New and looking for advice.

[chummsdoe]

Hi all,

First off I'm from NH. Been looking for information online without much luck, found this forum and figured I'd give it a shot. I was hit by a tornado while riding a golfcart at work on 7/24/08. I was thrown roughly 70 feet by my best guess and landed hyper extended over a downed tree (the golf cart flew over 100 feet). I received a minor back inury (thankfuly I blacked out and was limber so I didn't destroy my spine.). I went to physical therapy and was released back to work after a couple months. I was unable to do that job, not only because of all the bending and lifting (which they tried to accomidate) but because I was having panic attacks and flashbacks almost my entire day of work. Needless to say I didn't last there long. Was able to go back to my job that I had just left a few months earlier (the job I had before I went to the job where I got injured.) because who had taken my job was out on sick leave. It was implied that after 3 months when they could no longer hold his job for him, that it would be mine again. I was unable to perform the tasks of my old job because around this time my PTSD was setting in. When the 3 months were up they decided to offer the job to someone else (I wouldn't have taken it anyways, I couldn't handle it.) and offered me a 1 day a week position out of pity. I did the one day a week job, but by this time spring was rolling around and when ever it rained on a day I had work, I would call in with any excuse I could think of. Eventually I felt bad for calling in every other week, and there was a bad storm scheduled for my next shift, being sick of the situation I called in and lied and told them I found a full time job and had to quit. (boy did I feel like a jerk...). That was about a year and a half ago, haven't been able to get a job since due to the fact that I can't leave the house when its rainy, or windy, and even when its just overcast I get anxiety and have a hard time concentrating and remembering things, and I'm pretty iritable. Called workmans comp back in april and yelled at them untill they agreed to pay for a psyche evaluation. I've been going to weekly appointments with a shrink every since.

Wow that was long winded. What I'm here to ask is: Can I recieve any compensation for the fact that I've been without work, and won't be able to get a job for a while? I'm finaly acception the condition I'm in and realizing that I've pretty much been a hermit for almost 2 years now. My car hasn't moved in over a year due to not even having the money to put gas in it and its now in poor shape due to non use. My therapist agrees that I can't work right now, and well I'm sick of living at my parents and pretty much wasting my life because I can't work, and therefore can't really do anything due the the fact that I've had 0 dollars for well over a year now. (I ended up spending all of my limited savings...). Is this a workmans comp thing? social security disability thing? should I get a lawyer?

If you've read all of this, I thank you for your time,
-Travis

[jayne]

Travis your best bet may be thru SSDI...workmans comp may be a lost cause but stranger things have happened

[chummsdoe]

Thanks for the tip. Why is workmans comp a lost cause? It happened at work, I wasn't able to continue that job or my previous job. Isn't the point of workmans comp to help people who were injured (either physicaly or mentaly) on the job untill they can work again? I'm not doubting your knowledge, and I appreciate the info. I quess I'm wondering if you or someone else could elaborate...

[jayne]

you can talk to a lawyer but time limits may throw a kink in it....I am in no way an expert....in fact my brain is about fried from messing with WC for so long....the experts will be along to help you out I just wanted to welcome you and let you know we were here......

[chummsdoe]

Thanks again for the welcome and info. I was thinking time might be an issue aswell. However they are currently paying for my therapy, and paying for another appointment to get my back checked out because its still sore and I can't bend backwards at all without a sharp deep pain in my spine and shortness of breath.

Experts will be on later you say? Sounds like I've found the right place to ask these questions.

[jayne]

you have indeed....it is the best place on the net for info and a guiding hand...I dont remember anyone on here from N.H. but the others will help you just hang on....

[Manley2]

I would speak with a lawyer. If they are paying for some things now I would think you are okay with the time limits. Might have to give up on some back pay but it sure looks to me like if your doc is saying you can't work they should be paying. Now with that said I don't know the laws in your state but a good lawyer will and the call should be free for them to give you an idea of what they can do for you now. Good luck and we will say a prayer for you.

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

http://www.labor.state.nh.us/injured_wor...asp?ptype=

[chummsdoe]

Manley2, thanks for the prayer, and the info. I will be having a consultation with a lawyer over the phone today hopefully.

Bad Boy Bad Boy, thanks for the link. If only I knew how to understand/sift through that info.

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

chummsdoe, if you can't understand things, and have memory problems and such, you can elect to have a Parent or Spouse take charge of your work comp case for you. meaning they handle all the up coming decisions for you.