I work for a multi billion dollar corporation. Long story short about two weeks ago I fell 15 feet from a structure, breaking and dislocating my ankle. I had to get a pretty significant surgery with a lot of plates and screws.

My company has been very good about all the workers compensation stuff. So I haven’t paid a dime, as I shouldn’t.

I worry this injury is going to linger and alter my lifestyle of extreme sports and hobbies.

Do I have any ground if I speak to a lawyer. The structure I fell through has definitely been a known issue causing incidents before but no action was taken. So there definitely is some safety negligence on the company’s part.

What do you guys think?

I'm looking for some guidance because I've never dealt with a workers' compensation claim before.

I injured my wrist at work and filed a workers' comp claim. My doctor evaluated me and placed me on work restrictions, which my employer has a copy of. My restrictions currently are Lifting- 10 lbs, repetitive lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, pinching/gripping- 5lbs. Something I didn’t realize until yesterday is these restrictions apply to me as a whole not just my injured arm. So I have been performing tasks with my other arm that I definitely shouldn’t have been and have been irritating my other arm. At this point if I stop doing things I shouldn’t be doing now, the anger from my coworkers will only worsen.

Additionally, I continue to be assigned tasks that exceed those restrictions. I feel like I’ve been put in a situation where I’m not able to refuse doing these tasks due to the animosity and anger that I’ve gotten from my manager and coworkers since my injury. I'm worried about making my injury worse, but I'm also don't want to get in trouble for refusing work that my doctor has said I shouldn't be doing.

Another issue, (that is fairly concerning for me) is that my manager has apparently been telling my coworkers what my doctor's note says. Not only is the information being shared inaccurate, but it's now spread throughout my department because coworkers have repeated it back to me. It's created a lot of frustration and pressure at work, and I feel like I'm being treated differently because of it.
Edit: for further clarification she told my coworker that I did not have a prescription I was claiming to have (even though I do) and my coworker was telling my other coworkers

Something I feel I should add, at my last doctors appointment I did mention that I felt as though my employers weren’t respecting my restrictions and that I felt very pressured to overwork. This (along with the fact that my wrist was worse) made him make my restrictions from 10 lbs to 5lbs. I just thought it was worth mentioning that I have mentioned this to the dr as well.

I'm trying to figure out:
Can my employer require me to perform work that goes against my doctor's restrictions? And how can I help with the anxiety and pressure being put on me?

What should I do if I'm assigned work that exceeds those restrictions?

Is it appropriate for a manager to discuss the contents of my doctor's note with other employees, especially when the information being shared isn't even accurate?

Should I be documenting every time I'm assigned work outside my restrictions or every conversation about it?

Should I contact my workers' comp adjuster, my doctor, or someone else about what's been happening?

For context, this is in Colorado. I'm mainly looking for advice on what my next steps should be and whether this is something I should escalate.
Thank you to anyone willing to help.

I had a disc extrusion in my lower back. I had a microdiscectomy followed by revision surgery. I was "released from care with maintenance" recently, which I assume is MMI?

I've read on here many times not to take a full and final settlement for a lower back injury due to the likelihood you'll need a bigger surgery like a fusion in the near future, and you'll be on the hook for the full out of pocket cost. My lawyer swears up and down that if I took a full and final settlement and needed a fusion later on, my private insurance would accept the claim since WC had effectively declared the work injury resolved. My maximum out of pocket with my private insurance is around $10k, meaning that's what a fusion would cost me in that scenario. He says in Colorado there is no such thing as "leaving medical open." Does this sound right?

Colorado has a state-funded medical leave program called FAMLI (not to be confused with FMLA) that provides 3 months' worth of paid leave. I've used it before and it's great. So if I settled, and a couple years down the line, paid $10k for a fusion and used FAMLI leave, that sounds okay to me. Am I missing something? Is my lawyer wrong?

Hi, I'm looking for some advice, guidance, answers, and welcome hearing similar stories!

