Quote:
Originally Posted by Twodogs
I've been slightly injured a dozen or more times in my 32 years as a pipefighter. I always lied and said I did it at home, just because of the horror stories I'd heard. Well, about 3 months or so ago, I hurt my knee but good. I stepped into a floor drain in a boiler room that the maintenance man had left the cover off of. It wouldn't have been so bad, but the boiler relief pipe came straight down to the drain and I got my boot caught under it and fell with my foot planted. I heard a pop, and and saw red it hurt so bad. Three months after the fact and I'm finally getting an MRI in a week. I've been putting all my weight on the other leg, and now it's jacked up, mostly the ankle. I had to hire a lawyer and the whole nine yards, so my advice is just say it happened in your garden at home. At least then you get a real Doctor, not a quack, and timely medical care. I was scheduled to retire in March, so I think for all intents I'm done. Maybe I'll get a settlement and buy a motorcycle or something cool. 32 years in the trade, and first one, except for a wreck one time which was only a broken hand where I braced up on the steering wheel.
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Sorry but anyone who injures a knee at their workplace and does not report as a work related injury is just hurting themselves, plus not letting management keep track of hazards so they can reduce incidents in the future. If you reported it right away you should have had an immediate x-ray done to r/o fracture. In most cases if a meniscus or acl was torn waiting a few months for the MRI and surgery is not uncommon However having your insurance pay for it rather than your employer is just not good advice to give to anyone. By the way if you had gone right away to your own doctor on your own insurance dime you would still be waiting a few months for an mri and surgery if you had soft tissue damage. You do not have a case might as well save the money on the lawyer.
I x-ray Marines all the time that have knee problems resulting from injuries. Unless it is a traumatic accident most wait some months before knee surgery for meniscus tears, etc.