking about getting a lawyer, not to try and get a big settlement but I know at the end of this they will want to close it and I have heard lawyers can do something about securing you future medical? To the person who said something about a withdrawl card with the union, do you just call them and mention that, I talked to one of the ladies a couple months ago before I went out and she said they just make it up when you return, but she wasn't my rep so that may be why she said that.
cachsux
Wah
I would go and see an Orthopedic specialist with a surgical certification for your hand. The Liberty nurse can come to your appointments but you do not have to let her in to any doctor-patient conferences. if she wants to know anything she can speak to the doctor afterward. They can still have you go to see their doctor for evaluation but you are allowed to follow your doctors orders over theirs,especially when your doctor is a specialist. I would advise getting a lawyer at least before you return to work and definitely before you settle. The max they can charge you is 20%. You cannot be retaliated against because you used a lawyer.
stevetheupsguy
sʇǝʌǝʇɥǝndsƃnʎ
Get a lawyer, please. I went through the exact same thing. Had the nurse, who was not at all intrusive. I didn't let her in when I was with the Doctor. Cach is right, no need to do this, as she can consult with Dr afterwards. If you're not better, set up an appointment with a true specialist. Don't let them tell you, as they told me, that you are as better as you're gonna be. If I would have done this, I'd be handing out carts at Walmart today.
I didn't know my rights and comp was walking all over me. I got a great lawyer, received all of the necessary treatment and have been back to work, steady, since peak 02. My problem was in my hip. I jumped in and out of package cars way too many times. I mean it, JUMPED, leapt, flew in and out of the car. Had to prove myself like BBAG, (that's another thread), right? Anyways, I hear ya, so please hear me when I say, get the lawyer. The lawyer will review your case, make sure they dotted the I's and crossed the T's and get you where you need to be.
If you truly want to continue with this company, they will help with that plan. If you want to settle and pack up, you can go that route as well. As far as UPS retaliating? Ups will try to retaliate, that is no doubt. If your MGMT is like mine was, they will be all up your butt. I used to get safety rides at least once a week. I had to sign papers that I was working safely and was treated with general disdain for my first year back from comp. No worries on this though, for just as quickly as I fell into their radar, I fell out. One District Manager had it in for me, but he got demoted and they lost scent of me. Hope this helps you, brother.
helenofcalifornia
Well-Known Member
How the heck do they lose scent of you when you have "UPS Steve" on your butt?
brother in brown
Active Member
Thanks, yeah the game plan is to get back to work. This is the first time I have ever had a work injury and went through comp or even an injury of a serious nature period. It's just the amount of time that goes between the day I went out and still out, that you start to get paranoid about just wanting to make sure you have your job and having to sort out the b.s. and what is reality from all the conversations you have with the 101 check in people while your out. No doubt about wanting to go back, if they said you have your choice of going back to work now still not right to keep your job or staying out getting better and not having a job I would be cutting this shorter and on my way to work. Everyone has been really good to me on all levels of ups and comp side, besides this adult baby sitter that follows me around wanting to hold my hand like I were a child or whatever. I just want to make sure I have medical care in the future if things dont work out right-right now, I heard if you get a lawyer, your saying it was they're fault and you really start a battle. Thats kinda funny because I have the original injury report (the one where it says shred or destroy after you input it on something?, that they take claim for injury).
brother in brown
Active Member
I would have thought with the deductions that union take out of our checks that they would want to help the injured to the fullest and want to get them back at work, or something to that effect.
Similar threads
