File it again in heaven, were waiting for you to die first.
Back by request, this article was originally posted on this website on July 4 2010
For most Canadians it would come as a big shock to find that the government(s) runs organizations like the Workers Compensation Board for the sole objective of cost reduction for big business, with itself as one of the largest employers taking full advantage of the conflict of interest.
The Federal Government instituted the Meredith Principle as law into Canada approximately 80 years ago. Today, even though the Federal Government passed on authority to manage Workers Compensation to the provinces, it remains itself one of the greatest benefactors of the new perverted version of Workers Compensation.
Today there is hardly a trace left of the principals set out by Chief Justice of Ontario, Sir William Meredith. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they have taken this legislation, turned it inside out to become a one way street to ensure injured workers have no rights at all. Workers Compensations today uses its own kangaroo courts to insure every right injured worker had are decimated.
The four parts of the principles set out by Chief Justice of Ontario, Sir William Meredith are that employers bear the direct cost of compensation, receiving protection from lawsuits arising from injuries; workers give up the right to sue their employers and receive compensation benefits at no cost for work-related injuries; negligence and fault for the cause of injury are not considerations; and a system administered by a neutral agency would have exclusive jurisdiction over all matters arising out of the enabling legislation. This neutral agency became the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB).
Today before an injured worker even gets to where they are allowed to ask the Supreme Court for justice, every appeal in the WCB kangaroo courts must be exhausted, one thing is certain, that by the time injured workers are entitled to ask for justice, the injured worker will be either dead, or dead broke. The time that passes can easily take up to or exceed a decade of abuse, a psychological, and financial bashing that is unparallel in any other form of law today.
Nearly every lawyer today rejects claims for the following reasons, first that WCB law does not comply or need to comply with the standards of our real courts of law. The second is that it’s a complete waste of a lawyers time, and clients money, there is no chance of winning. There is however the odd exception to the rule, and that’s what is thrown if the face of every critic of the WCB.
One lawyer wrote to the BC Bar asking for someone willing to take on a case where fighting WCB was like having gone into an Alice in Wonderland form of judicial law. The complete absence of any resemblance to law whatsoever, where WCB makes up and changes the rules, ignores its own rules, and imposes a twisted versions of rules on any lawyer foolish enough to stand up for injured workers.
In a nutshell WCB does the following, in about 90% or more of all of its claims it pays in full with no complaints, these consist of everything from a sliver of wood in the hand to minor cuts and bruises. All those minor claims are WCB’s claim to fame that they are doing their job and doing it well.
Now on the other hand, injuries like Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome or other debilitating injuries that last for decades, or even for life, those are the costly claims, and are also the claims WCB has no hesitation to spend a million dollars to insure a claimant will not set a president by getting what is owed to him/her.
The crux of the matter lies in long term and permanently injured workers, everything else WCB talks about is smoke shows to divert the public from the real truth.
Well if what I am about to say might offend you, too bad, we as a society need to wake up, grow up, and take some responsibility for the mess we have allowed to exist in our country. It’s your fault we are in this mess because you and your neighbor never spoke up when someone you knew got shafted by the WCB.
My fellow Canadians, you are a bunch of idiots if you think, we as a society can gain dignity abroad fighting the Muslims in Afghanistan while on the home front we treat our injured workers as bad as the Taliban treat their women.
Let me say this, do you think the same idiots who designed WCB, will actually make an exception for our permanently disabled veterans? If you do you better crawl back under the rock you have been hiding under. Do some research; they are already being tossed to skid row.
Pardon me for not doing the “heel toe dosey doe” for the Liberal in Alberta who was honest enough to tell the story about how the WCB employees get paid to screw injured workers over.
Pardon the blunt language but common courtesy in the past and present, has meant inhuman treatment for fellow injured workers to a society too busy with their own self preservation to do anything about it.
Is there not some bitter irony that this story exposed by the Liberal Party in Alberta comes hot on the heals of the Patrick Clayton story. Will someone wake up before we have to nominate Patrick Clayton as the only man willing to stand up and tell the truth about what is going on inside the Workers Compensation system, not only in Alberta, but all of Canada? Sorry make that two people in Alberta now, let’s not forget Hugh MacDonald.
