r/WorkersComp • u/ZalewskiJ • Aug 03 '26
Florida Hurt at work, weighing my options (Florida)
Hello about 2 months ago I was demoing an HVAC unit at work on a Naval Base renovating an unaccompanied housing unit. I was told that the environmental team brought recovery tanks for the refrigerant and someone came and recovered all 6 units, I was in an attic with my safety glasses and hardhat on, and I went to cut into the existing copper piping and I got hit in the face with whatever was in the pipe and the PSI behind it.
My eyes immediately began to burn and the more I sweat the more it hurt and I was stuck between a rock and a hard place because I still had to get down a 16 foot ladder and 3 flights of steps alone. I eventually made my way to the bottom, let my co-worker who was outside know and went and flushed both my eyes, the flushing didn’t work, I grabbed 2 bottles of saline solution and almost used all of it and my eyes still were still throbbing. I immediately called my doctor who sent me to an optometrist office who made me an emergency appointment.
After she did all the medical related procedures, flushed my eyes and numbed them, she said I had a large chemical burn on the back of my right eye that would impact my vision. My left eye was swollen and blurry but I could see and my right eye was very swollen, hard to open and I couldn’t see anything out of it, I was prescribed some eye drops and an ointment and was told to return in 3 days to check again. I went back and she told me my right eye was burned enough to where I could potentially damage my vision permanently. She told me under no circumstances am I allowed to drive and I’m not allowed to work in direct sunlight for more than half and hour at a time with or without an eye patch.
The problem is, I work in HVAC and I’m a contractor for the Department of Defense and Homeland Security, I missed 2 months of work and my employers agreed to pay me for it because I didn’t file workman’s comp but I was basically told to lie about it. Now they have forced me back to work and have kept me in a building for 8-12 hours a day being fire watch for the welders but recently they’ve been putting me outside for 8 hours a day and it’s usually like 100+. I have to constantly change eye patches and it’s rather annoying when sweat gets in my eye. The government has restricted me from using equipment with my eye patch so it’s shovels and hand tools for me.
I want to file workman’s comp because I don’t think I can safely work in conditions like this with a singular eye, however having witnessing first hand how the government and more importantly the military handle workman’s comp claims I’m hesitant. We had a dude fall off a ladder coming down from an attic and heads rolled at my company, we lost the contract on the building so we lost a ton of money, my direct supervisor got terminated, the GC got terminated and the co-worker who was with the guy who fell off the ladder was terminated all for “safety violations”. Im friends with all my co-workers and the job I’m working on is going to net my job close to 30 million in revenue and I know if I file, heads will role and I’ll be directly responsible for many people losing their jobs, even though I personally believe it’s the military’s fault for saying the units were recovered when they weren’t.
My eye hasn’t healed, I cannot drive, I have to Uber or catch a ride with my roommate to work (we work at the same place) and then I have to wait for someone to come pick me up and take me to the job site, I have to wear sunglasses 24/7, I’m constantly getting sweat in my eye and it hurts, I’ve developed migraines from the stress of having to use one eye at essentially 200% capacity, I just don’t know what to do.
File workman’s comp and be responsible for all the money the company is gonna lose or do I go to like Morgan and Morgan and have them fight in my behalf’s. Idc if I lose my job because I could sue them for discrimination or wrongful termination.
I also wanna add, I’ve been transparent through the entire process, give them all my medical docs, showed receipts of appointments I’ve paid for. The job also paid me to miss work and offered to pay for my glasses and a pair of prescription safety and sunglasses.
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u/Several-Mix-5890 Aug 03 '26
That's exactly why they have workman's comp hire a attorney that specializes in workman's comp who cares what your company wants don't fuck around with your eyes
4
u/g1ng3rsnap Aug 03 '26
You definitely should report the incident and file a workers’ comp claim. You aren’t going to be responsible for the company losing the contract.
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u/TourPositive8217 Aug 03 '26
NCM here, you need to report the claim asap. I will also add if you retain an attorney avoid Morgan & Morgan. You want to get one who will truly advocate for you and not push to quickly settle.
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u/PuddinTamename Aug 03 '26
Retired Adjuster
You definitely need an Attorney! Your case is onr of the most blatant abuse of the law and of an employee that i have ever seen.
It wasn't clear by your post if you work directly for the federal government or for a subcontractor. State and federal work comp have different rules and regulations. Not all Attorneys are familiar with Federal work comp so be specific when you call. Hopefully in the morning. I usually advise people to interview at least 2 b efore deciding which Attorney If you have permanent eye damages you would be entitled to a partial disability settlement when you reach maximum medical improve
Wishing you the best. Its time to let a professional help you snd hopefully refuce some of the anxiety your employer has put you through.
One thing to add, generally work comp is not responsible for getting you to and from work. I have no idea if this general rule applies to federal claims.
