What should I do?

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pursue it all the way!~ doctor -lawyer -all accident reports to every one ,including your boss first! if he fires you, you can sue him and WIN! there is not a lawyer in the world that won`t take this case, both against your boss if he fires you, and the person resposible for hitting you to start with!! be sure and get (keep) copies of the police report too! this injury may bother you more when you get older.---ask me how I know----bob:coffee2:

Only have USPS experience....this aint necessarily the truth. If you are talking about filing an EEO claim after getting fired there is a problem. If the company treats everyone the same, for example anyone that gets hurt or in an accident gets fired you have no basis for a discrimination claim. Even if they do violate the law. Discrimination is about 1 person getting treated differently. I tried to go after the USPS for violating the FMLA laws...was told by 2 different attorneys I spoke with that an employer can violate every labor law there is....if all employees are treated the same there is no discrimination. Labor laws can get pretty twisted up.

Just search national reassessment program and you will see how bad things have gotten for the injured at the USPS. Sure there are tons of lawsuits, but what is someone supposed to do while there case is getting dragged out in court? Still have to pay the mortgage and eat.
MY wife left the PO before all this crap started. Last I asked a friend that still works at that dump I was told that there is still no limited or light duty folks there. Which translates into you got hurt, either on or off the job, and you aint there anymore.

I would live in reality here, not some fantasy land that your employer cares about you and is going to do the right thing. And part of reality, at least as I see it, is if you report it you very well may get fired for it, either directly or indirectly. And sure, you may be able to file suit and get your job back, but do you have the means to stay afloat?

I may be way off base here....but keep in mind that my wife is no longer employed by the USPS because she reported an injury....
 
We've all seen your work, you have excellent skills. If your current employer fires you for an accident that is clearly not your fault, then take your skills and move on. Your shop isn't the only one busy, I'm in a different trade (electrician), but I've been averaging 60-70 hours a week for over a year now, some weeks have been in the 90-100 hour range. Your skills will translate to a variety of employers, and everyone is looking for people that know their sh*t. You're not going to get the same amount of work done if you're hurting, and being miserable at work starts to affect your attitude and your product.
 
We've all seen your work, you have excellent skills. If your current employer fires you for an accident that is clearly not your fault, then take your skills and move on. Your shop isn't the only one busy, I'm in a different trade (electrician), but I've been averaging 60-70 hours a week for over a year now, some weeks have been in the 90-100 hour range. Your skills will translate to a variety of employers, and everyone is looking for people that know their sh*t. You're not going to get the same amount of work done if you're hurting, and being miserable at work starts to affect your attitude and your product.

Bingo. ^^^^^^

I'll go even further. Kid, you really should be workin for yourself.
 
Before I hung my shingle and started working for myself, I spent 20 years sitting on my butt as a paralegal in law firms for both the plaintiff and the defense over the years. :-D The last guy I worked for (for nearly 8 years) was one of the best Labor Law lawyers in the entire state of California.

Start here: http://www.lni.wa.gov/ClaimsIns/Rules/WorkersComp/default.asp These are the laws governing work-related injuries in the state of Washington.

You have obligations not only to yourself but to your employer; he also owes you certain duties that are undeniable in a court of law. A failure on either's part to do what you're supposed to do under these circumstances can and WILL come back to bite both of you on the backside.

Don't wait to see a doctor! The longer you do, the more likely it is that the insurance companies covering your employer and the lady who hit you will deny your claim outright because it wasn't reported in a timely fashion (and that in itself can hurt your credibility as a witness in court). Go to the Emergency Room or Urgent Care or SOMEWHERE and get checked out immediately; be honest with the doctor about everything that hurts (or might hurt in a day or two), go to all of your follow up appointments, get x-rays, and do everything you're instructed to do. If you have to take a few days off from work to recover, DO IT. Your first few days of missed work may have to come out of your vacation or sick time but anything beyond that will probably be covered by state disability. (Your boss should fill out any papers you need for that too -- do it yourself if they don't -- and be just as diligent with follow ups on it or you'll look like a flake in court.)

If it seems like you might suffer adverse affects at work like you seem to be so worried about, keep a daily log / diary noting everything you're going through -- pain, inability to sleep, your boss hovering over you, not offering you restricted or light duty, etc., etc., because if this matter ever ends up in court, it's going to be a few years down the road and your memory will NOT be as crystal clear as it is right now. That little book is going to save your *** (and possibly your job) and will be some of the best documentary evidence of your injuries and everything you've endured along the way. And it should say a lot more than just "August 2, 2014, 9:47 a.m. -- my back hurts and my boss is a dick."

Though work-related injuries' settlements are calculated differently than civil [non-work] matters, also keep track of the dates and mileage back and forth to doctors' appointments, physical therapy, and anywhere else your employer or doctor may send you too because you can get reimbursed for that down the road ... but NOT if you don't keep track of it all.

If you do suffer adverse effects at your job because of your accident, keep in mind that everything you've ever done at work that wasn't perfect can and may be brought up in court to discredit you. Let's say you're habitually late on Monday mornings, or took a 17-minute break on February 4, 2008 instead of the 15 minutes you're supposed to take. Your boss has a personnel file about you, trust me ... and it's because of this kind of stuff that he does so. He's already got his "log" about you so you need to have your own. What's important to remember is that it won't be your boss per se trying to discredit you -- his or the other driver's insurer is, and it's only because they'll be trying anything and everything they can to try to limit the amount of money that they're going to have to pay you later.

You have an adventure ahead of you YG2.0. I can't promise that it will be fun but it will surely teach you a lot about workers' compensation and the way that seemingly innocent things can come back to haunt you later. I wish you luck sweetie!! Hit me up if I can help you out.
 
I had to close my HVAC shop due to having to have surgery on both shoulders from accidents that happened 12 and 7 years ago. I toughed it out until I couldn't lift my arms.
 
From my experience the employer would rather have you report it then let it go and end up becoming more of an issue. I got cut buy a peice of glass that had been sittin in the garbage. I blew it off for a while until it started swelling and oozing crap. I went to the doctors and got a few shots and some fancy pills. Turns out the boss was mad at me for not speaking up earlier. Had a friend fall off a ladder and hurt his knee 5 years ago. Blew it off until last summer when things got real
Bad. He was screwed since he waited so long and he had to fork out big bucks.
 
Well had x rays and a once over at the doc in the box. Spine is ok! They say it's strained muscles in my back. It's in the lumber region and is putting pressure on my sciatic nerve. They have me a bunch of drugs and sent me home. Light duty for a week. Then go back for check up. It's all on an l and I claim. Going to chiro monday and then see how I feel. Thanks for the advise ladies and gents
 
Glad you went. Lots of good advice was given. And more important was followed.
Good luck on your recovery.
 
Well had x rays and a once over at the doc in the box. Spine is ok! They say it's strained muscles in my back. It's in the lumber region and is putting pressure on my sciatic nerve. They have me a bunch of drugs and sent me home. Light duty for a week. Then go back for check up. It's all on an l and I claim. Going to chiro monday and then see how I feel. Thanks for the advise ladies and gents

I am glad you got it checked out and received good news about your spine. Prayers for a quick and complete recovery.
 
Most of us have had multiple jobs, but you only get one back. As long as you did not violate any company rules, there should not be any repercussions against you. Document everything, in handwriting as a CYA (cover yer donkey).
 
get checked now, if you don't, you will pay later in life, nothing worse than having back and neck problems in your 50's. take care of yourself. any job worth having will back you completely.
 
Get it all fixed up. Glad to hear it's not too serious so far.
 
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