Well it was good of the Alberta Liberals to expose this crime, only the Liberals should have said that Patrick Clayton indeed had little options left and the path he chose and may have been for him the only option he could find left. This admission by the Alberta Liberals also gives powerful credibility to the claims made by Patrick Clayton and that indeed all he really wanted was to find a way to expose this story, he was a first hand witness, he was a victim of crime.
Ask any injured worker who has tried to tell their story to the press, and found they were just banging their head against a brick wall. Patrick Clayton was right in regards to the fact it was the only way people would listen to what he had to say.
The second issue is, where is the call for a police investigation into this crime, and while they are at it, they can find this crime duplicated in each and every province and territory in Canada? It’s a Pandora’s box that nobody has guts enough to take on because to do so would jeopardize a relationship with big business and industry, not to mention the cost of having government employees.
Now I also have to ask what gives with the names of our political parties. Has anyone besides me noticed that when it comes to shafting injured workers, all three major party names are very big on the list of making promises to treat injured workers fairly, then in return you might well have urinated down their throats if your actions could speak for you.
Take for example in British Columbia the Liberal Party had one member in particular who really road the band wagon of justice for injured workers. Do you know what the Liberals did once elected? After all once you defeat the existing government, what else can you do to put the truth about WCB back into hiding?
The Liberals did what they all do in every province when the WCB’s looking like the criminals they really are; they had a review, and guess who represented the big business in this review?
Well it was none other than Allen Hunt, and guess who the Liberals hired to implement the findings of that review?
Well to bad you can’t have Charles Manson as head of your justice committee, using your logic it would have made very good sense.
Isn’t it amazing when you have a government that hires one of two disputing parties to write the new rules, insanity obviously is hitting new heights and to this day no one has had balls enough to do anything about it?
Look again at the words in the Meredith Principle Agreement and try find any form of neutral party in the name Allen Hunt.
Oh, by the way, check up and find out if Allen Hunt is even a Canadian, he was not at the time our governments hired him. And pray what the hell were the Liberals in British Columbia thinking when they hired an American to re-write Canadian Law?
The citizens of Canada got what we paid for, it’s called “Screwed” and corporations all across Canada were laughing all the way to the bank. Its not just Canadian corporations, the vast benefactor of these new WCB policies befit foreign investors even more, as today the vast majority of big business is majority owned outside of Canada.
So then we must ask, what the hell is a Liberal? Not that they are better or worse than the NDP or Conservatives, they are all a bunch of liars who will say anything to get elected, and then my mind asks me if Patrick Clayton, did or did not have alternative options.
There simply is not enough space here to post the crimes each party has committed against the permanently disabled injured workers. Each and every party n power has a long standing legacy of balancing its books on the backs of injured workers.
Ask yourself this, when the government and the WCB does not have to follow the law, should the citizens of Canada be required to? Would you still condemn Patrick Clayton if you understood what he was up against? It is still against the law to endorse crime so we won’t go there.
Please don’t answer that, instead lets hammer those responsible for this mess and have them tossed out of their offices, without their lucrative pensions as penalty for the crimes they committed against fellow Canadians.
Seriously just how corrupt can our WCB Boards get before someone will say enough is enough?
Why does government continue to balance its books on the backs of the disabled?
Why do those working to screw injured workers over have such mind boggling pension plans paid for with injured workers blood?
Time For a Reality Check
Injured workers are being told on a daily basis for decades now that if the adjudicator cannot see pain, there is no claim. Blatantly adjudicators have said directly to the face of injured workers, “we have unlimited resources, we don’t care if you try seek litigation”.
Nearly every injured worker has been sneered at with the following comment, “Workers Compensation is not required to pay for pain, and it pays only for lost wages”. Now we know they don’t pay for either pain or lost wages.
We have see instances where adjudicators have bragged to employers that they have a ZERO track record for anyone staying on WCB benefits, then being promoted by coincidence for their outstanding achievements.
We have thousands of cases in Canada where Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome is being denied after having been classified as fakes by people who subcontract for WCB as physical therapists. The irony is that these people were already certified as suffering from Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome by licensed doctors, or in some cases expert medical doctors whom are specialists in the field.
