Cut my hand on the job, can I get WC?

[notsurewhattodo]

i've never hurt myself on the job before, so i'm new to this all. i reside in florida and work at a restaurant where i prepare food. i was scoring ribs using the basic implements given to me (e.g. steak knife, latex gloves, ribs, trays, and nothing else) when the knife slipped out the bottom of my hand and sliced the inside of the second knuckle on my index and middle fingers. the middle wasn't bad, but the index was quite a cut, maybe a full centimeter deep and inch wide, and it was made with the serrated teeth at the base of the steak knife's blade. it didn't bleed much after the first fifteen minutes.

my managers immediately helped me out and offered to get me rides to and from health care centers in the area, but all were closed. with a long ride to the hospital being the only alternative, i checked webmd for advice on it. i determined that it wasnt serious enough that i would need stitches, so they sent me home for the night.

they did make mention of workers comp, but only briefly, and i had thought that it only served to get me medical care, not actually get me out of work for my injuries. obviously with this knowledge, i would appreciate any tips on what you would do or what my options are.

as far as my hand goes, i cant bend the two fingers without opening the cuts, so i have to keep them bandaged enough that they cannot grasp anything. it doesn't bleed unless it opens, which hasn't happened since a few hours after this whole thing happened last night. however, when i called my work and asked about workers comp, the manager dismissed it by telling me to come in and that "we'll work together to find something [i] can do".
i'm afraid of pushing the matter because i think they see it as very minor, but i know that handling hot plates and potatoes won't be good for it, nor do i feel that i can properly wash my hands while they are bandaged.

one last thing, aren't OSHA standards supposed to make sure that if i'm doing things like scoring ribs as i was, i should be provided with all appropriate safety devices? my neighbor mentioned that her company sells cutting gloves to restaurants all the time and that it sounded crazy to her that i wasn't provided with them as per those standards for doing such a job.

thanks in advance for all the help, you don't know how much it means to me!
i mean, if i don't know my rights, what good are they?!

[bronco54501]

I dont know about your state comp laws, but some one will be on that does and will shine in....

Trust me wc isnt an escape from work privledge, but if medical treatment is needed and happened at work, that should be treated as a wc injury.. And if time off work is ordered by dr then you are entitled to bennifits while your off work. Sometimes your employer tends to be your best friend by telling you they will take care of it.. Then the medical bill start piling up, and soon you learn they are just keeping you from filing a claim and also not paying your medical bills.... Think this out clearly, you may have trouble with tendons healing correctly and may have permanent damage to the fingers.. And even a loss of a finger is rated about 1 to $2000 in wc but if you need further treatment thats a drop in the bucket for the price of medical procedures... Like I said some one that knows your state wc laws will be able to handle your questions better............Bronco

[notsurewhattodo]

believe it or not, i actually enjoy my job and where i work a great deal. i wouldn't want to "skip out" by abusing wc, but i genuinely feel like i will have trouble or even pain doing most tasks that my job encompasses.
so i should definitely have them pay for a doctor visit to assess the cuts so i can get a professional opinion on the injury then?
and as far as permanent damage, the cut was deep enough that i was sure i was looking at a shiny white little piece of the tendon connecting the top end of the muscle between my largest and second knuckles, but it seemed to be untouched.

[bronco54501]

(03-17-2011 02:02 AM)notsurewhattodo Wrote:  believe it or not, i actually enjoy my job and where i work a great deal. i wouldn't want to "skip out" by abusing wc, but i genuinely feel like i will have trouble or even pain doing most tasks that my job encompasses.
so i should definitely have them pay for a doctor visit to assess the cuts so i can get a professional opinion on the injury then?
and as far as permanent damage, the cut was deep enough that i was sure i was looking at a shiny white little piece of the tendon connecting the top end of the muscle between my largest and second knuckles, but it seemed to be untouched.

No pun intended, as I posted that for the reason a dr may not relieve you from work, he may just put you on restrictions on not using the hand untill it heals.... I also enjoyed my job, as I still feel they enjoyed me as well.. Somtimes it just dont unfold the way we want....
As far as getting a professional opinion, In my oppinion.. and only what I would do....... Is yes, and if all is well then fine, if not well then atleast you will have it doccumented and beable to get propper future medical treatment as needed.....

[notsurewhattodo]

well thank you for your insights.
i may need stitches yet, so i think that's one thing i am going to do. JIC, yknow?

[kate]

You need to get a medical opinion in order to be compensated for being out of work. In Florida, the waiting period is 7 days. Which means you do not get paid for the first 7 days unless the doctor takes you off work for more than 21 days. If you're off more than 21 days, then WC will go back and pay the first 7 days.

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Also, the employer chooses the physician so you can't just go to any doctor. They need to tell you which doctor to go to. In most cases that would be a walk in clinic. Then if you need a specialist, the doctor will refer you and the adjuster will then set an appointment with the specialist.

[notsurewhattodo]

oh okay, well that puts it into perspective.
it's healing up faster than i had anticipated so i'm just letting this one go.
thanks again for the speedy replies, i'm impressed.