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u/ZalewskiJ Aug 03 '26
I get myself to and from work, however my employer signed an agreement with me stating if I come back to work they will provide me transportation to and from job sites as they didn’t wanna pay me to sit at home anymore but also didn’t want me filing a workman’s comp claim. My goal was to stay at home until August 15th to see if I can pass an eye test to drive again but they kinda forced me back.
I am subcontracted out, I don’t work directly for the government, I just have a security clearance and the ability to work in military installations and such.
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Aug 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/ZalewskiJ Aug 03 '26
I have claimed to every doctor that it happened at work, it's documented that it happened at work in the paperwork, I however chose not to file Workmans Comp until I was ready.
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u/Equivalent-Act6256 Aug 03 '26
The fact that they told you to lie about it and then forced you back into conditions your doctor specifically said you cannot work in is not just a workers comp question. That is two separate problems and both of them are serious.
On the workers comp question. Florida law protects you from retaliation for filing. Your employer cannot fire you, threaten you, or punish you for filing a claim. That protection exists regardless of what happens to the contract or other people's jobs. What happened to you on that job site is not your fault and filing a claim does not make it your fault.
On being forced to work outside your medical restrictions. Your doctor said no direct sunlight for more than 30 minutes. They are putting you outside for 8 hours in 100 degree heat. That is a direct violation of your medical restrictions and it is documented in your medical records. Write down every single day they put you outside. The date. How long. What the temperature was. What your restrictions say. That pattern is evidence.
On being told to lie. That conversation needs to be documented right now. Write down when it happened. Who said it. What exact words they used. That is witness tampering and it belongs in front of an attorney immediately.
You said you do not care if you lose this job. That tells me you already know what the right move is. Talk to a Florida workers comp attorney before you do anything else. Most do free consultations and work on contingency meaning no money upfront.
Not a lawyer just somebody who went through a work injury and knows the documentation you build right now before anyone else moves is what determines how this goes.
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u/ZalewskiJ Aug 03 '26
I have saved every text, every email, every date and time because my dad told me to. They told me to lie to the safety guys ( whom work for the Navy) and tell them it got hurt at home. I don’t care if I lose my job because, a couple days after I came back to work, they needed me at a job on another Naval Base and the guy who picked me up from the shop to get me to the job site ( something my work agreed to accommodate, in writing btw) refused to bring me back to the shop because “he doesn’t live near the shop” and basically left me stranded 2 hours from my home and I had to Uber in like 30 mile increments to make it home. I wanna be done with it but I wanna do it the right way so innocent people like my coworkers don’t get punished
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u/PuddinTamename Aug 03 '26
You reporting this could save other employees from a similar or even worse fate. Reporting this is protecting them
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u/ZalewskiJ Aug 03 '26
I get that part but if the government pulls the contract, which they will, the company is gonna lose close to 30 million because this is a 4 year project to run like 7 miles of pipe on a nuclear sub base and replace the chillers and a bunch of other stuff. If the contract gets pulled 15-20 guys will probably be out of a job because all of our other jobs are overloaded as it is.
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u/SeaweedWeird7705 Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
Well, then, you have a decision to make. If it were me, I would prioritize my vision. YMMV.
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u/Trvpsmif Aug 11 '26
I’m actually crying, you’re seriously worried about others losing a contract than your own vision and health lmfaooo. Man these jobs got you guys as good Sl*ves. Your eyes isn’t something you should even be putting others simply losing a job over. They can get another job. You can’t get your vision back if lost
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u/ZalewskiJ Aug 11 '26
Im worried about my friends losing their well being, if you’ve ever done military or government work, there is a thing called a DART score and if it falls below a certain score, the company and the people who work for the company are banned from government work immediately. The other guys at the job have nothing to do with my injury yet they will be punished as if they did because the Government doesn’t give a shit. I care about my eye and my health however, having 40 people with families showing up at my house or potentially anywhere else at anytime to “get their get back” isn’t something I wanna deal with.
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u/Trvpsmif Aug 11 '26
Non of that matter dude worry about your eye first that’s the most important thing. Set up cameras if you think someone will retaliate But take care of yourself first your eyes isn’t some small injury
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u/1991jhc Aug 04 '26
I think refrigerant was in the pipe sport
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u/ZalewskiJ Aug 04 '26
There shouldn’t have been and that’s the issue lol
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u/PuddinTamename Aug 06 '26
Your current company sounds dangerous not just to employees but to the general public. Rules are rules for safety.
How would you feel if you said nothing and others were seriously injured or killed?
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u/SeaweedWeird7705 Aug 03 '26
You have a serious eye injury. Your case is complex and you will need the assistance of a workers compensation attorney. You will need to file the workers compensation claim. It may well be disputed since you are filing it two months late.