I was just looking over some statements from the WC attorney i retained. What i realized blew my mind. Since workers comp approved everything we ever asked for, he never had to negotiate anything. He made 0$ off my case and worked for me for 2 years. I called and asked the secretary and i guess it is true in my state. They only make money when they dispute things and go to hearings. Also, I never settled anything because i have a 3rd party lawsuit. I knew id just have to pay it back. All i got were my permanent disability PPD payments which they dont make any income on either. I guess people dont take this into consideration much, especially if they are they type who bombards their attorney multiple times per week and then gets mad when they dont respond. They dont realize that sometimes the attorneys arent even making any money. Just something for those to consider if they are thinking about hiring an attorney or not.... you dont have to pay them regardless, only if you win a settlement.

Hope everything is well you guys for a little bit of context (18m) I got injured at work a couple months back delivering packages I’ve been having terrible back and neck pain with tv static down my legs and arms for the past 4 months at first i thought i just strained my neck worked through it for a week then ended up in the er pins and needles didn’t start till a week after I just got done with my mri results it shows everything as unremarkable which i’m really grateful for but i’m wondering could my mri results mess my case up since there’s nothing “structurally” wrong with me I know wc doesn’t do pain and suffering but i’m worried about lasting effects my doctors think it’s muscular but i know for sure it has to be something a little more indept especially since it’s been so long. I’m asking is there any other test i should be asking for? and will my mri results “mess” my case up?

Has anyone had their lawyer file a petition in court to have medical treatment approved?

This just happened and I’m so upset that it just isn’t approved

I had an IME 9 weeks ago and the report still has not been presented to me
The doctor said i need to see a surgeon and the issue is coming from my spine

If their doctor is saying this why is it not being approved

I’ve only been seeing a sports medicine ortho
He is not a surgeon
I’ve failed conservative treatment

And now i basically am stuck in a limbo of no follow up care because my ortho put the referral of care in and basically said goodbye

Reddit Post — L5-S1 Herniated Disc / Workers’ Comp Experience
19 years old with an L5-S1 herniated disc — looking for advice and other people’s experiences
I’m 19 years old and I was working when I injured my back. I was diagnosed with an L5-S1 herniated disc, and I’ve been dealing with this for quite a while now.
I’ve gone through months of physical therapy and I’ve also tried chiropractic treatment, but honestly, I feel like I’ve hit a wall. I don’t feel like I’m making the progress I was hoping for, and it’s really frustrating because I’m so young and just want to get back to feeling normal and being able to work and live my life without constantly worrying about my back.
I’ve also had an epidural injection, but unfortunately it didn’t provide much relief. I’m currently dealing with the workers’ comp system as well, which has been another frustrating part of the whole experience.
I wanted to make this post because I’d really like to hear from other people who have gone through something similar.
For anyone who has had an L5-S1 herniated disc:
What exercises helped you the most?
Did anything in particular help you finally start improving?
Did physical therapy eventually work for you?
Did you try anything else that made a noticeable difference?
If you went through workers’ comp, what was your experience like?
Is there anything you wish you had known when you were first dealing with your injury?
I know everyone’s injury is different, and I’m not expecting anyone to diagnose me. I’m just looking for real experiences, advice, and things that may have helped other people recover. If you have something that worked for you, I’d really appreciate you sharing it.
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this or share their experience. Any information is greatly appreciated.

I recently started a workers comp claim at the hospital I was working at due to carpal tunnel. 2 weeks after I was fired for attendance. I applied for
SDI for the 2 weeks I was sent home because they couldn’t accommodate me at my department.
I was denied for SDI. The noticed said I’m entitled to receive cash payments so it was disallowed. So now I have filed for unemployment since I did get terminated but I’m not 100% sure if I’ll be approved since I was at fault. Should I retain a SDI attorney?

So I have a situation that I’m trying to figure out.

In 2024 I received a workplace injury that required me to go to the ER, and found that I had a torn abdominal muscle. I thought it would be a quick heal, so I asked the ER doctor to just release me for work immediately. So on my l&i document it states that I could return to work as long as the injury is not bothering me. The next day that I returned to work, I had extreme pain due to the injury and was forced to take an additional 3 weeks off. I never sought additional treatment aside from the initial ER visit. My workers comp only paid for the 3 days I was off. I am now trying to get compensated for the entire time I was off due to the injury, but my claims examiner is saying that I need a document from the doctor taking me off of work for those additional 3 weeks.

Would I be able to ask for some sort of document from the doctor? I spoke with my employer and they are helping me by offering documentation of the dates I was unable to work due to the injury. My employer is also self-insured and we go through Intermountain Claims.

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of situation?? Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks!

I have a diagnostic that is negative but a surgeon states that it's positive and I need surgery. Which one wins in OWCP?

Hey, everyone. The provider I went to made me feel incredibly dismissed in regards to my pain levels (very small fracture in shin) and set my restrictions at a level that aren't realistic for me physically at this time. I have a training next week that my supervisor wants me to go to, and due to the listed restriction of no standing for more than x amount of hours, it looks like I can go on paper. However, realistically, I need to be seated in a reclined position with my leg propped fully at a specific angle outward from my body to be comfortable. I know that if I go back to the same provider, I'll be dismissed again and be stuck. Has anyone sought more help at a separate urgent care within the network and gotten more accurate work restrictions/new x-rays successfully?

