K
kenty
Guest
What is the name of your state? PA
I used to work at a major grocery chain here. I'm not sure what to do with what happened. I need to know what to do with this situation. Back in December of last year I had multiple asthma attacks at work. I had asked my manager almost every time I had one if I could go get my inhaler that I was told to keep in my locker. She had denied my requests. She told me that we were too busy for me to go get it yet we were dead and had at least 10 lanes open. One particular day-I had a severe allergic reaction to a customer's sweater which set off my asthma really bad. I had asked her when I realized it wasn't getting any better but it was getting worse if I could go get my inhaler. She told me no. About half hour later, my co-ordinator pulled me off the register as she was called up to a meeting. At that time-I was getting really red in the face and very dizzy. He ran upstairs and got my inhaler for me. He kept checking on me every 20 minutes. After two and a half hours-the inhaler wasn't helping. They called our alternate floor manager who wasn't in the meeting. He came down and asked me to walk to the office. I had tried but was so dizzy that I couldn't walk from the lack of oxygen. So he had me sit on a bench in front of this room we had for shopper's children to play in while they shopped. By that time, an off duty paramedic came over after seeing me nearly collapse and asked what was going on. He checked my pulse and watched me for a minute. He told me that I needed to go to the hospital. I told him no that I can't go because I don't have insurance nor can afford it. My floor supervisor insisted that I talk to them at least so I did. The paramedics were already there shopping for something to eat. They thought it was a prank by their friend who informed them of an emergency where they were. They came up and saw that it was really an emergency. They checked me out and checked my oxygen levels. They said that they were really low and I need to go in to the emergency room. I had explained that I can't because I can't afford it nor have insurance. They forced me to go. They put me in the ambulance and started treating me right then and there. All in all, I was in the emergency room being treated for my asthma attack for nearly 10 hours. The doctors as well as the paramedics said it would never have gotten that bad if I had gotten my inhaler when it first started. I was put on light duty for two weeks. I was told by my manager that since I was on light duty-I'm not allowed to work. I came back to work two weeks later. Things were worse there than before my two week leave. Again-I had another attack at work and once again I was denied my inhaler. I again wound up in the emergency room that night after work because of my asthma attack. I was told again that it never would have gotten that bad if I had used my inhaler when it first started. I had talked with my union rep about filing a grievance against my manager for denial of me obtaining my inhaler when I really needed it but was told that I don't have grounds for it. Now-nearly a year later-I have three medical bills from my asthma attacks at work that I can't pay. I had applied for state assistance in paying these bills but because I'm single, no dependants and made about $550 a month I was denied. I think that because I was denied my inhaler when I needed it by my manager-my former employer should pay the bills but they disagree. Now I'm being harrassed by creditors because with my new job-I still can't pay them. I'm making about the same with my new job as I did with my old one. What should I do?
I used to work at a major grocery chain here. I'm not sure what to do with what happened. I need to know what to do with this situation. Back in December of last year I had multiple asthma attacks at work. I had asked my manager almost every time I had one if I could go get my inhaler that I was told to keep in my locker. She had denied my requests. She told me that we were too busy for me to go get it yet we were dead and had at least 10 lanes open. One particular day-I had a severe allergic reaction to a customer's sweater which set off my asthma really bad. I had asked her when I realized it wasn't getting any better but it was getting worse if I could go get my inhaler. She told me no. About half hour later, my co-ordinator pulled me off the register as she was called up to a meeting. At that time-I was getting really red in the face and very dizzy. He ran upstairs and got my inhaler for me. He kept checking on me every 20 minutes. After two and a half hours-the inhaler wasn't helping. They called our alternate floor manager who wasn't in the meeting. He came down and asked me to walk to the office. I had tried but was so dizzy that I couldn't walk from the lack of oxygen. So he had me sit on a bench in front of this room we had for shopper's children to play in while they shopped. By that time, an off duty paramedic came over after seeing me nearly collapse and asked what was going on. He checked my pulse and watched me for a minute. He told me that I needed to go to the hospital. I told him no that I can't go because I don't have insurance nor can afford it. My floor supervisor insisted that I talk to them at least so I did. The paramedics were already there shopping for something to eat. They thought it was a prank by their friend who informed them of an emergency where they were. They came up and saw that it was really an emergency. They checked me out and checked my oxygen levels. They said that they were really low and I need to go in to the emergency room. I had explained that I can't because I can't afford it nor have insurance. They forced me to go. They put me in the ambulance and started treating me right then and there. All in all, I was in the emergency room being treated for my asthma attack for nearly 10 hours. The doctors as well as the paramedics said it would never have gotten that bad if I had gotten my inhaler when it first started. I was put on light duty for two weeks. I was told by my manager that since I was on light duty-I'm not allowed to work. I came back to work two weeks later. Things were worse there than before my two week leave. Again-I had another attack at work and once again I was denied my inhaler. I again wound up in the emergency room that night after work because of my asthma attack. I was told again that it never would have gotten that bad if I had used my inhaler when it first started. I had talked with my union rep about filing a grievance against my manager for denial of me obtaining my inhaler when I really needed it but was told that I don't have grounds for it. Now-nearly a year later-I have three medical bills from my asthma attacks at work that I can't pay. I had applied for state assistance in paying these bills but because I'm single, no dependants and made about $550 a month I was denied. I think that because I was denied my inhaler when I needed it by my manager-my former employer should pay the bills but they disagree. Now I'm being harrassed by creditors because with my new job-I still can't pay them. I'm making about the same with my new job as I did with my old one. What should I do?
