coupe

hi Michael8466, congrats on your approval for disability benefits. my happy place is here in PA. I too was involved with work comp, when I was approved for SSDI. also had a product liability lawsuit that caused my work injuries. I never needed a social security attorney, only had to file one appeal after denial. I was a lucky one? workman's comp. never gave me any grief or problem of any kind! my workman's comp. attorney was my brother in law, who spent the first 25 years or so working for insurance companies, still does. my work accident happened November 2nd. 1992 @ 9:35 AM. before the work day was over, he was already beginning my case. I was taken by ambulance straight to the hospital from my fob site ( construction) where I lapsed into a 9 day coma and woke up totally paralyzed on my left side. my workman's comp. case nurse hand delivered my comp. checks to my hospital room every two weeks like clockwork. she never once tried to screw me out of one treatment or test, or medication prescribed. I spent a total of 30 months in the hospital and rehab. she attended every one of my weekly doctor/therapists team meetings. once I was released on March 12th 1995 it was her, who got workman's comp. to buy my first computer.

it just so happened, that in May my SSDI, my lawsuit and workman's comp. settled all at once, I'd never been sent to any Workman's comp. nor social security doctors. but, at the settlement table in my lawyer's office both a rep. for social security and workman's comp. were there. the W/C rep told me then my lost wage benefit would continue for life, but my checks would come once a month instead of bi-weekly and would also be reduced from $2700 per month to just over $700 and my SSDI would be aprox. $1,000 per month, that I'd only get 80% of my wages total? when I was injured, I was making $35.93 per hour. I don't thinks that's close to my 80%? but I'm not complaining, there are no cost of living increases from workman's comp. though my SSDI. as increased to about $1800 per month now. get a 5.8% raise in January I think? every little bit helps! oh yeah, just because I've settled with workman's comp. they still contact me by phone for a home visit every 3 or 4 years, just to make sure I'm still disabled, and my checks are coming on time? and if I'd like my checks direct deposited? I don't.

one other thing I learned, if you're injured on the job? as we were, and you can and do file a lawsuit because of your injuries, and win? workman's comp. is entitled to get every penny they'd paid out on your claim, from wages to doctors and medications. that day in my lawyer's office, I had to write out checks to workman's comp. totaling $1.6 million. that, I wasn't aware of until that day!

anyway, again congrats on your approval, and good luck with workman's comp. if you settle with lifetime wage loss? your headaches will be few! but, you'll never completely have them out of your life? you just have to move on the best you can

good luck and god bless


Larry/coupe

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