Posted by WI Advocate on October 11, 1999 at 11:20:03:
This past july My graduating class celebrated it's 20 year anniversary and I caught up with one of my High school
friends and I found out that he is a practicing attorney in Albany Oregon and he asked me what I have been up too
these last 20 years, I told him that I was injured at work 2 years ago and had to have two surgerys and because of
this I can no longer continue in my old profession, The State of Oregon has turned it's back on me and wants nothing more
to do with me as an Injurd worker.
He informed me that he no longer takes Workmans comp case's because even when the worker wins his case he never really wins
because the worker is expected to live under the Exclusive Remedy laws. He said that he visits this site all the time and so
do alot of Attorneys and Insurance companys that sell W/C. Their are alot of attorneys that would like to do something about
this unlawful system and the reason they don't is because alot of Injured workers do not speak out and that their is not alot
of money to be made from the attorneys, "Money rules everything".
One way for all of us to get the attention of Lawmakers and the governor is to write down our experiences with this system.
He said to be factual and try not to let emotion rule over your experience's since emotion does not live in the hearts of Insurance
or lawmakers, They will need facts, If you have lost your home, cars or had your credit ruined to put that in your letters.
The Insurance companys don't care how much pain that you have endured, They don't care how many surgerys that you have had
Your pain and suffering are the last thing on the minds of the Insurance company's.
We need to get as many of this testimonials on paper as possible. The only way to get attention is to make alot of noise.
Write down how many IME's that you have had and the doctors name, How many surgerys you have had, Have your medical bills been paid
on time, everything that you have experienced since your Injury.
We need to get alot of these down on paper, If we get enough of them and take them down to the Governors office he won't be able to ignore
what people are having to go througn because of the Current workmans comp system. "I will delivery them Myself".
Remember try not to let your emotional side write your letter, These people don't care if you have lost everything that you have worked for
all of your life. If you have the time to visit this forum and post to it then make the time and write down your experience.