The way injured workers with CRPS are being treated today makes a joke out of the Supreme Court ruling on that very same topic.
A history of DENIAL by compensation boards regardless of medical evidence proving injured workers were honest in regards to their medical history. Yet the Workers Compensation will spend hundreds of thousands of injured workers dollars to show the rare case of a fraud claimant.
The reality is that for every fraud claimant, there are about 1000 frauds committed against injured workers.
The WCB Boards have hired in nearly every serious injured worker claim, a spy to watch and video or document injured workers movements, regardless of the traumatic impact this type of investigation has on honest, and law abiding citizens of Canada, even if there is evidence that investigators fabricate evidence, they continue to be rehired.
WCB Boards have a history of hiring or refusing to rehire private investigators, rehab consultants, or any persons dealing with reporting on the condition of the victim if they do not end up getting cost reduction.
Nearly in every case where WCB contracts out work, the work entails a form of denial of claim, and its not a secret this business of denial is one of the most lucrative startup business today.
Hiring drop out doctors from med school to find in favor of reduction of cost of claims, period, and to heck with the real truth, they are the backbone of WCB’s medical review panels.
WCB to this day refuses injured workers the right to have a witness present when their own privately hired doctors do the assessment to determine permanent injury. They have the right to refuse not only the witness but the obligation to pay injured workers for their injury as forfeited by the injured worker for refusing to be examined if you refuse to be examined in the presence of a witness.
The very AMA Guide they use states clearly the rules for using that information, yet WCB allows these doctors to violate those very rules in order to reduce WCB costs.
The doctors they use are the same ones used to fight injury claims in auto accidents, so as a doctor, their job is to make a liar out of the injured worker, to negate the claims of injury are the objective of these doctors who defy the oath made by doctors to protect and serve their patients best interests.
The Hippocratic Oath is one of the oldest binding documents in history. Written in antiquity, its principles are held sacred by doctors to this day, however these doctors are paid to slander what other doctors gave diagnosed, to refute the true extent of an injury.
Ask yourself how the actions of these doctors are not the most flagrant violation of the Meredith Agreement, and it flies in the face of everything that legitimized the Workers Compensation System in the first place. Refer to the Meredith Principal.
In British Columbia the Workers Compensation Board writes letters to injured workers doctors, demanding that in order to get paid; they must conform to rules that are withheld from the public, a form of extortion that makes doctors afraid to write anything supportive of injured workers claims.
Doctor’s behaviors after receiving these letters is 180 degree shift in attitude towards their patients, they absolutely refuse to write anything that can be used in a courtroom to prove an injured workers claim. Some specialists will only agree to see you if you agree not to use their findings in a courtroom.
Regardless of how honest injured workers are, WCB adjudicators are notorious for using the “laughing in your face” tactic to elicit a reaction out of you that could be used to terminate your benefits. Another common tactic injured workers must endure is the comments “your just too lazy to return to work” again to elicit a violent reaction they can use against the injured worker.
Instances of where adjudicators are suggesting patients (injured workers) use opiod drugs to be able to return to work, that despite the danger it poses to both injured workers and fellow workers.
Instances where adjudicators refuse to follow the advice by a patient’s doctor, to be referred to a specialist, and then the patient is also not allowed under WCB regulation to sue for the consequential injuries.
The WCB refuse to be responsible for any injuries that occur as a result of an injury. Example is when you have one leg that is unstable or a head injury that causes a loss of balance, the injury that occurs due to a fall is not recognized by WCB.
The WCB also like to use a chart to determine what they owe injured workers; however the very first statement in that chart says that the contents are not to be used to evaluate the disability of injured workers. I refer to the AMA charts that are being used (abused) systematically with only one objective in mind, ironically they never use the words to deny a claim, and they use the politically correct version of “cost reduction.”
Let me stop here, because if any investigation needs my help I can over them about 20 pages of abuse by WCB without ever having to repeat myself. Look up Workers Compensation on CBC or CTV and read the comments left by hundreds if not thousands of Canadians who have been burned by none other than their own government, because they had an accident at work. A crime they must pay for by living in poverty for the rest of their lives.
