Being Laid up and or disability

[firedoc5]

Yeah, that's exactly how both my attorneys and my employers have explained it to me when injured. Nothing that even looks like work. That means don't come visiting or hanging out at the station, because simply answering a phone or washing your own dirty coffee cup can be misconstrued as 'work". It also ESPECIALLY means no playing volly firemonkey or cop, even if unpaid. You're seriously risking your entire compensation status if you do.

I'm here to tell you, though -- as I am sure that firedoc and LS will confirm -- being retired, even temporarily, is not all it's cracked up to be. It gets real old, real fast, even if the money is okay. I'd give all the money back to have not had to leave my job. I totally understand being restless and feeling like you have to "do something", but you have to resist that urge. This cop guy should have known better. And, of course, if neither his employer nor his attorney told him that, they suck.

Not being able to do your duties is worse than sucks. Sometimes it get's to were you feel in the way. Or being extra weight. And after some time, when more and more of the guys that were there with you leave, you feel more like an outsider.

But one thing mentioned is "side jobs''. Not situations that you get in the middle of. Someone trying to pad their disability check or workman's comp income, that's just wrong, illegal too I think.

[tniuqs]

No intention to make light of a very serious (with my prior post)

Not only the actual physical disability itself but ALL the personal emotional that seam to well up during these difficult times.

Very unfortunately, a rather rare infectious pneumonia hammered me ... and bloody hard! I was slammed into an IC and where I worked in fact. To further add insult to injury, was thought to be a mycoplasmic pneumonia, I wonder where I picked that up ? Not only was it very difficult for me, as it was hard on my co-workers as well watching me circle the drain. I even had one crying at my bedside one day while pulling an ABG from my art line, odd because I felt for her more than me at the time and weird because I felt guilty in some way. High dose "Roids" and Hypoxia do fark up ones thought processes just a tad, feelings of sadness overwhelm me even to this day over that. Ah there's no such thing a PTSD, thats just lot of wimpy pschyco babble :roll:

Workmans Comp was never a consideration as my MD stated "a waste of his time" filling the papers. (would be rejected he stated) The rationale being: it was a "possible" I contracted an infectious community acquired disease, one genius resident even proposed I was SARS ... HUH ? :evil: if that test was positive at least then I would have had coverage!

I was forced to fall back on EI/ unemployment insurance (in my neck of the woods) our national social service net and that pays even less than WCB and apparently one is only ill for/or have coverage for 16 weeks ? wtf over ?

So:

After that its the welfare line, can't tell you really how hard that was to deal with, that rather devastating to ones self esteem a very negative effects for my now defunked marriage as well. When you have one infant and a pregnant wife, with a house payments one has absolutely no choice at all. Seriously when your up against the live on the street, I would have happily opened a roadside Kool-aid stand to help with the bills, it took years to recover ... .

Yes, I have been there, got the welfare recipient "T" shirt, so hang in guys/gals things do get better. :wink: I now have a more tempered view of those that are on the government dole.

To: Richard, could wearing your duty jacket off work have been a mitigating complication ? not that I haven't done that myself, now I only wear EMS shirts and stuff but never uniform issue kit, mostly free ones :shock: Sooo if you have to play "catch buddy" if he falls there is less of an public expectation because anyone can purchase an EMS T shirt.

OR one can use the excuse I JUST WORK IN THE OFFICE .....

cheers

[Richard B the EMT]

The guy just fell into my arms! I had no warning, I just caught the dude. Besides, although not AT work, I WAS heading in to work after I was to get my money from that bank.

On not working or volunteering when out on Line Of Duty Injury/Compensation:

One of the guys from my EMS Academy class was supposed to have been out on Workers Comp, when someone in the Comp Board office found a second filing, seemingly for a second incident hours after the first was supposed to have occurred. One was for the NYC EMS, the other for this classmate's VFD/VAS!

Workers Comp contacted NYC EMS on the discrepancy, and an investigative unit within the EMS had an unmarked car following the Member Of Service, obviously without the MOS' knowledge.

While staking out his house, the VFD/VAS sirens went off, and they videotaped the MOS leaving his house while donning his Personal Protective Equipment (Bunker Gear?), jumping into his car, and then first followed him to the fire house, and then to a house fire. The MOS was videoed going up a ladder company "stick" and doing such that a fire fighter is supposed to do at a fire scene.

They then followed him back to the fire house, and then again to his residence, where he was seen getting out of the PPE as he went back into his house.

The MOS was brought up on State charges of defrauding the Comp Board, lost his "bennies", ordered to pay back the comp board, and then was fired from both NYC EMS and the VFD/VAS.

I am told the investigative unit people got some good action shots of the VFD/VAS, too.

[Lone Star]

I was out on workers comp once, after getting clobbered by a piece of steel that fell and damn near broke my arm.

While I was off, a big nasty snowstorm dumped about a foot or so of snow in my driveway. I went out and fired up the snowblower a couple days later (I couldn't get anyone I knew with a plow to come to my 'rescue'. While I was clearing the driveway, I saw several cars pass by the house rolling very slowly. Needless to say, I was very paranoid about having just screwed the pooch on my worker's comp case!

I ended up " 'fessing up" to the caseworker, and explained that I had exercised every available option prior to taking the course of action that I did. Living alone surely has its 'disadvantages'!

Long story short, the case worker understood the situation that I was in and didn't cancel my claim, but 'reminded' me that I could be 'watched' at anytime that they felt inclined, and that they took a very 'dim view' on fraud......

I was only off work for about 6 months, but when I got cleared, and went back, things had definately changed while I was gone. I was pretty much the 'noob' again......until I proved that I knew more about the job than the new 'regulars' did......lol

[TRIP]

This is the picture in the dictionary of oops. You can not seriously tall me he thought everything was going to be OK and he would not get caught?

[firedoc5]

I was out on workers comp once, after getting clobbered by a piece of steel that fell and damn near broke my arm.

While I was off, a big nasty snowstorm dumped about a foot or so of snow in my driveway. I went out and fired up the snowblower a couple days later (I couldn't get anyone I knew with a plow to come to my 'rescue'. While I was clearing the driveway, I saw several cars pass by the house rolling very slowly. Needless to say, I was very paranoid about having just screwed the pooch on my worker's comp case!

I ended up " 'fessing up" to the caseworker, and explained that I had exercised every available option prior to taking the course of action that I did. Living alone surely has its 'disadvantages'!

Long story short, the case worker understood the situation that I was in and didn't cancel my claim, but 'reminded' me that I could be 'watched' at anytime that they felt inclined, and that they took a very 'dim view' on fraud......

I was only off work for about 6 months, but when I got cleared, and went back, things had definately changed while I was gone. I was pretty much the 'noob' again......until I proved that I knew more about the job than the new 'regulars' did......lol

And one thing to watch for is someone sees you mowing, even if it's just a little bit. A guy I grew up with had a father that he himself grew up "crippled" his entire life. But some reported him saying he was mowing yards and making money doing it. Of course the judge thought it was absurd, but he had to make a ruling. Two factors they took into consideration was that he used a riding mower and a self-propelled push mower.

No one still has any idea who reported him, but that was years ago.