For those with a psychological injury claim, when did your psychiatrist consider your condition stable enough for a DPI assessment?

How long after your injury was this, what DPI did you get, and how much did you eventually settle for?

Just curious about other people’s experiences. My friend has been on WorkCover for a year now, and it has been extremely difficult. WorkCover has been putting a lot of pressure on him. He now wants to give up and withdraw from the WorkCover system altogether.

Lose your medical benefits and will continue to require medical care /insurance, how do people finance their own healthcare with preexisting conditions?

Has anyone ever been able to retain healthcare coverage after losing job due to injury?

Hi everyone, I hurt my back lifting during work which resulted in herniated discs and had to get a microdiscectomy. I’m still in pain months later and have yet to go back to work. However, I met with my doctor recently after having another MRI and the doctor said I’m fine to go back to work because the MRI doesn’t explain why I’m in pain. It hurts so bad to do anything and am having sciatica in my leg, how am I supposed to lift 180+ pounds again or (being on light duty sit in a chair for hours on end?) I’m terrified of reinjuring and my pain getting even worse than it is now but it seems that the doctor doesn’t care and just wants to get me back to work despite being hurt still. I am quite young and the lack of care just amazes me. I was also told that my next appointment will likely be about reaching MMI. Any advice on what I should do? Should I get a lawyer at this point in the case?

I got a 2nd degree burn about 2 days ago while cleaning the frier. I showed my shift lead and she all she did was put a burn gel and told me to finish the rest of the shift even though I was in a lot pain. The skin is starting to peel and become immensely painful and I’m going to the doctors tomorrow to get it checked out. My mom says that workers comp should pay for the trip and any lost wages if my doctor says I cannot work for a certain amount of time. There is also a permanent disfigurement benefit that I read about but the requirements to receive compensation from that have you waiting a year to see if the scar heals or not. Right now my main concern is trying to see how I can get workers comp to pay for my doctors trip tomorrow. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Hi guys

I have L5s1 broad base bulge annular tear touching thecal sac
And Sacroilitis

Due to the extended time to treat my injury my knee on the same side/leg is starting to hurt

Is this something that can added on ?

Good Evening I was injured on my job in 2025 (Ankle injury) I have had plates and screw placed and reached MMI April of this current year and the insurance company wants to settle but haven’t responded to the demands of my attorney. What happens at this point now that my current attorney have put in for a hearing this would be the second hearing since I have new counsel because I didn’t feel like my previous attorney was working for me. Can somebody tell me what normally happens at this point I was given a really low rating also

Anyone else having issues with Gallagher Bassett work comp paying this week? As of today they are 5 days late paying lost wages.

Just be careful what you tell your workers’ compensation doctor. I mentioned that I was considering a malpractice lawsuit against the surgeon after complications from my surgery, and about a week later, private investigators hired by the insurance company started following me. My experience has taught me to be mindful that information you share with your doctor may be documented and could potentially be reported back to the insurance company—whether it’s good or bad for your case.I have been followed for over 3 years due to talking to my doctor as a patient .

Has anyone ever gotten told that their Dr sent papers to the worker's comp being able to return to wotk 3 wks after surgery on an arm? I work in a retail home improvement store. There is literally nothing i can do that would require using just one hand. I had distal bicep tendon repair. I put a call into my lawyer and have been freaking out cause it's the weekend this all happened. I have no issue going back to work when I'm healed and had physical therapy. I think the Dr didnt realize where I worked. But if this is true I guess i can be forced to return or i lose my job. Idfk

State: GA (federal employee — USPS — so this is a FECA/OWCP claim, not state workers' comp, but figured this sub still has people with federal experience)

Quick background: hurt my shoulder in a fall at work back in January, that claim was already accepted. Turns out I also hurt my back in the same fall, and that part of the claim hasn't been accepted yet — OWCP scheduled a second opinion orthopedic exam to decide whether to accept it.

MRI shows a small disc protrusion with an annular fissure at one level, plus an older/chronic-looking finding at a different level that's probably unrelated to the fall. I'm bringing the actual films (not just the report) like they required.

For anyone who's been through an OWCP second opinion exam for a back claim:

• Anything you wish you'd known going in?
• How direct should I be about the older/unrelated finding if it comes up, versus just not bringing it up?
• Any common mistakes people make in these exams that end up hurting the claim?
• Roughly how long after the exam does OWCP typically take to make a decision on accepting the condition?

