I worked for Wal-Mart for 6 and 1/2 years. I was loading a truck on June 26 (Saturday). It was my last truck of the day. We had a heavy rain fall begin and I was really looking forward to going home. The rain started to come in where the truck and the building meet and it was making it diffucult to drive in and out of the truck across the dock plate.
I had about half the truck loaded and my single jack got stuck in the dock plate due to the rain. There was about an inch or two on the floor of the truck. I got off of my jack to trying to get it unstuck. I slipped in the rain fell on my butt and immediately felt pain in my butt, back, leg, and elbow.
By the time I got off the floor, another loader drove to my door to drop off more trips for me to load into the truck. I was crying and told him that I fell and had to go to the front. I couldn't even lift my right leg. I had pain shooting down it and it felt numb.
After contacting my Supervisor about my fall, I asked to go to the ER.in the ER, they x-rayed my coxyx and determined that it was broke straight through. I was sent home and told to see the company DR on Monday.
The company DR told me that my coxyx was not broke and I would be able to return to work that next Saturday. I was given pain meds and sent home.By Friday, I contacted the DR, needing another vist, and told him that I was still in tremendous pain. I couldn't sit, drive, or lift my right leg at all. He gave me another week to recover, more meds and told me that if I still didn't feel better by the next week that he would order a MRI.
The next week I went for the MRI and had a follow-up appointment a few days later. The DR told me that the MRI showed nothing wrong other than the normal wear and tear of anyone else my age (33) and that I was good to go to work that next day with NO RESTRICTIONS. I was in shock! No restrictions? He also told me that since I didn't have a work related injury that Workman's Comp would more that likely demand I pay them back the care they had provided thus far.
I went to work Saturday, worked for maybe an hour and a half and could not do the job! I asked to go back to the ER and was told NO. I could just return home if I couldn't do the job. I had no choice but to go home. I called in Sunday and Monday.
Monday, I made an appt. With my regular DR. After telling her what happened and asking her to read the MRI results, she was not surprised by what was going on. She told me that is the way they do work related injuries. I indeed had 4 bulging discs and some nerve damage. No wonder why I felt so bad. So, I hired a laywer.
Here we are March I have not received any benefits for my injury. I feel the same way as I did about 3 weeks after I fell. My lawyer wants me to settle for $4000.00 and I think that is a ridiculous insult! I only received Workman's Comp benefits until the company DR told me that it was not a work related injury. NOTHING since that time Aug.
There has to be more to it than this. I have lost my job, had to sell many personal items, struggle with relationships with my husband and children. I'm not asking for a million dollars. All I want is to feel better! Simply jumping on the trampoline with my kids, playing basketball with my daughter, driving for longer periods of time without being miserable.
Wal-Mart or any other employer should not be able to treat people this way! It's absurd!!
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