You Prepared if you get injured on the job? I wasn't

[bluecollarjock]

It is criminal. A big agency like mine has all the time and money in the world, a team of lawyers, it costs them nothing to keep dragging it on. Yet they can try to make me homeless and bankrupt, and destroy my health after I was doing quite good. State laws in Virginia do not help that they allow this. Despite them breaking laws as well, like cutting off medical care with no medical evidence nor even a doctor backing them, judge yelling at them in court, and decisions in my favor with them being found in bad faith....they still do not get in trouble or have anything come back on them. So nothing stops them from screwing with other peoples medical care or disability pay because they cannot get punished.

If you can please pass on this link to your fellow cop friends on Facebook. I need all the help I can get . http://gfwd.at/1pkUSlf

Just such a weird scenario, my agency supports me, the Police Union has my back, the FOP has my back, and retirees have my back. Its only the attorneys office and the insurance company who are treating me like scum and will not drop this despite continual losses in the legal system. So now we will have government agencies turning on their own public servants?

[bluecollarjock]

My agency has no medical retirement. We have a "long term disability" plan but it only covers either 30, 60, or 90 days depending on how much you contribute to the plan. Any injuries go through workers comp but that's limited. If you can't perform your duties after a year you get canned.

There have been numerous injuries that have happened on this job where I work. Four years ago a officer ran over another officer by accident. She broke her leg and nearly amputated her foot at the ankle. The various surgeries where paid for by the department and after a year she could could not get medically cleared and had to be placed on disability. Out agency terminated her. They did offer her a dispatch job but would not let her keep her pay. (Like a 14k pay cut) she went elsewhere.

[email protected] happens....

My gosh that is worse than Fairfax County. I am not the only officer who has suffered torment after career ending medical issues, but your agency just drops people without a retirement? This is an issue that would raise red flags if candidates came in asking how does the agency handle injuries, but it probably would be nice for your officers to know there is no retirement before taking the job IF they do get hurt. As well if folks knew how my agency is treating both injured cops (active cops confide in me but are too scared to discuss publically the nightmares they are facing for fear of repercussions) and folks going through medical retirement, you might think twice about taking a job there. It seems this is a nationwide issue, some states or agencies taking care of their folks better than others. Virginia laws are much different than other states from what I have learned.

[bluecollarjock]

Click the numbered tabs and read all the pages of this article if you have not already. Scary stuff....more stories of giving cops the run around until their light duty time frame ends or other hassles. I have friends working right now who need surgeries and medical care, but went back to work because light duty did not have the same OT and shift differential and they could not pay their bills. They beg and beg for their medical care, it gets delayed, they need their normal duty pay, they go back to work sucking it up but not fully recovered, and then they will turn around "well you are back on patrol so you must not need medical care its on you now" or folks end up using their own private insurance because doctors urge them not to wait any longer, then "they"/work comp gets to say "well you paid for it on your own so now its on you" etc...when you are in pain, suffering, its a misery like no other, plus being on light duty separated from your squad, or specialty unit is depressing in itself as well like not being around your family, and then the financial worries about medical bills, you are not equipped or in the frame of mind to know they are actively playing their tactical games to get out of taking care of you. It is not very cool, not cool for this kind of treatment of our military vets either.

http://www.fwweekly.com/2013/12/18/a-maze-of-pain/

[Hotel]

One of the first things I was told in the first month of my career was that I was a number. I was told to get every type of insurance I possibly could deducted from my paycheck every other week so I never missed it, but had coverage.

Long story short, I got injured on an off-duty job and would have been screwed if not for my private short-term disability.

I went into this career thinking of the the fast car chases, drugs, and guns, but am ending up more afraid of my own department screwing me than a thugbaby with a gun.

best of luck OP. In my thoughts and prayers.

[bluecollarjock]

Thanks Hotel. Yea I would advise everyone to get the private disability insurance too (I guess like the Aflac commericals with the duck), join your Union and/or FOP or whatever advocacy groups your department has (more folks to go to bat for you, extra legal counsel on retainer etc), and as soon as you get hurt hire a work comp lawyer (most states for the initial process the state covers it).

When the smoke clears I may write an idiots guide to being a public servant and dealing with an injury. I never thought about getting hurt, never wanted to get hurt or retired, and dealt with depression being forced to retire from a job I loved. Never do you do roll call training, or did I look into resources to prep myself for an injury were it to happen. But every cop should because I am not alone, I am getting stories from many others all over the country, as well other cops, deputies, and firefighters in my former county reaching out to confide in me.

Thanks for your prayers, that means a lot. Faith has gotten me through this past year, and even when my faith is weak others faith and support has carried me along (I guess like the Footprints in the Sand poem talks about).