If I were injured in a car accident, used up all of my FMLA time...?
If I were injured in a car accident, used up all of my FMLA time, went back to work tho still injured but so I could keep my job, but then find out that I can't really function well enough to be back at work because the stress and demands are too taxing for my injury, what can I do to resign from work, return to rehab, and still find a means to have some sort of health care plan in place to help me pay the medical bills.
Also, the car insurance reimbursement is pending because they give me hurdles to jump thru and now I have a lawyer on the case to try to reach a settlement. But, my lawyer says we can't reach a settlement until my rehab is complete, but if I quit my job then I wouldn't have health insurance. yet if I stay working to keep my job, I won't heal...
what should I do here?
Update:ok, so to clarify a little, finding an alternative less demanding job has been a thought, but it's difficult finding a job that doesn't require you to be able to lift 50 lbs if required to, unless you can get a desk job. but then long hours typing, can also bring about lots of stress and pain to shoulders and neck. If you have a job in mind, feel free to suggest it.
on the other hand, the only reason I got a lawyer was because the car insurance assigned to me around 7 adjusters to handle my claim and none of them could ever give me a straight answer. they often lost signal when I'm calling their office number on my landline and defer me to their associates who then defer me to someone else or say that that information isn't within their specialties. I did not realize getting a lawyer would add 18-24 more months to reaching a settlement either. sigh. I remember when I had GEICO, they only gave me one adjuster for the whole claim and he gave me very good customer service
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
If you quit your job due to stress/demands of this car accident, will NOT qualify for unemployment, so no funds to pay your rent/food etc.
Poster Hunch explained if your job has cobra, but, with cobra, you pay 102% of the premium so that you can continue to treat in rehab. But, if you quit, will have no funds to pay for the cobra. If you still need rehab and no insurance, you will have to pay out of pocket, YOURSELF, since most doctors will not continue on the basis of waiting till you settle, and would you?
If they made you go through hoops to settle the car damages?, then my guess they may have questioned fault in this accident.
NO settlement will be made on your injury, till you are done treating, be it tommorrow, or if you continue to treat for 6 more months. Then they need to get all of your medical reports, review it and then make a settlement.
But, you have a lawyer, so with a lawyer, on average will delay it at a minimum of 6 more months, so, could be 6 months to a year before you see any settlement.
Now when you get the settlement, could be a few thousand, or possibly $10,000 or more. Since if you are not working, how are you going to pay back all the bills you will owe and did not pay since you do not have any income coming in?
Your only option is to find another job that you can do, till you settle this claim. That is your only alternative choice.
Sorry, not what you want to hear.
Hiring an attorney typically postpones car insurance settlements for 18-24 months. Of course there are hurdles - you have to prove an injury, you can't get money from anyone if the insured has minimal coverage, etc. Hiring a lawyer won't remove the hurdles.
If the company has over 20 employees you will be offered COBRA. If you are in a state with mini-COBRA, you would still be eligible if there are 19 or fewer employee. If you can't work, you will have to ask the attorney if the willing to front the cost of insurance when you can't pay for it. If they aren't willing to offer this, it shows you either don't have a strong case or there is not much money from insurance. If this is the case, you might want to discuss what the likelihood of success in a lawsuit is.
At most employers (not all), if you quit your job your job, then you can pay money to keep your health insurance for at least 18 months (sometimes longer). It's not cheap, but it may be cheaper than paying the medical bills without insurance.
An "alternative source of insurance" usually won't cover anything that is already wrong with you (including these injuries).
When you quit the job, you can apply for COBRA through your current employer/insurer which will allow you to keep the same coverage you have now so there is no lapse in coverage. The premium will probably be a lot higher since the employer will no longer help subsidize the payment. Good Luck on your recovery.
You're asking, how do you live the lifestyle you want to live, with no money and no assets.
Bottom line: You can't.