Which Hurts Worse? The Broken Bone Or Worker’s Comp?
BILLING, DOCTOR/PHYSICIAN, HOSPITAL, JERK, USA | HEALTHY | AUGUST 31, 2020
I fall down at work and badly injure my foot and ankle. I limp to the bathrooms and feel it; it’s puffing up quick. My supervisor comes over and asks what happened. I tell him; he facepalms and tells me to drive myself to the hospital and not to worry because I have worker’s compensation.
I do, but the adrenaline wears off. I can’t use my right foot because it’s too painful, so I have to use my left. Luckily, there’s no traffic because it’s very awkward and painful to drive. I have to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. Once I get there, I park and hop to the lobby. My supporting leg buckles and I can’t go further.
I yell for help and the receptionist gives me a wheelchair. I check in and tell her it’s worker’s compensation and she says okay. I’m feeling quite sorry for myself, and then I hear sobbing. There’s an older woman whose foot looks black and rotted. I stop feeling so sorry for myself.
After a long wait, I’m taken to get x-rays, and after a longer wait after that, the doctor comes in.
Doctor: *Very cheerily* “Well! I looked over your x-rays and you have sprained your ankle and broken your foot!”
Me: “Oh, no! I’ve never broken anything. Will I need surgery?”
Doctor: *Big grin* “No, it’s just a foot! Ha! You can just use a boot!”
Me: “Oh, but I need it.”
Doctor: “Now, let me just wrap your foot!”
She grabs my poor, already black and blue foot, roughly.
Me: “Owwwwww!”
Doctor: “Oh, I’m sorry. Does it hurt?”
Yeah, it’s broken, duh.
She wrapped it up while humming and gave me a boot and crutches. Then, I was thrown out, and later, the hospital said I needed to pay. I told them again that it was worker’s compensation and they said okay. But they kept calling and sending letters every day, saying the worker’s compensation company wouldn’t answer their calls! They kept harassing me until I finally gave in. Yes, I know I shouldn’t have, but anyone who’s been harassed every day for years would go nuts. I still have pain in my foot.
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