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workers comp settlement advise

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hvrjr81

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? utah

I sustained a back injury on 09/07 my boss told me to pick up 150 lbs pieces of asphalt and put them in a trackhoe bucket when i felt a pop in my back followed by a large amount of pain in my lower back continuing into my legs I went to the doctor The doctor took me off work and they ordered a mri and the report stated L1-2 Essentially unremarkable disk level and bony elements
L2-3 Disk bulge L3-4 disk desiccation and mild disk narrowing with mild diffuse annular bulge deforming the ventral thecal sac. Centrally the disk bulge is most prominet L4-5 Disk desiccated and mildly narrowed. There is a central disk protrusion at this level deforming the thecal sac. There is to be adequate space to the lateral recess regions however no convincing foraminal stenosis has developed. there appears to be mild degenerative facet arthropathy L5-s1 The disk is desiccated and mildly narrowed. An irregular, broad based posterior disk bulge. T11-12, T12-L1 desiccation. Minimal disk bulge. There is no focal herniation or neural impingement. I was referd to a spine surgen but they ask me to see an injection doctor first. After injections and physical therepy and exercises my back was still hurting the same I told the doctor that my legs went numb and on that day he put me at mmi that was in jan 08 I was then refered to a doctor who gave me a 7% imparment rating i was put on light duty permenent work retriction and the doctor told me at that time i was not a surgical canidate do to my age but that i would need at least 3 epidural steriod injections for the rest of my life and he said that i have the back of an 80 year old and i am only 27 he told me that my condition would not get any better. I woke up one morning and both of my legs were numb so i went to the emergency room they refered me for another mri and to a spine surgon which the mri says that my condition is unchanged after a years time. and after exhausting all conventional treatment the spine surgen fills that its time to look at surgery. He requested a discogram for a disk replacement but workers comp denied the discogram. I filed a hearing with the utah labor commission that is pending and workers comp wants to settle the case now. We are set to go to mediation on the 14th of october for a full and final settlement. I am not sure how much i should ask for I have been off work this whole time and i only got my workers comp checks until i was at mmi. I know that the surgery is at the minimum 30,000.00 and the discogram is 7,500.00 and the injections come up to around 80,000.00 for my life time I dont want to hire a attorney i want to do this my self because i want this done and over with so that i can get back to work and on with my life

any information would be helpful
Thank you
 


ryder777

Junior Member
Settlement Advice

North Carolina
I have been in the ny worker's comp. system since 2002. From that time to now I worked for 2yrs.,but under a doc's care for my back. I had my surgery in 2006 on L4-L5/L5-S1, Laminectomy on both levels. I really feel you should get yourself a lawyer reason I say that is because the system likes people that don't have lawyers so they can get rid of you and the insurance companys just pays a lump sum and that's it . Have you had the surgery? If not you are going to need it in the future. There's no price that you can put on your health you are young don't mess youself up. Call the board and find out if you can cancel this hearing you have coming up and get yourself a lawyer. I've seen people get up to 6 figures for back injuries in some states you can get 5 or 6 years of medical also. There is alot to know about the comp system get yourself a lawyer or the will mess you up in the long run. After my surgery I came out worst than I went in. I now have failed back syndrome and permenant nerve damage in my leg not to scare you or anything but I like to keep it real. I may never work again. But I'm still being paid and I have my medical so why settle that money won't last if you are going to be paying your own medical bills. I want you to really think about what you are about to do.. I know personally my surgery cost 62,000 and now I'm a regular at the pain center my pain mgmt doc is about to implant a pain stimulator in my back and hopefully I will be able to function again then and only then will I consider settling my case. Let me ask you how do you feel physically and mentally right now? Are you the same as you were before this happened? Please get yourself some real legal advice and keep me posted. I hope this helps you. :)
 

Lowrider000

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? utah

I sustained a back injury on 09/07 my boss told me to pick up 150 lbs pieces of asphalt and put them in a trackhoe bucket when i felt a pop in my back followed by a large amount of pain in my lower back continuing into my legs I went to the doctor The doctor took me off work and they ordered a mri and the report stated L1-2 Essentially unremarkable disk level and bony elements
L2-3 Disk bulge L3-4 disk desiccation and mild disk narrowing with mild diffuse annular bulge deforming the ventral thecal sac. Centrally the disk bulge is most prominet L4-5 Disk desiccated and mildly narrowed. There is a central disk protrusion at this level deforming the thecal sac. There is to be adequate space to the lateral recess regions however no convincing foraminal stenosis has developed. there appears to be mild degenerative facet arthropathy L5-s1 The disk is desiccated and mildly narrowed. An irregular, broad based posterior disk bulge. T11-12, T12-L1 desiccation. Minimal disk bulge. There is no focal herniation or neural impingement. I was referd to a spine surgen but they ask me to see an injection doctor first. After injections and physical therepy and exercises my back was still hurting the same I told the doctor that my legs went numb and on that day he put me at mmi that was in jan 08 I was then refered to a doctor who gave me a 7% imparment rating i was put on light duty permenent work retriction and the doctor told me at that time i was not a surgical canidate do to my age but that i would need at least 3 epidural steriod injections for the rest of my life and he said that i have the back of an 80 year old and i am only 27 he told me that my condition would not get any better. I woke up one morning and both of my legs were numb so i went to the emergency room they refered me for another mri and to a spine surgon which the mri says that my condition is unchanged after a years time. and after exhausting all conventional treatment the spine surgen fills that its time to look at surgery. He requested a discogram for a disk replacement but workers comp denied the discogram. I filed a hearing with the utah labor commission that is pending and workers comp wants to settle the case now. We are set to go to mediation on the 14th of october for a full and final settlement. I am not sure how much i should ask for I have been off work this whole time and i only got my workers comp checks until i was at mmi. I know that the surgery is at the minimum 30,000.00 and the discogram is 7,500.00 and the injections come up to around 80,000.00 for my life time I dont want to hire a attorney i want to do this my self because i want this done and over with so that i can get back to work and on with my life

any information would be helpful
Thank you
Get you attorney as soon as possible or you will be screwed in the long run.Your health is nothing to play around with
 

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