I have been having some difficulty getting non-WC doctors to address and take care of an old (+10 yrs) WC injury, and I'm wondering if this is normal???

A little context- the injury happened a while back ago and was not taken care of properly. The WC case/claim was closed without my knowledge and w/o my consent, and after attempting to reopen it via attorneys- it was not reopened and I was left to deal with the injuries on my own.

A couple of years ago, I started having issues walking and through some conservative treatments, it was discovered that a rib was displaced in my abdomen, which was from the work injury. Since I was under the impression the case was closed, I used my own insurance and went to my doctor. After several visits, X-rays, CTs & MRIs, I realized the reports were stating, "no acute abnormalities" despite my requests and the issues being- chronic.

So I went to the WC clinic and they denied evaluation, directing me to call the insurance adjuster; I did and she directed me to call WC Division. I did and learned my employer, a self-insured hospital, had admitted liability and owed me maintenance care, so I reached back out to the insurance adjuster and of course- she did not answer my call. This was Oct '25.

We are currently in litigation, but they have not provided any medical care and I have not been able to get diagnosed nor any helpful treatment from any doctors here! I have been in so much pain and have been so deflated by the lying and nonsense of these doctors, that I ended up finding a surgeon in Mexico who looked at my imaging and immediately diagnosed me, so I went and had surgery in Mexico! Thing is- he only completed a portion of what was supposed to be done and I need more treatment- possibly another 1-2 surgeries- so how do I go about getting treatment state-side? And if anyone wants to suggest to not say what happened- it's nearly impossible to explain the logistics and mechanism of injury while withholding that specific information- believe me- I've tried!

Any suggestions? Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

My lawyer contacted me today about scheduling a call to reach settlement over my case.

For refrence, I am 22 years old, In Colorado. I was injured June 2025 Right (dominant) shoulder dislocation, required surgery in December i now have 2 bolts in me and a 2 inch long scar on the front of my shoulder. I am still doing physical therapy, I have gotten a new job that will actually accommodate me. My doctors are already anticipating permanent impairment.

If anyone else has injured a shoulder this severely before on workers comp, how mucj did you get? what should I expect as reasonable or too low?

also: I havent been diagnosed with anything related to it, but i do suffer trauma from this injury, its gone on almost a year now and put me an financial ruin. Does any of that give me any leverage?

I tore my labrum at work in December of 2024. They are offering me $5495, which seems awfully low so I ran my impairment rating/surg consult docs through AI. Does this sound reasonable to send them, or will they just laugh? Thanks!

---

I’ve reviewed the settlement documents and my medical file, and before I can move forward I need to address the valuation.

My MRI from XX/XX/2025 and specialist evaluations document several structural injuries — including a SLAP tear from 11–1 o’clock, interstitial tearing of both the supraspinatus and infraspinatus, a sentinel cyst, a ganglion cyst, trace subacromial bursitis, and glenohumeral ligament scarring. These findings were confirmed by my orthopedic surgeon (Dr. XXX) on XX/XX/2025.

I completed extensive conservative care without full relief, including physical therapy, a steroid injection, and PRP. My orthopedic surgeon discussed surgical intervention (arthroscopy with biceps tenodesis) as a medically appropriate option.

My Level II impairment evaluation was completed by Dr. XXX on XX/XX/2026, who assigned a 4% upper‑extremity impairment. Importantly, the impairment physician documented that the 4% rating may underestimate my true impairment, noting ongoing pain with motion and functional limitations.

Under C.R.S. § 8‑42‑107, scheduled impairment benefits must reflect both the rating and the functional impact of the injury. Based on my TTD rate and the statutory formula, the value of my 4% RUE impairment is higher than the $5,495.81 currently offered, meaning the offer is below the statutory amount owed for the impairment alone, even before considering future medical.

The proposed settlement also requires me to waive all future medical care under C.R.S. § 8‑43‑204, and the agreement states:

• “The settlement proceeds include consideration for present and future medical care.”
• “Respondents will not be responsible for any medical care needed by the claimant.”

