• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Impairment Rating

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

jolasta

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Kentucky
Hi. I had a workplace injury on 7/20/01. On 11/5/02 had left ulnar nerve release surgery and carpal tunnel surgery. I had to go back to 2001 to file a claim with the workers comp company that my employer had at the time of my injury. They covered all medical bills and paid me lost wages. My emg showed also that I had a moderate degree of right sided ulnar nerve neuropathy and right carpal tunnel. So on 4/15/03 I had surgery for those but I had to file a claim with the workers comp company that my employer had at that time because it was not an injury but was work related. Workers Comp paid.
On 1/28/04 I returned to my surgeon with the same complications that I had on my left elbow/hand. He did another emg and it came back severe ulnar neuropathy and told me that he needed to do an ulnar nerve transposition which meant move the nerve from the back of the elbow to the front. My doctor had called workers comp and they had ok'd for me to have the surgery so on 3/1/04 the dr performed the left ulnar nerve transposition.
The workers comp then denies that they approved for me to have the surgery. My Dr. sent them all my medical information and after long months of battling with them still I received no compensation for lost wages nor did they pay my medical bills. My Dr. clearly stated in his report that it was a reoccurance of severe left sided ulnar neuropathy that had failed and they needed to do a transposition.
I have since been back to work, and now am having the same problems as before. Had an EMG done on 11/15/04 and it reads that I have left sided ulnar nerve neuropathy on the left elbow and a moderate degree of carpal tunnel in both my hands. My Dr. tells me there is nothing else he can do because the damage is too severe. This has devestated me. I have now been off work since 1/6/05 and still again Workers Comp has not paid. I had an IME done which came back as 14% impairment to the body as a whole. So where do I go from here? Does anybody know of any kind of surgery beyond an ulnar nerve transposition that has failed that can be done to make me better? Sorry so long and thx much for your reply.
jolasta
 


ellencee

Senior Member
I'm gonna make a guess that you came to this site to ask what you can do to get payment from WC and ended up asking for medical advice.

You need an attorney to represent your claim(s) with the Workers Comp insurance carrier.

You need to stay out of work and let your arms rest so the inflammation will resolve. Returning to work each time is most likely what kept this problem on-going and led to your having this degree of disability.

You probably need job-retraining; ask the attorney (WC) about this, too.

EC
 

jolasta

Junior Member
Thanks ellen,
Everything with me is such a mess. The last surgery that I had the Workers Comp lady tried to get me to file a new claim and I asked her "Why, this is not a new claim, its an old injury. Was off work for 3 months and they still haven't paid. Talk about passing the buck to someone else eh?
 
I agree with ellencee. I have been through exactly what you are going though, although, I have a 75% rating of loss of use. There really is nothing more they can do. You will have to learn to live with the daily pain, so get used to it. Get a good attorney and retraining.


Good luck.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top