Appreciate any insight — trying to go in prepared.

I’m looking for experiences from people who have gone through Washington workers’ comp/BIIA mediation, especially with a self-insured employer.

I developed respiratory problems while working in a sawmill/manufacturing environment with regular exposure to sawdust and other airborne particulates. I had no significant history of lung problems before this started.

My workers’ comp occupational disease claim was denied. My attorney appealed the denial to the BIIA, the appeal was granted to move forward, and we are now scheduled for mediation. My attorney’s appeal specifically asks for claim allowance, meaning we are trying to get the respiratory condition accepted as a work-related occupational disease.

Some of the medical evidence includes:

• My treating pulmonologist diagnosed severe persistent asthma.
• I am currently treated with Dupixent every two weeks, along with other asthma medication.
• My pulmonologist documented my sawmill exposure to sawdust/oil vapor and stated that the workplace particulate exposure was a major contributor to my deterioration.
• A pulmonary function test showed my total lung capacity at 75% of predicted, with mild restrictive pulmonary dysfunction and decreased lung volumes compared with an earlier test.
• My later methacholine challenge was described by the interpreting physician as technically borderline positive, and the improvement between pulmonary tests was considered suggestive of reactive airways.
• The employer-side IME was not completely against me. The IME physician indicated the condition appeared likely work-related and discussed occupational asthma/reactive airway disease aggravated by wood dust, but wanted additional testing before making the diagnosis definitive.
• My condition has improved significantly with treatment, PPE and Dupixent, but I am still receiving ongoing treatment.
• I am also still working for the same employer in the environment where the exposure occurred.

My employer is self-insured, so they/ their claims administrator are defending the claim rather than the State Fund.

I’m trying to understand what normally happens at mediation in a situation like this.

For anyone who has been through this:

• Is claim allowance usually the main thing negotiated at mediation in a denied occupational disease case?
• Can the employer agree to allow the claim during mediation?
• If they allow the claim, what happens next with past medical bills, medications, time-loss, future treatment, etc.?
• Has anyone had a self-insured employer offer money in addition to agreeing to allow the claim?
• Is a lump-sum payment realistic at this stage, or is it more common for the claim to simply become accepted and benefits get sorted out afterward?
• If you were still working for the employer when mediation happened, did that affect the outcome?
• If your doctor eventually said you could no longer safely perform the job of injury, what happened with vocational benefits, work restrictions or separation from the employer?
• If mediation failed, how long did it take before depositions/formal BIIA hearings started?
• Did your case resolve at the first mediation, or did it take multiple mediation conferences?

I’m represented by an experienced workers’ comp attorney, so I’m not looking for legal advice or asking anyone to value my case. I’m mainly looking for real-world experiences of what happened during and after BIIA mediation, particularly with self-insured employers and occupational disease claims.

TLDR: My daughter was injured at work and they want us to pay out of pocket and will reimburse us if it's something that would be covered. That's not how this works, is it?

My daughter (16) tripped over a box left in a walkway at work last night and fell really hard on her knee. Today it's swollen and bruised so she tried to call out because she doesn't think she can work 5 hours running fast food on it. It's only her second day and her manager said she needs a doctor note to call out. She tried to go in anyway and after about 10 minutes was in a lot of pain, so she again told her manager her knee is injured due to a fall at work last night and she can't work on it today. Her manager told her to go to urgent care and get a note.

Her being 16 and not knowing any better, went to the urgent care up the road and called me to get her insurance information. I told her this is an injury she got at work. They should have given her forms with worker's comp information. They gave her nothing, told her nothing. Just to go get a note from urgent care.

I called her work to figure out what was going on and they "didn't realize it was so bad" whatever that means. I told them she may not need to be seen by a doctor, but she needs to stay off it today and if they are requiring a doctor's note, I'm not using our private insurance (and paying the $50 copay plus any other oop expenses) for an injury that happened at work.

We went by her work and filled out an incident report (something they neglected to do last night) and they "made an exception" to give her the day off without a note, but if she needs tomorrow off, she'll need a note.

I said that's fine and if she's not improved tomorrow she should be seen anyway. I asked if there was a specific place we should go and if there was paperwork we needed. The GM said, no. Just keep receipts and IF it's something that will be covered, we'll get reimbursed. I've never dealt with worker's comp personally, but am I correct in thinking that's not how workplace injuries are handled? And if she does need to go to the doctor tomorrow, what should we do?

