[Imc-radio] Story about life wrecked by working with chemical pollutants

[Mike Lehman]

This would make a great story of an all too frequent situation faced by 
workers injured on the job in Illinois. I am simply too overwhelmed with 
school, etc to do it myself, but I would be glad to serve as a resource 
person if someone else takes this on, having been run through the 
worker's comp mill myself.

It doesn't surprise me at all the Gary has found the local medical 
community totally unsympathetic to workers injured on the job. The local 
med clinics all run very profitable worker-related injury clinics. They 
operate under the Hypocratic --- not Hippocratic -- oath. Thus, the 
patient being treated is _not_ the injured worker, but the company they 
work for. This serious conflict of interest is freuquently not 
understood by workers, who have been told all their lives that they 
should trust doctors.

Illinois law seems to promise that workers will be treated fairly and 
treated and compensated for on the job injuries. In fact, the local 
medical community will do everything in its power to convince injured 
workers that it is their own problem and _not_ something work related. 
All the BS we hear in the media about how Illinois worker's compensation 
is costly and unfair to business is just that -- BS. The only reason it 
is costly is that, instead of treating workers, most of the money goes 
to the company lawyers, "safety" managers, clinics and doctors who give 
you a run-around, rehabilitation services meant to convince you you're 
really not hurt and just "out of shape," and the slothlike Illinois 
Industrial Commission that can't seem to hear even clearcut cases of on 
the job injureis in less than 7 or 8 years from the time of injury. The 
entire system, and its costly infrastructure, is designed to deny 
workers what they are entitled to under law.

I could go on, but I've got to get to other projects. Again, I don't 
mean any of this to discourage Gary. I just want to make him aware that 
the first thing he should do is get himself a good attorney. Gary 
mentions he contacted "A lawyer" but he should find another one if the 
one he talked to was uninterested. Many attorneys advertise that they 
handle worker's compensation, but it turns out that many of them 
actually are handling the company side of things and are thus 
unintersted in helping injured workers. There are ones out there who 
will be glad to take his case, but he'll have to look around to find 
them. Keep trying on that Gary, because you'll find one that WILL be 
willing to help.

Another piece of advice for Gary. It appears that you are using a 
company email account. I highly recommend that you get another email 
account (gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) to handle privately your 
correspondence on this. The company will have access to your 
correspondence through their sys admin and I would not put it past any 
company not to take advantage of this situation to screw you.
Regards,
Mike Lehman

Danielle Chynoweth wrote:

> IMCers, I got this e-mail today from a local guy with a story about loss
> of job and health due to exposure to pollutants.  Please contact him
> directly if you want to investigate further. - Danielle
> 
>  ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 13:22:59 -0600
> From: Gary Hardwick <ghardwick at americandowell.com>
> To: dlchynoweth at city.urbana.il.us
> Subject: Help please
> 
> My story in a nutshell is as follows.......
> 
>>I was an industrial sign painter for several years for a local sign
> 
> company.
> 
>>My symptoms started after 4 years of Polyurethane paint, V.O.C., &
>>solvent exposure from my job.
>>MEK, zylene, tolulene, ether,benzene, alcohol, you name it I worked with
> 
> all
> the big
> 
>>nasties and had no training, no protection,
> 
>  & no Idea.
> 
>>I started having Constant Fatique, Passing out at stop lights, or
> 
> just
> 
>>blacking out
>>alot. It took nearly 2.75 years to get a straight diagnosis.
>>
>>it's been over a full year since I was seen in Chicago at the UIUC.
>>
>>>I was last told to schedule an appointment for some very expensive
>>>test( that I could not afford ) and told I have to pay for them
>>
>>upfront
>>
>>>because of a lack of healthcare insurance. I had to cancel the
>>
>>appointment
>>
>>>and have since been w/out treatment for my affliction ( solvent
>>>poisoning~long term exposure ) I'm falling appart here and I dont
> 
> know what
> 
>>to do.
>>
>>>It seems all the doctors down here in Champaign, Il. refuse to
>>>acknowledge even the slightest possiblility that my symptoms are
>>
>>related to
>>my
>>
>>>work...and V.O.C.'s.....It feels so hopeless , all I want is to be
>>
>>seen
>>
>>>by a specialist~ who deals with this kind of thing on a regular
> 
> basis
> 
>>,
>>
>>>knows what to look for, and the proper course of treatment for my
> 
> symptoms if there is one.
> 
>>>I'm still suffering from all of the same symptoms , some of them
> 
> have
> 
>>gotten worse..
>>
>>>the resting tremors, fatique, ringing in my ears, Sleep problems,
>>
>>upper
>>respiratory
>>
>>>problems( especially) and headaches are a fact of my daily life
> 
> now.
> 
>>Is
>>
>>>there anything I can do here??? I'm desperate. I did finally change
>>
>>jobs
>>
>>>and have health insurance , but they won't cover my pre-existing
>>>condition.
> 
> Ive contacted OSHA, The EPA, and A lawyer.
> No one Cares!!!! what is wrong here?
> These people are still in bussiness and throwing their waste into a dumpster
> thats been going to the same landfill year after year, with offices
> documents as well.
> I'm talking about neon units containing mercury,
> Flourescent bulbs, paint cans that had lead based paint in them as well as
> many other chemicals,
> used Transformers and ballast too.
> I know for a fact that all of the above require special handling when it
> comes to disposal.
> And that in their new location their paint booth exasht into a local
> childrens park and baseball field as well as residences next to the
> bussiness.
> I need help to make sure that what has happened to me happens to no one else
> ever again.
> Any Information or contacts would be helpful
> I'm so tired of suffering in silence.
> I was told it was stress in 2001, I have lots of documentation of my
> case , OSHA inspection reports with fines, exam records, MSDS sheets,
> witnesses
> to my working conditions, photos of my work area, all pointing to the cause-
> solvents!
> Yet my former employers insurance company still denies my claim, I
> can't get treatment or seen by the doc's I need to see.
> I was told it was all in my head for a long time,
> I've nearly commited suicide over all this........
> I knew I needed help w/ that, so I see a counselor.
> But now I hold out hoping for some kind of justice.
> I do know I will never have the quality of life I once had.
> I can't bike or play with my son like we used to.
> I've been told I'm narcoleptic( solvent induced Narcosis) now and have been
> on adderall for
> about 1.5 years this started about 3.5 years ago.
> I don't have the same symptoms as most people w/ narcolepsy.
> Mine are way different! I feel I'm being given a bandaid to but on an
> amputated limb.
> My lawyer doubts I'll get any compensation for my bills....since there were
> toxicology test performed immediately when I became Ill.
> I did everything that I was told to do from day one yet I still get
> shafted, what is wrong w/ these people???
> How much evidence do I need to prove this.
> My Phone # is 217-377-4336
> I live in Champaign , Illinois
> I would love any advice or support
> PLEASE HELP!      sincerly, Gary Hardwick
> 
> 
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