In closing I would like to thank Hugh MacDonald for having been honest enough to step forward with some truth in regards to the WCB. Canada is in need of more honest men and women with the courage to stand up for truth, even if it’s more cost effective to shut up and hide as most politicians do.
As for evidence to back up what I have said, I have a box that weighs over 80lbs of paper, video tapes, audio tapes, legal documents to back up everything said in this article and would be happy to hand it over to any lawyer with the integrity and courage to fight this abuse.
As for the common Canadian citizen, please have the courage to stand up and tell these political hacks to their face that their days of abuse need to end…..immediately or face the fury of the electorate.
Fight for people who have been treated worse that the victims of abuse overseas that we claim to be fighting to liberate. Fight to liberate our injured workers from a lifetime of poverty and verbal abuse from both WCB and the governments who allow them to abuse disabled injured workers.
The RCMP should put locks on the WCB offices until a complete investigation is done into the behavior of all WCB employees, likewise no unions should be allowed to negotiate excuses for crimes committed against WCB victims.
Dereliction of duty charges should be laid in the case of every upper level management position found to be supporting the current corrupt WCB system. Criminal charges should be brought against every person who willingly and knowingly reduced or removed injured workers benefits.
Charges of deliberate psychological abuse charges should be laid against all adjudicators who have verbally abused their position to reduce costs for the WCB.
Finally all charges against Patrick Clayton be placed on hold until the investigation into the WCB is completed, in the mean time Patrick Clayton needs to be sent to a rehabilitation center and compensated for the abuse committed against him. If in fact the WCB is found to be guilty, all charges against Patrick Clayton should be dismissed.
UPDATE: Aug 2nd 2014. As of today this remains the most controversial topic for our website, it has the most reads (18132) and the most comments. (57)
UPDATE: Dec 5th 2017
In an effort to help bring people together so they can unite we have started a Facebook Group. If your interested in taking legal action or forming action groups, please use our new group as a gathering place, so people can find your groups or find each other to take your battles into action.
The Facebook Group goes under the name of WCBCANADA
If you want to be part of the solution, then help us deal with the problem.
We put the issue back to you, yes it will start with one, are you a leader or a follower?
Original post date: 2010-07-24 10:38:00
Thanks for having taken the time to read what I have shared with you,
I myself am getting the run around and have been for over 3 yrs I have permanent back problems due to a work injury. It’s just appeal after review after appeal and repeat. No income besides welfare which if I win.my claim image to pay back it’s such fkn bullwhip.
Wishing you all the luck in the world, your playing against loaded dice, I hope you know that.
JLS
WSBC MISHANDLING OF MY RE-INJURY DONE AT CBI PHYSIO ON JUNE,10,2009
My name is James Mansell, my claim number is 08246183.
The following is my case regarding my WSBC RE-INJURY that happened at CBI physio assessment that was set up by my case worker Brenda Salter.
November 2008 I was injured at work and soon after my claim was accepted by Worksafebc.I had an MRI and soon after I had my first surgery on February 12,2009.The surgery was successful and I was instructed by DR BRIAN DAY , the surgeon , that I was to be very careful with my arm / shoulder and for me to preform gental, pendulum exercises until he see’s me again at my next scheduled appointment with him.These instructions were also hand written on the back of my surgery papers by DR BRIAN DAY.
I continued to follow DR BRIAN DAY’s instructions and attended every follow up appointment that DR BRIAN DAY had set up.I was slowly healing and was making progressive advancement with each every appointment I had attended with DR BRIAN DAY at the WSBC building in Richmond BC. I was happy with my progress and was looking forward to going back someday to the job I loved, Truckdriving.
During the coarse of my recovery , while following all the instructions from my doctors, my caseworker, Brenda Salter, demanded that I attend an appointment she had set up for her to get a second opinion apart from DR BRIAN DAY.She did this without any medical opinion and also did this behind both my docters backs,DR BRIAN DAY and DR DANIEL YIP.Brenda Salter,in a sense,was acting as a medical doctor by making a decision such as this.The appointment was at CBI in port coquitlam on or about June 10,2009 and was setup in a sudden fashion giving me no time to check in about it with my doctors.However,wanting to follow her demand I attended the appointment on or about June 10,2009.
