Is It REALLY Over When it's Over?

I’ve always been the kind of person that when something bothers me and I can’t seem to have it resolved, it eats at me even when I don’t know it. I try and tell myself, don’t worry about that, there’s nothing you can do about it, so leave it alone. “ At least, I think that’s what I tell myself. Now that I think about it, that’s what everybody else seems to tell me. I actually tell myself “This sucks, and I can’t accept this outcome!” Then I try and figure out what else I could try, that I haven’t tried already. Most times, I do manage to fight and obtain a happier resolution, but there are those times that I exhaust myself doing everything I can think of, but still end up feeling I’ve lost. Those are the times that the bitter taste of defeat gets stuck in my craw and starts to slowly but surely choke the spirit out of me. That’s what has happened to me over the last year since my worker’s comp case concluded. [READ STORY @: “Don’t Get Screwed”]

Once my case against the County of Los Angeles settled after I agreed to relinquish my rights to future medical benefits, I was both emotionally and physically drained. It had been a long drawn out battle and I though I was glad it was finally over, I was literally sick over the way it ended. I resolved to put my life back together, in spite of things, and I went on my merry way thinking: “Well, at least it’s over!” If only those words had been true. I did what I could to make them true, including packing up all my things and relocating to another state, but all in vain. It’s still stuck in my craw, and it’s getting to the point, it’s not enough to even write about it.

I tried for a whole year to stay focused on positive things, and deal with my life the way it is now, and not how it could have been once upon a time. While I don’t have the pain to my wrist and elbow (the injuries I suffered) like I used to, my quality of life has definitely changed. Some days I take it all in stride, other days I’m pissed off about everything. It’s hard to stay balanced with the weight of the world on your shoulders! The day I thought those words to myself, I printed them out, and posted them on my wall, vowing to find a way to find closure on this subject so I can clear my throat. I did a little research and found out that I’m not alone in my plight.

Workers compensation issues, in particularly, the unjust treatment of injured workers, is not just a hot topic in good ole’ Arnold’s state. Thanks to the California Workers Compensation Reform in 2003, Mr.Schwartznegger has managed to make a bad situation worse. While California injured workers have been making their discontent loud and clear, they aren’t the only workers fed up with unfair practices in their state. A quick Google search of the words workers’ compensation, will turn up page after page after page of disgruntled employees with justifiable axes to grind. There is a definite problem in the system, all across the board, and the more working class Americans get informed about the issues, before being directly affected (self or a loved one is injured on job), the more chances of finding workable solutions!

While I found one horror story after another, I also found some great organizations that offer a variety of help and support to injured workers as well as their families. Three of them are: Californians Injured At Work, Exposing The Workman's Compensation Nightmare of America's Worker's , and my personal favorite, VotersInjuredatwork.org