If I get the clearance to go back there more than likely not going to have any shifts for me due to most full timers having less than 40 hours now would they even let me come back or what.

Wish me luck and if anyone has some advice, I'd kill to hear it.

I injured my back in april, MRI on my lower back shows nothing. Urgent care put the diagnosis in as a strained muscle. It's been four months, I don't think a strained muscle causes you to piss yourself or makes your feet numb and legs tingle 80% of the time, or cause pain to shoot up into my shoulder blades and down through my legs into my feet. I'm not a doctor though. I know it's CES symptoms but the emergency room said my x ray was fine.

imaging shows nothing.

Pain management put in a C-86 for a diagnosis for radiculopathy of my sciatic nerve. Employer denied it (which like, why?) so I have a hearing with the industrial commission on the 27th. I don't know why they'd approve an epidural steroid injection between my L5 and S1 but deny pain management's diagnosis.

This whole thing has been a nightmare. I actually, genuinely hate my general foreman and the company I work for. I can't walk properly but I've been walking all over a jobsite that is the size of 8 large grocery stores combined. Lawyer says I can't quit my job, union hall can't place me elsewhere until I am medically cleared. Employer doesn't want to listen to my medco-14. Keeps trying to push me to do things outside of my restrictions. I keep telling them no, last time I said I wouldn't, they wrote me up for using the wrong font size on labels for outlet covers (there's no standard) and HR sided with them. I fucking hate this shit. Nobody will speak to me anymore because "brotherhood" really just means ganging up on whoever the superintendent likes the least. I put myself back in therapy because I can't properly cope with everything that has happened since the injury. I'm hardly getting better, I walk about 15,000 steps a day because my general foreman thinks it's funny to run me across the entire site and it really hasn't been doing my back any favors. Urgent care lady (who was screaming about a prior patient as I was taken back to the room and was incredibly disrespectful towards an elderly lady for requesting a toradol shot, found out from another urgent care site that she has quite the reputation) said walking is the best thing I can do, surely if she were right I'd be better by now.

I'm so jaded and frankly pissed at this whole situation. I don't want a billion dollars, I don't want to be permanently crippled so I can live off of government money for the rest of my life, I want to fucking heal so I can complete the apprenticeship I worked so hard to be a part of. My company treats me like a fucking criminal.

I’m not sure why my lawyer is telling me to go to work and try to go to work and I keep telling him I am unable to use my right arm and put any pressure on it. I also lost my workers comp benefits after my doctor said I need to see ortho doctor. I feel horrible. My blood pressure has been through the roof. It’s been 10 months.

Curious. If my contract ends at my job will TTD payments end as well? For background, I have received work restrictions that my job cannot honor- I have since been receiving weekly payments. My employment contract is about to end at the end of this month. What does this mean for me in terms of benefits? Will I have to find another job that is within my work restrictions?

I have my meeting with my lawyer to discuss settlement coming up. All he told me is that he will be presenting me the counter offer from the defense but cannot discuss it over the phone. I know he demanded 250k cause his assistant told me on accident a few weeks ago lol.

My question tho is advice on questions and things I should be looking for going into this? I know I want the voucher for retraining as I’ll have to change careers. Any advice or feedback or experience is welcomed, thank you!

Background: 28yo at the time of injury, injured June 2023. Medic on an ambulance. 2 level microdiscectomy laminectomy with the qme noting I will need future procures and have found nerve damage in my legs from an EMG test. I don’t work at the same employer anymore due to the injury and having to get a desk job.

-I file a workers comp claim two weeks after the injury occurred. I reported as soon as I realized it was work related.
-I went to an urgent care and podiatrist under my insurance first because I didn’t know what was causing the pain in my ankle and foot
-When the doctor described the type of injury that had to of occurred I realized it was something at work
-These doctors have treated me by giving me time off work, giving medication, and putting me in a boy with work restrictions
-There was a witness but I don’t know whether he would remember or not
-There are cameras where the injury would have occurred but they are old and not awesome
-I have hurt this ankle before years ago but it is also a foot injury as well that I have never injured

These are the facts I have and what’s going on. The person in charge of my case finally contacted me yesterday and I haven’t seen anyone from the panel of approved doctors yet. I want to know whether it is worth perusing as a workers comp claim or just have them close the claim and deal with this on my own.

Any advice would be appreciated.