When I arrived at CBI in port coquitlam for my appointment it was about 12:30 pm. I asked the girls that greeted me at the reception desk if my doctors had known I was attending this appointment.I was told that they didn’t need to know.I then asked them if they had my medical records regarding my injury.They replied that they don’t but they will be getting them in a week or so.My wife was sitting beside me and we looked at each other with alarm.We wondered how they could safely conduct an assessment without any of my medical records so I asked them and they replied ” because we can “.
I was then taken into an exam room where they started off with some kind of grip test using a heavy,stainless steel tool.There was no doctor present the whole time I was at CBI. I was trying to tell them what surgery I had as to inform them about my condition.I was unable to lift the heavy tool at that time with my injured arm so I tried to do it by resting the tool on my thigh.The girl seemed perturbed that I couldn’t lift that tool.She then asked me to lay on the examination table on my back and give control of my arm to her and for me to relax my arm so she could check some things.Then suddenly,without warning she rapidly forced my arm into full R.O.M. Thats when we heard a terrible snapping and crunching noise and I did a backwards flip off the table.The pain I was suffering prior increased exponentially in the blink of an eye and my bicep muscle was now laying down inside my arm at my elbow.I was in shock and horrified by what had just happened.Then the girl helped me up off the floor and helped me to a nearby chair.She then left the exam room momentarily, then returned with three large ice packs.She placed the ice packs on my shoulder and bicep area of my arm.Then she left the exam room again and started to have a conversation with the other girl in the hallway outside of the exam room. I could hear what they were saying to each other and it was this ; ” um, something happened to Mr Mansell when I was examining him and I’m not sure what I should do now”…then the other girl said ” well, we can just send him home because he is clearly not ready to attend our program then we will just delete him from the computer because technically he hasn’t been inputted yet.” So that’s what they did. I was told that I was not ready to attend their program yet and that I could go now.Even though I was still in shock I wanted names, so I asked if she had a card for my future use if I may need further help of any kind and she then gave me her card.
My wife and I left CBI and went to see my doctor.He suggested that I see DR BRIAN DAY. We then went home and upon arrival I received a phone call from Brenda Salter. It was at 5:00 pm that same day. She started scolding me, and I quote ” Whats this Mr Mansell that I hear you are refusing to go see the doctor at CBI ” I replied that I had just got home from seeing my doctor and that CBI had seriously re injured me at the assessment she had sent me to. I told her that there was no doctors there when I was examined and that they had forced my arm into full R.O.M. and tore out everything that Dr BRIAN DAY had repaired. I asked he if she could set up an appointment asap for me to see Dr BRIAN DAY. She told me “not really, but she would see.”
When I finally got an appointment with Dr BRIAN DAY it was July 17,2009.During my appointment I told Dr BRIAN DAY about what had happened to me at CBI.He asked me what was I talking about,I told him my caseworker had sent me there for an assessment. He said he knew nothing about it and he was visibly mad that I had been sent there behind his back. He then instructed me to try and do my pendulum exercises as much as I can tolerate as to prevent my shoulder from freezing up. Dr BRIAN DAY then sent a letter to Brenda Salter dated the same day, July 17,2009 stating that I had suffered a setback at the assessment at CBI and that I was set back 4 to 6 weeks. He made that timeframe diagnosis purely on a visual examination and not by using any ex rays or mri images.
After some time had gone by, DR BRIAN DAY recommended that I attend a PMP to help me address the severe pain I was suffering so an appointment at lifemark PMP was set up for me to be assessed.I was given a date in which to start the lifemark PMP however a few days prior to starting the PMP at lifemark Dr BRIAN DAY sent me for a second MRI and just before the start of the PMP at lifemark was to begin I was called and told that I was scheduled for an expedited second surgery with Dr BRIAN DAY and that I would not be attending Lifemark’s PMP. The second surgery was preformed on November 12,2009. The second surgery required a much larger incision and when I came to in their recovery room DR BRIAN DAY said to me ” wow, you wouldn’t believe how big of a piece of bone I had to remove from your shoulder.” He also was unable to re-repair any of the damage that had been done and that no further surgeries will help me.