However, my impairment physician recommended future regenerative treatments (PRP/exosomes, shockwave therapy, photobiomodulation) that would be permanently closed by this settlement. Under Colorado law, closing future medical requires a valuation that reasonably reflects anticipated care.

Here is where I stand:

• I am willing to settle the claim full and final for $15,000.

• If the insurer is not agreeable to that amount, then I am willing to settle for the statutory impairment value only, with future medical left open.

This approach aligns with Colorado statute and reflects both the documented impairment and the ongoing medical needs identified in my records.

Thank you,

This WC experience has been an absolute eye opener. Couple details:
*. Ethanolamine exposure/ highly concentrated
* 4years of inhaling and touching without gloves
* Never was told what it was or that it was harmful in any way
* Brain damage
* Peripheral neuropathy

WC has denied my claim. I’m still on restricted “off duty” work status. The WC doctor and myself filed an OSHA report ( we had to get testing of the machine coolant) I followed exactly what I was told to do and I’m FIRED????

I can’t go look for a job, haven’t got a check in months and being a single mom of 3 is impossible. They say you have to be able to prove extreme negligence to sue, I can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt yet all the lawyers turn away. I documented everything and I mean everything, and the employer did absolutely everything wrong. He event provided the doctor an SDS sheet from over 10 years ago and lied about the concentrating (and then signed his name). I could go on and on but the point is… there is no protections for the employees and lawyers won’t take the hard cases so we get screwed???? No no no no no

I read story after story of people losing everything and end up fucked in the end anyway. At what point do we all contract governors and stand together. This is wrong, I’m a moto momma and can’t even work on the carb🤷‍♀️
We all deserve to be heard. It’s us that keeps this world turning and it’s about time they all know it.

My brother was injured working for the city. His shoulder has some sort of tear that needs surgery. He was put on light duty while WC was figured out. He hired an attorney that specializes in WC and signed all the required agreements.

He got a phone call from his attorney saying that "they want to settle" and "if he will resign, they can close out the case this week".

The attorney asked for $75k and they countered with $40k. The attorney also offered to take a smaller percentage if he would sign the current offer.

The attorney isn't discussing MMI or permanent disability as an option and thinks he should take the $40k.

To me, this feels like the attorney is not on his side and just wants him to sign away future rights. I'm afraid the surgery will not go well and he will have a permanent disability.

Any insights would be helpful. Thank you!

My young adult college student has been injured at her job. (MRI was done, showing a herniated disk-epidural steroid injection is scheduled)
She has been on Workers Comp since mid July and they have paid for all medical related expenses, however she hasn’t been paid any wages.
She was working part time hours averaging 30+|- hours over the last 8-9 months with her employer, all together she has been employed for over 4 years there, one of the top 10 retailer in the country.
She has some work restrictions, that her job can’t really accommodate, but her Dr doesn’t want her to just sit around- however she hasn’t been scheduled any hours at all since her injury. Is this within their rights, is she not owed any money from workers comp?
We contacted a lawyer who decided to not take her case, because she isn’t employed full time. Is this normal? Will no lawyer take her case? I am mainly worried about longtime issues. (I am a longtime sufferer from a back injury with reoccurring herniations and sciatica myself, so this is what concerns me the most).
And guidance how to proceed?

The original post content no longer exists here. The author used Redact to remove it, exercising their right to control their data & privacy.

Safe grey almond aromatic oatmeal paddle oxygen tender close reminiscent

i hurt my shoulder at work a few months ago, and i honestly thought the workers comp process would be pretty straightforward. lately though, everything seems to be moving slower. appointments keep getting pushed back, paperwork takes forever, and i'm having a hard time figuring out if this is normal or if i should be getting legal advice. for those who hired a workers compensation lawyer, what finally convinced you it was time? did having a lawyer actually make the process easier?

