Torn Miniscus
I was working at a flooring manufacturing facility with old equipment ( 1942 equipment ). My boss told me to operate the machine in order to find out best how it operates. I had to use my kneecap to operate a conveyer switch which previously was a foot switch. I had to lock my knee to keep the conveyer going. On a friday I had to reach quickly to stop a board from hitting a fellow worker in the mouth. I felt a pull in my knee. I got off work one hour later and my boss had already left for the weekend. I went home and over the weekend the knee kept hurting. On monday I reported the injury and they sent me to the company doctor who looked at me for about three minutes and told me it was like a new exercise, prescribed 200 mlg motrin and sent me back to work with no restrictions. I continued to have pain.After three weeks of dodging wood and getting hit all over with flying wood I determined the job was not safe and quit thinking also if I quit doing that same job my knee would get better.1 month later my knee was still not better so I called the plant and told them. They sent me back to the same place I saw previously but to another doctor. He took an x-ray of my knee but it showed nothing. He told me an orthopedic could probly find out what was wrong but doubted I would ever get to see on. I asked him why and he said that was just the way the wind was blowing.I told him I didn't know what I was going to do because I didn't think my knee would hold up the initial 90 days for insurance at a new job and would they cover it when I told them I got hurt at my previous job. The doctor told me not to tell them I got hurt at work but that I started to notice the problem a few months later ( to lie ). I contacted the insurance company, they said I couldn't see an ortho without a referral. I contacted a lawyer and 3 months later I got to see and ortho, Iv got an MRI and they found a lateral tear in the miniscus. The doctor said it will never heal without surgery. They have told the insurance company. Now the insurance is telling the ortho the can move foward after they fill out a questionair that they are faxing. The doctor never receives the questionaire. This has been going on for 1 month now.
