My Worker's Compensation Hearing
I had a Worker's Compensation Hearing Monday. For those who don't know me in person I have been partially disabled for the last 4.5 years because one of my Psychiatric patients attacked me. This patient had attacked several other patients previously. As his residence's Senior Therapist/Counselor, I and the Psychiatrist had determined he was to violent to be treated at that medium security facility where I worked, and needed to be transferred to a high security psychiatric facility. However, the non-medically trained administrative staff decided to override us. Well he ended up attacking me and badly injuring my shoulder. I was working for a couple of months afterward with the injured shoulder but not working directly with the patients. Well one night the administrators took my staff away leaving me alone with that patient after he had already attacked other staff that day. He attacked me and it took over 15 minutes for help to respond to my radio call. The patient severely injured my shoulder and shoulder blade area of my back. I have been disabled since. I have had two significant surgeries but much of the damage is irreparable. Unfortunately, despite these obviously negligent actions, Maryland law only allows me to go through the Worker's Compensation Commission, which greatly limits the amount of compensation I can receive for each injury. Thanks to the support of my friends Faith, Gandalf (yes that really is his name), and Ellen, I think the hearing went well. I may receive close to the maximum award of about $15,000 for each injury. Unfortunately that doesn't even come close to compensating me for the last 4+ years that I have lost; or the fact that I can no longer work at all in that field; or that I lost the house I was leasing; or pay all the back and past due bills I have accrued, because I wasn't getting paid during most of that time. But at least this is a step towards getting my life back. Thanks again to all my friends for their support.