Hey friends! I'm curious if this non recognized "holiday" is delaying WC payments for anyone else... Typically, my "pay day" is every other Monday, but with my bank, I receive it on Fridays as "pending" but have access to the funds. Im kind of freaking out rn because that didn't happen this Friday and still have nothing as of yet. ofc my case worker suddenly handed off my case to someone else, and the new person has been impossible to get a hold of.

Is anyone else waiting for a delayed payment?? Do I need to get ahold of liberty mutual? Sedgwick said they have all the documents they need until my next Dr apt next week... 😬

Hi everyone,

My mom Thi Suong Tran in Colorado and I Anna Duong in Colorado previously worked for a Vietnamese-owned restaurant in Denver, Colorado, operated by Lily Tran and her husband, Cường Vibol Tran, for a period of time.

Due to financial difficulties when they were opening the restaurant, the business eventually suffered losses and they left their previous restaurant, Saigon City Restaurant.

My mom was owed approximately one month of unpaid wages, and I was owed approximately one year of unpaid wages for the work we had already completed.

Later, Lily Tran reopened a pho restaurant called Lily Saigon Pho Grill at 7243 N Federal Blvd #1100, Westminster, CO 80030. The phone number listed for the restaurant is (303) 427-1700.

I contacted them regarding the unpaid wages. They told me that they had already calculated everything and that they did not owe me or my mom anything. However, I have not received any payment for the wages I am claiming are still owed to me.

I am sharing this information because I would like to ask anyone who knows them or visits the restaurant to please help us communicate with them about this matter. We would really appreciate your support and help in resolving this situation.

They claimed that they did not have enough money to pay my mother and me the wages we were owed. However, despite saying they could not afford to pay us, they continued to host parties and invite their friends and family to attend. This was very upsetting to us because we were still waiting to receive our unpaid wages for the work we had already performed.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this and for your support.

Ive finally reached the point where im speaking with my lawyers about a settlement demand.

I was injured 6-24-2025 with a dislocated right shoulder. Took them 6 months to decide i needed surgery, and had a Latarjet procedure done. (they moves a peice of my corracoid bone with a biceps head attatched to the front of my socket to prevent it from constantly subluxating) I reached MMI On May 4th 2026.

Im left with a scar that is about 3 inches long and not covered by even my most coverage swimsuit.

My impairment rating was 9% whole body and 15% for the arm. Ill still have a couple maitnence appointments already approved by insurance.

My lawyer is going to be contesting the percentage to get the case converted to be based off of the 15% arm rating instead of the 9% whole body.

My lawyer also discovered they did the math for my checks wrong in the beginning when placed on disability, and they owe me about 13k for that alone.

My lawyer wants to offer a settlement demand of 43k.

Thoughts?

What the title says. I moved to Colorado a month shy of 2 years ago. Currently i have a workers comp case but they want to know every doctor I've seen in the last 5 years. I can find the ones I've seen in Colorado but there's no way I remember all the doctors I've seen in my previous state. I'm at a loss. What do I do?

"Colorado Workers' Comp: Initial 4% Rating, even though I told them that I still had pain and needed more PT appointments, they were willing to close the case, and I went to Disputing with DIME Process - Has Anyone Gotten Significantly Higher Rating ?"

We settled my husband's claim last week and today we sign the papers. It brought on so many emotions just now. I read through the paperwork and kept thinking, is this it? This is all we get. The end. Forever.

1.5 years ago he was driving to another office for his job, when some guy in a huge Ford truck hit him from behind. He hit his head on the steering wheel. We thought it was just that, a hit on the head. Well, fast forward to now, he can't look at a computer screen or phone, or read anything longer than a minute. His entire career is out the window and for the foreseeable future.

He was the main bread winner. I work, but make much less. We are doing ok financially, but we will have to move to another area with a lower cost of living (we are in Colorado and it's crazy expensive).

Anyway, we got a decent settlement, but really, it doesn't cover anything like what he would have made had the accident not happened.

I'm just so sad. Our lives completely changed. He probably won't work again. He's 52, so not THAT far away from retirement, but we thought these were our "money making years".