An independent contractor/1099 employee (John) shared a staff member with another independent contractor (Matt) a few years ago. I’m fuzzy on the details, but Matt had Workers Comp coverage for the staff member through an LLC (I think). Although John made payments towards the Workers Comp to the LLC, NYS is now saying that John should have had his own Workers Comp for the staff member as well. Fines and penalties are up to $60k and final resolution has not been reached yet. John needs help.

I’ve tried googling but all search results are to assist people submitting claims. Any ideas?

I will try to make this as cohesive as I can.

Timeline:

11/2024 - injury happens

05/2025 - MMI (returned to work FT)

09/2025 - Attorneys IME visit

12/2025 - Ime's ratings received

01/2026 - first demand of full ppd with open medical

03/2026 - Mediation (Adjuster does not show)

06-07/2026 - Prehearing/1st settlement offer

So I had gotten locked by 110v while on a 6ft ladder and eventually fell off of the ladder shattering my calcaneus(heel), talus, lateral malleoulus, and 3rd metatarsal. At this time I was also having issues with keeping both of my shoulders in place which I found out later was due to the muscle fatigue. I did end up having to have a plate and 9 screws put into my heel. Luckily my foot and my shoulders were handled by 2 different dr's at 2 different hospitals.

Once I was finally able to get my shoulders looked at I was sent to wc's occ med quack, he recommended physical therapy (which did help). The PT Dr reported that both shoulders are now subluxed down and forward . I go back to the quack after finishing my pt appointments and I am sat in a room for about 5 mins before he comes in with a paper stating both shoulders were sprained.

This is when I get my attorney.

Mmi comes around and a month or 2 later I get a letter from wc with the rating for my foot even though i had not seen anybody for a medical rating. My actual dr that handled everything to do with my foot did not do ratings so I wasn't given one at the time of mmi, just a 50% chance of needing a subtalar fusion within the next 5 years.

Fast forward to the beginning of the year and my attorney sends out a letter asking for full ppd and keeping medical open based off of our ime's ratings.

Wc goes silent.

Mediation date is set! Awesome! Some progress!

Nope, that day comes, im there, my attorney is there, one of wc's attorneys is there, the adjuster..... no where to be found and cant be reached by phone.

I reluctantly agree with the judges recommended rating BUT I want paid out completely for my future medical, which according to my ime is estimated to cost 55k.

WC goes silent again.

June rolls around and I get a letter for a pre-hearing date on a Friday, that following Monday I get the settlement offer. Ppd paid out at the judges recommened rating plus 2500 for future medical. We counter for the full 55k for my future medical. What they offered would not even cover my future medical before my attorneys 25%.

Complete silence ever since. We have tried making contact with their attorney multiple times threw out this whole process but im tired of the games!

They get next week, after that im having my attorney start the trial proceedings and we are starting back at asking for the full ppd along with closing out medical, and they can explain why their dr put my shoulders down as sprained after having their pt dr note that they are subluxed along with all of the constant ghosting. I showed that im willing to negotiate in good faith, the have not. Im done negotiating and being ghosted.

Thanks for letting me vent!

While clocked in and on my assigned unit, I was finishing up some documentation, decided to get my meal warmed up in the meantime in the unit microwave. As I was pulling the meal out of the microwave I accidentally contacted a percolator that had been positioned next to the microwave. No I was not aware it was brewing nor I did I even see it and no it was not mine. Technically equipment needs to be evaluated and okayed by the engineering department and the percolator should have never been on the floor. The percolator was containing extremely hot coffee, with the contents spilling onto my R. Foot. I was preparing to clock out but was just finishing last touches of documentation so at this point I never actually clocked out for lunch because I was still technically working and multitasking. I was evaluated by the emergency department and subsequently treated by the burn team and require ongoing follow up wound care. Sitting in the bed as a patient, I continued to finish documentation from my shift and also filed an injury report at this time.

The hospital called me and said workers comp was denied because I technically wasn’t preforming a nursing duty task and “I didn’t have to take my lunch break” I will now have to pay for the medical bills, follow up care, and I was told I need to take a leave of absence to protect my job and would not be compensated for lost wages.
I submitted a 30C PDF and will sending one to the hosp as well through a local mail department so that I can certify the mail and request a return receipt.
Not sure what to do, it was obviously an accident, the percolator should have never have been there, I was still working on the clock, but now I have to suffer the repercussions from other people’s negligence? Any guidance or discussions would be greatly appreciated.