On October 21st I was hurt on the job. I followed procedures by contacting Saftey and FM. I was treated for my injury at a nearby Texas Med where I was sent by Safety (Tony). I was under Doctor's care and medication, therefore unable to drive. Thank God I was in my hometown or I would of really been screwed.
This was Saturday, when Monday morning came around, I contacted my FM (Justin Kissinger) and told him what happened that day and explained my accident to him. I was told to continue my treatments as told and to recover to come back to work. That same day Providence (JB's Workers Comp) called me to advice me to seek treatment at Concentra and what other procedures need to be taken care of for wage benefits.
I kept in contact every other day of my medical status with my FM. On Nov. 1st he called me and said he received an e-mail that morning from higher up stating that he had to terminate me. He said he was really sorry. I asked him why, and he stated it was due to not enough leave. He said nothing more and hung up.
I called Human Resources and I was told that my termination date was back dated to Oct 24th.
On Nov 6th Providence (Peggy Hughes) contacted me telling me that my second check was ready to be disbursed for Thursday. Later that day she called me again to tell me that she was sorry, but the check was voided. She said that Craig Smith stopped benefits because JB Hunt doesn't owe me anything.
I couldn't understand this so I decided to contact upper management. I contacted Todd Davis in Employee Relations and he said that JB Hunt was not doing anything wrong by back dating the termination date. I asked him how come JB Hunt did not wait until I was medically released or seen by an Orthopaedic doctor before I was terminated. He said JB doesn't wait, they terminate the day after an accident. Then why was my date of termination not the day after, i asked. He couldn't respond and told me to contact Craig Smith. He also stated that there were no accomodations for what I do, there's nothing he could do.
Throughout this whole mess I still have been waiting for Workers Comp (Craig Smith-JB Hunt) to approve my visit for the Orthopaedic Surgeon. Concentra is dragging their feet since they work for JB Hunt. Everyone has been very uncooperative.
I went ahead and contacted Craig Smith, he said that every driver that gets injured will be terminated the day after no matter what, but you will be reinstated after 30 days. He declined my benefits for Workers Comp. I will have medical treatment but thats it. He told me to apply for Unemployment but I can't do that due to the fact I am not ready to return to work. Thats one of the requirements for Unemployment (willing and capable of returning to work). He told me to contact Sheryl in Benefits because he didn't even know what the Driver Disablity program was that is being deducted every week from your paycheck.
How else am I to survive while I am injured, not being capable of seeking employment, not being medically released, still encountering obstacles for medical treatment?
Here I go again, contacting Sheryl in Benefits, I asked her about the Driver Disability. She said I had 45 days to submit an application for it. I told her that it probably is going to be a lost case since JB Hunt is denying everything else. I asked here when I was terminated and she repeated the 24th of Oct. And after she faxed me the papers. I called her back to thank her, well she said out loud, what is this? I said what, she stated that now i am terminated on the 22nd of Oct. I asked her, when am i really terminated. There has been three dates of termination and there is something fishy going on. I told her how I thought Jb is trying to get out of paying the benefits.
I would of been with Jb six months on Nov 2. Coinsidently it happened to be right before i hit my six months with JB Hunt that I got terminated. I guess they figured right on my six months i was terminated that they decided to back date so they wouldnt pay me anything.
When I received the first Workers Comp check, it was $1.60, mainly because JB decided to take the rest of the money from me to pay for all the deductions including my benefits. How's that to top it off?
What kind of company makes their employees pay benefits, tell you to read you policy procedure book, terminate you to leave you with nothing? When in the book itself it states, that no employee shall be terminated, suspended or discriminated against for reporting any type of accident. Yet they state that their policy terminates anyone after an injury. You tell me where thats in writing?
David
san antonio, Texas
U.S.A.
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