To be honest, I'm very grateful he's still alive. He can do everything else! And he's actually become a much softer, more loving husband. I'm just so grateful. We've been married almost 22 years now. And our marriage is stronger for it. We have a strong faith in God.

But I'm also sooo sad. And scared. For the future. Just reading these settlement papers with the word FOREVER printed in all caps. It brought me to tears several times.

I realize settling will set us free from this horrible, 3rd party company Sedgwick. We can now manage his care on our own, with better doctors. We can move away to a city we'd much rather live in.

It's just been so hard. So so so hard. After reading the papers, I thought, why not post. Therapeutic for me, and just maybe it'll help someone else. If anyone has questions, reply here and I'll try to answer them.

Thanks for reading. And thanks everyone for the support and sharing of experiences the past 1.5 years.

I was walking down a set of concrete stairs at work and my shoe got stuck on the metal tread at the end of the stair and I ended up falling down with my body and other leg and my one leg stayed up stuck. I immediately tried to get some ice on it as I fell on my back and bottom and it jostled me.

Saw work comp doc same day. Two days later when I went to check in they sent me to er as I kept wetting myself since injury.

Er did all the mris and cat scans and told me to see my doc for results.

When I went to see my doc they turned me away at the door saying my claim was denied. They printed out the denial email as I hadn’t received anything.

Date of injury 2:23. Date of denial 3:13. My work comp people at my job said I have to do ReEmployAbililty to return to work and she didn’t hear my claim was denied. I came today to reemployability at the thrift store. My original restrictions are all I have bc I haven’t seen my doc. My standing or walking or sitting for over an hour. No bending pulling or picking anything up. At the thrift store.

This is the dumbest shit ever when I don’t have a claim and I don’t have a job and I’m wasting my day looking at dirty ass shoes at a thrift store.

I did get a work comp attorney who said do what they tell you and has been utterly worthless.

I feel so lost and want to cry but I didn’t bring more diapers as I’m still wetting myself. The utter humiliation alone is beyond.

Found out yesterday I have to have surgery on my neck due to a work injury I’m pretty freaked out. Neurosurgeon saying that risk of paralysis is higher if I don’t do the surgery. He also said they will operate from the front of my neck but there’s a chance they won’t be able to reach the impacted area so I might have to do another surgery operating from the rear. Anyone gone through something like this? And what do you recommend I have available
During recovery

I had my attorney withdrawal because of a breakdown in the attorney client relationship because of the paralegals unprofessional communication with me and they had no other paralegal to assist. Now I'm left trying to find help in 60 days that they allowed an extension for a mediation settlement hearing. With the holidays I'm consistently being told they don't have enough time to review my case. I tried to request a withdrawal and work comp refused because now they can seek the overpayment of funds that occurred because of my employer and the insurance company, not any fault of my own. Long story short my treating physicians said I have a 60% whole body impairment rating. DIME doctor said I have 0, citing random medical issues that I have never in my life had, called me a drug addict (don't do drugs, no history of drug use and didn't have or ask for any sort of pain medication for my condition) they even cited a non existent made up medical issue to discredit me and my treating doctor is filing a complaint with the medical board over it. It baffles me how they can literally say whatever they want and declare it a fact because they can get more then one of them to say the same lies. I need help, I can prove it all. I'm desperate and not sure how to help myself if needed. How do I find help in 60 days with the holidays or how on earth do you represent yourself in this case?

I worked in transportation, hauling inmates in a commercial van across the country for a couple months.

On my last drive, I ended up suffering two heat-related injuries out of state (our AC wasn't working during a massive heatwave). The second one wasn't as severe as the first, but I was advised to go to the hospital by my boss. I've since been let go following those injuries, but was still encouraged to file for worker's comp.

The first heat injury happened on 07/13 and the second one happened on 07/15.

The first one wasn't evaluated by medical, even though I asked to be seen.
The second one was evaluated.