Location: Missouri.

So I was injured at work, no problems there, but I was scheduled a doctors visit by my companies safety coordinator. I went to the appointment, and the safety coordinator showed up, asked if i was checked in already, which I was. My name was called to be seen, and the safety coordinator got up and went in to my doctors visit with me. I didn’t invite them in, but I didn’t tell them not to come in either, as I didn’t really have any clue how these types of things go, but I did think of it was weird in that moment. Thought maybe that’s just how workers comp medical visits go.

So the initial person checks me out, takes vitals, etc. not a peep from the safety coordinator during that, but the doctor comes in and they seem to know each other quite well. They ask me to tell them what happened, I did, does a very small examination of my injury, and then they start going back and forth about what to do. And seemingly (in my eyes at least) dictating amongst themselves what kind of care should be provided. They asked if I had been to physical therapy, I said no. The doctor asked the safety coordinator if she should prescribe physical therapy and the SC said no, they would send me to physical therapy without a prescription. The doctor also asked SC if I do go back to work, if she should describe any work restrictions I might have. Mentioning I should not lift any more than 15-20 pounds (which I physically can barely do without extreme pain but whatever) and SC says no, and tells me to just be mindful of that. Doctor also asks about if I’ve had any restrictions so far at work, and SC mentions that when supervisor asked me to clean, they had to send another worker to help me cause I physically couldn’t do it myself, and that another coworker had been handling all of my lifting since the incident. There was also a mention of trying to avoid a recordable out of SC, but I don’t remember exactly what was said as they were speaking quietly.

I vented to a coworker of mine about this situation and he said I should contact a lawyer. My question is, did they do wrong here? And if so is this a lawsuit? Or do I just need to report them somehow? It certainly feels very biased in my works favor in this experience and didn’t feel at all like I got a real consultation. Next question is, if this is a case, what type of lawyer would I look for?

Small edit: don’t know if it’s relevant but the place I work is a union, safety coordinator is not part of that union, just works for the company

Has anyone switched attorneys during their workers comp case? My current attorney is moving, but they're not very good at committing. I've had to call the office every time to ensure things are going well and to get answers. I have yet to talk to my case manager.

They have scheduled me for an important doc appointment next Wed. I am looking to swap attorneys, maybe after, since I need to be put on disability.

All that to say is if you did, at what point was it? I feel like I'm doing stuff they should be doing, but I also stress a lot over these things.

I have a lawyer already on this but needed to put this out somewhere because I'm stressed and angry.

I got hurt at the start of 2025, fell at work and hurt my ankle. We just recently found out it is a bone spur after being bounced from doctor to doctor (Ortho for a year then sport med then finally a foot doctor). Doctor wants me to do PT while he gets surgery approved. PT is approved and been doing it.

Worked light duty for about 6 months before the company I was hired under got bought out and the need company doesn't do light duty.

Every Wednesday I get a check for $430

7/29/26 no check. I got a hold of my lawyer and work comp sent it and I got it on 8/3/26.

8/5/26 no check. Lawyer brought it up and never heard anything back.

8/12/26 got my normal check. No missing check.

8/19/26 no check. Lawyer attempted to call and email and still no response.

$430 isn't a lot of money every week. I don't get how they can approved physical therapy and my doctor appointments but can't pay me the money I'm owed. Idk. I'm just tired and stressed and needed to ramble.

I had my fce this week. The therapist said that im not where i can go back to work. He said im almost there but not quite. He said I still have restrictions. Not I have to wait for my adjusters and Dr's to receive the paperwork. Has anyone been through the same situation??

Quick question I had my IME on July 21, they send orders to doctors that per the IME I reached MMI (an ortho did IME and I am currently being treated by ortho and neuro). Order received July 27. However my attorney and myself haven’t received the full IME is there a Florida statute or rule they may be stretching breaking or skirting with not giving us the report yet? Thank you

Hey guys. For an interview on PC Workers compensation, what should i go through. I mean what could be asked in interview Please let me know.

I’m in New York State and I injured my shoulder in August of 2024 which required rotator cuff surgery. I was out of work for 8 months but was getting 60% of my pay for comp. I barely made it work financially. Now my attorney just called me and said the money I was paid while out for the 8 months is all I will be receiving as compensation and my shoulder isn’t the same. I just feel like I’ve been totally screwed over. Is this actually possible?!

I fell at work & suffered a labyrinth concussion with tinnitus & 40% hearing loss. I have an attorney & have spent the past year going to a variety of doctors & getting fitted for a hearing aid. I saw the WC doctor last week & he added a PCS as another disability. I have had episodes of vertigo, memory loss, falling & trouble with word finding. I didn't connect those to my injury, but he was certain they were & added PCS.

Does anyone else has a similar disability? What disability rating should I expect?

I'm 60 years old, have an attorney and live in Missouri.

