Permanent Damage From Work Injury – What Now?
I injured my shoulder on the job due to repetitive stress. I worked at a grocery store. They tell me that maybe I should find a new job, the doctor says it is unlikely I will be going back to work, and that even after surgery, which I should be having soon, this will affect me for life. I have been out for months now. Should I start looking into a new career? And if so, how? I pay rent, I take care of myself, and I can’t afford to go to school without an income, and where could I work with one arm? Should I look into trade school? Or should I just go to our local junior college? I want to be able to support myself, and a family in the future, I want to set myself up nicely…but I am so lost and alone here lol, can anyone offer me some advice? I like computers, if that helps, I like a lot of different things…maybe I should go play guitar on the street corner with a bucket to collect tips.
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3 Responses to Permanent Damage From Work Injury – What Now?
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Click there to speak with an employment law attorney BEFORE you make any bad decisions about your future. If you’re going to be rated permanently partially disabled, you’ll need to fight to get as much money out of them as possible. Insurance companies are notorious for giving you as little as possible. Like @Kat says, do NOT quit. For one, your boss cannot fire you or treat you any differently because you’re disabled. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm Educate yourself. Download Work Laws Exposed.
Workers comp might pay for your retraining, you may even be able to stay at the same company in a different job. Stocking shelves, cashier or boxing groceries might be wrong for you but they could have customer service, accounting, trainer or other jobs open you could train for.
I am going through the same thing right now. For me, the only thing I have left to figure out now is, "What do I want to do?"
I was going to school for nursing before I got injured in the US Army. You will find that if you have to struggle that much more in life, you want life to be worth the fight. Fist things first, DO NOT QUIT THE JOB YOU CURRENTLY HAVE!!!! If the injury is due to working for them, that is the worst thing you could do! You need to find out how much of the reasonability they are going to take for your injury. I know that sounds bad but when you are only able to work two weeks out of the month at your new job, you’ll wish you had looked into your former employer’s financial responsibility. Next sit down with your doctors AFTER the surgery (since that is coming up soon) and figure out what mobility you did get back. From there it will lead you to where I am at now. You’ll know what your limits are and you will know what you still have the ability to do. After all that, make a list of things you enjoy doing that won’t let your disability interfere with you achieving. There are message boards and support groups as well of other people just like you and me that can tell you what they did. Good luck to you!