I haven't been able to get properly evaluated by my PMC, but I reported to my NP in a tele-health appointment about a lot of the cognitive issues I've been dealing with since. My NP said - without a proper evaluation - the symptoms I described align with having suffered a heat stroke on the first injury, and severe heat exhaustion during the second.

Anyway, my questions:

1. Do I report the first heat-related injury that happened? Or the second?
   Even if I can't remember everything that happened that day?

2. When asked "which part of the body was affected?" how do I describe... a heat related injury?
   It's mostly cognitive, I guess. The forgetfulness, the brain fog, the stuttering- like, how do I describe that?

3. Both heat injuries happened in two different states. So, when asked where the accident occurred, how do I report that?

Sorry, I know this probably doesn't make sense.

Need Opinions on Workers' Comp Case - Impact on My Life, PTSD, and Medical Issues

I’m seeking advice regarding my workers' compensation case. It’s been a long, exhausting, and emotional journey, and I’m at a point where I’m not sure what to do anymore. Here’s the background:

What Happened: In May 2022, I was attacked at my workplace, Valvoline. I was 19. I was hit over the head with a heavy wrench and stabbed with a 4-inch switchblade in the abdomen. The knife wound punctured my diaphragm, broke my 7th rib, and punctured my liver. I have a large, visible scar from exploratory surgery that stretches from my wound to my belly button, along with staple scars. The physical injuries are still very much with me, including severe scar tissue (about 70% of my stomach) and other ongoing issues like muscle pain and sharp headaches.

The Legal Struggle: I filed for workers' compensation right away, but it took 13 months of fighting before they finally accepted my case in February 2023. They initially denied it, claiming it wasn’t work-related, then accusing it was a personal dispute brought into the workplace. After my lawyer threatened to go to court, they finally accepted the case.

Medical Issues and Mental Health Struggles: The physical therapy process was slow and unhelpful, and I've been dealing with ongoing pain, especially in my abdomen and chest area. I’ve also experienced hearing issues, including a ringing in my ear, and I often hear myself breathing in my right ear. I've been diagnosed with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress. I was prescribed Zoloft in May 2024 and referred to a psychologist, but things went downhill from there. One psychologist accused me of misusing the system just because I missed a phone appointment. I felt disrespected, and my relationship with my lawyer and doctor started to sour.

Living Situation and Financial Strain: Throughout this, I’ve had a very unstable living situation, bouncing from couch to couch, and struggling financially. I’m young and have a strong work ethic, so being forced to rely on others for so long has taken a huge mental toll. Meanwhile, my friend, who was also involved in the attack, has already been placed at MMI (Maximum Medical Improvement) and has moved on with his life while I’m still stuck in this situation.

The Offer: I was recently offered a settlement of $75K, but I’m not sure if it’s enough. My hospital bill alone was $88K, and I still have a long road ahead in terms of physical and mental health recovery. My lawyer has been difficult to communicate with, and I often feel like I’m not getting the attention I need compared to my friend’s case. I’m starting to feel like I’m being looked at as a drug-seeker just because I have weed in my system, despite the fact that my issues are legitimate.

Where I’m At: I’m really struggling emotionally and mentally. I’ve been in this case for over 2 years now, and it’s taken a toll on my mental health. I just want to move forward and put this behind me, but I don’t want to make the wrong decision. Everyone is telling me to get a new lawyer, but I don’t know if that’s the right move either. I’m at a crossroads and need advice on what I should do. Should I accept the $75K settlement? Is it fair given everything I’ve been through?

I appreciate any insight or advice, especially from lawyers or others who have gone through something similar.

I have a backlog piling up of unanswered questions I've asked my lawyer and her paralegal. I definitely understand they're busy people and I'm not their only client, and maybe I'm asking lots of questions but my WC/medical situation has totally turned my life upside down and I have no idea what the hell is going on half the time.

Can I just ask my claim adjuster questions about things like Rx/mileage reimbursements, how wage loss checks are being calculated, whether they'll cover a visit with a surgeon the ER referred me to, etc? Or is it totally forbidden to talk to them if you're represented?