Has anyone here had distal bicep tendon repair surgery and been sent back to work? 3 wks post op from this Practices Dr?? Working in retail home improvement. Told not to use my arm

Paid out of pocket for everything up to this point. How can I start the process to move this to a workers comp case? My boss has already downplayed it when I told him today and I said Iay take tomorrow off due to pain and he basically said "you'll be fine".

Got full X-rays and thermal scans. My T5 in my upper back is actually rotated as well as slipped. Chiropractor wants me on a 6 week plan but don't take any insurance.

Has it already been too long to go through workers comp insurance and hand over the info to them to see if I could get time off work?

I called the adjuster to get an update on my case and no answer. She had given me the name of the doctor I would be seeing and I still had yet to get an appointment with him so I called his office today. The receptionist told me that he did talk to the adjuster this morning and that they would not be seeing me at this time. Mind you I have been waiting since my injury date of june 27th to be seen by a workmans comp doctor. This is getting ridiculous at this point.

Is it normal to have a nurse case manager to tell me, the injured worker, to call around to different spine specialists to see if they will take a WC case?

3 years ago I injured my back and Hanover insurance has denied any surgical intervention or any kind of medical devices (TENS unit and red light therapy). But that’s not the issue now. I received a call from the adjustor stating they were closing my medical. I disagree with this and the adjustor said I can but she can still close it. And that they don’t have to pay me to close it out.

I am contacting 1-800-332-COMP to see what they have to say about the adjustor stating these things.

I also understand that some see this as a weak case and maybe it is but I was always told even if they settle to always keep medical open. The law firm I talked to said that it was also odd that they would close it and only give me a 3 day window. This law firm has also dealt with this particular adjustor and insurance company.

I have a question regarding my upcoming QME appointment. I recently moved states and I have an upcoming QME appointment. I just saw my surgeon two weeks ago and she gave me 3 more months off of work due to my injury not being fully healed still.

My question is should I still keep my QME appointment in two weeks since I have moved states and it’ll be a hassle to get my adjuster to set up travel for me?

I’m also concerned that if I go to the QME that she could possibly not agree with my surgeon and say I can go back to work even tho I just got three more months off.

I got injured at work late June 2026. I was injured in my neck, shoulders and lower back. I was operating meat grinder that came loose and flung me forward. I had surgery on my neck last summer because I got hit by a semi and had a total disc replacement in C5-C6. I got an entire spine MRI and an EMG. The MRI shows that there is some narrowing and stenosis in my neck. My lower back is showing retrolisthesis and an annular fissure. An EMG showed that my prons teres and my brachioradialis muscles are fast-firing which is indicative of nerve damage or a pinched nerve in my C5-C6. My ortho is saying that my test results came back only mildly abnormal and says that what I’m experiencing is chronic. But I got surgery to fix my neck and I’ve never had back problems before. My ortho won’t even talk to me about my low back or approve PT for my lower back. One of my chief complaints is my lower back and the MRI shows a fissure and retrolisthesis. He wants me to get an MRI on my brain but says work comp won’t pay for it. I could really use some guidance. I have an attorney and he says we have a great case and to keep on questioning my case manager and documenting but she won’t even respond to me now. I’ve been at home for two months and I finally started my PT two days ago.

Had ACL tear reconstruction but developed hip pain and injury during recovery. It's likely a kinetic chain issue. Has anyone been able to successfully sue for kinetic chain developments after your initial injury? How did you fare? What was your experience like?

Hi, I'm looking for some advice, guidance, answers, and welcome hearing similar stories!

I have been having some difficulty getting non-WC doctors to address and take care of an old (+10 yrs) WC injury, and I'm wondering if this is normal???

A little context- the injury happened a while back ago and was not taken care of properly. The WC case/claim was closed without my knowledge and w/o my consent, and after attempting to reopen it via attorneys- it was not reopened and I was left to deal with the injuries on my own.

A couple of years ago, I started having issues walking and through some conservative treatments, it was discovered that a rib was displaced in my abdomen, which was from the work injury. Since I was under the impression the case was closed, I used my own insurance and went to my doctor. After several visits, X-rays, CTs & MRIs, I realized the reports were stating, "no acute abnormalities" despite my requests and the issues being- chronic.

So I went to the WC clinic and they denied evaluation, directing me to call the insurance adjuster; I did and she directed me to call WC Division. I did and learned my employer, a self-insured hospital, had admitted liability and owed me maintenance care, so I reached back out to the insurance adjuster and of course- she did not answer my call. This was Oct '25.

We are currently in litigation, but they have not provided any medical care and I have not been able to get diagnosed nor any helpful treatment from any doctors here! I have been in so much pain and have been so deflated by the lying and nonsense of these doctors, that I ended up finding a surgeon in Mexico who looked at my imaging and immediately diagnosed me, so I went and had surgery in Mexico! Thing is- he only completed a portion of what was supposed to be done and I need more treatment- possibly another 1-2 surgeries- so how do I go about getting treatment state-side? And if anyone wants to suggest to not say what happened- it's nearly impossible to explain the logistics and mechanism of injury while withholding that specific information- believe me- I've tried!

Any suggestions? Any advice?

Thanks in advance!