When Brenda Salter had been given Dr BRIAN DAY’s report stating no further surgeries will help, she translated that to Mr Mansell is all better now. Dr Brian DAY then recommended for me to attend a PMP to help me with the severe pain I was suffering. I was assessed at ORIEN PMP and started to attend when it started. I was following all instructions and using the PM tools that I had been taught but they did not help a whole lot with the pain I was suffering. The staff at ORIEN, that had heard that I had been re injured and that’s why I had a fear of re injury, decided it was a good idea for Brenda Salter and I meet face to face, as the stories I had told them about the way Brenda Salter had been treating me sounded over the top to them. The day Brenda Salter came to meet me, at ORIEN, the staff took her into the conference room ahead of me just to talk to her alone. Then they called me in and said ” James…this is Brenda, Brenda…..this is James.” The first thing Brenda said to me, in front of everyone, was ” listen here Mr Mansell..you have not won the lottery here and you WILL be going back to work very soon. I have been with the board for a very very very long time and you are not suffering , you are just being un-coperative and are playing games.” She then went on to say that I had better start lifting weights and progressively heavier weight each day or she would plateau me, and that’s exactly what she did. Dr BRIAN DAY said its unrealistic to expect me to lift any weight and recommended me to continue doing resistance exercises as much as I can tolerate. But it was too late, I was plateaued and my medical help had been ended, by Brenda Salter.
I feel that I was recovering and making good progress after my initial injury and was looking forward to returning to the job I loved, driving a class one truck, but due to the negligence of Brenda Salter and CBI my life was changed in an instant. I am now suffering an average level of pain at 8 out of 10 with spikes over 10 out of 10. I am taking 5 medications three or more times a day and have to apply a pain relieving compound three or more times a day. My disabilities were increased by the negligence I had to endure, including frequent headaches, severe pain in my shoulder joint and surrounding area, pain under my shoulder blade, pain in my bicep area, deformation of my upper arm, numbness running down my forearm, numbness in my fingers and palm of my hand and uncontrollable muscle spasms that cause uncontrollable loss of use of my hand. Now WSBC vocational rehab caseworkers have been trying to make me get back to work as a heavy equipment operator, crane operator, dispatcher, now most recently a security guard.The security gaurd school Lexxon says I need to be physically fit and fluent on a computer, against my WCAT restrictions. I have had my benefits cut off October 2010. (January 2014 I received three benefit payments before I was cut off again because Mike Farnworth found out the voc caseworker wasnt doing their job) . My family has been forced to endure financial hardships and I have lost almost everything I own. I have had to spend my entire life savings and have been forced to attend the food bank to feed my kids.
Today is January 27 , 2016 and I still have not been paid by anyone… Not welfare, not cpp, NOT WORKSAFEBC…. I have been given no means of support for going on 6 years now… And this is Canada ?
Thanks James , sounds like an exact scenario that I am going through. Did you go through Workers Advisors?
This is the result of the physical and mental abuse carried out by the Workers Compensation board against Patrick Clayton… and thousands of disabled workers across Canada… When will our governments fix this one sided broken system only ment to make money to line their own pockets with bonuses and huge salaries all off the backs of disabled workers ??
#ChristyClark #BillRoutley #MikeFarnworth #ElizabethMay #HUMANRIGHTSTRIBUNAL #BCOmbudsperson #BCOmbudsman #BCLegislature #GlobalBC #JohnHorgan #CKNW #CANADIANGOVERMENTS #BritishColumbiaMLA #JustinTrudeau #ShirleyBond #AdrianDix #CBC #AWCBC #WorkSafeBC #TriCityMentalHealth
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/edmonton/dramatic-video-shows-armed-wcb-hostage-taker-1.1018179
https://youtu.be/cmO4OtB43bk
What exactly are our governments getting from the workers compensation boards across Canada ? What would lead someone to make a complete turn in their views other than personal financial gain? Is the workers compensation boards across Canada using injured and disabled workers compensation money to pay off our goverments? I see no other reason but selfish monetary greed for this premier to switch her opinion other than back door kickbacks of money and perks… And the entire governments of canada are doing absolutely nothing to help stop the workers compensation boards across Canada from killing our disabled workers via suicide caused by mental and financial abuse. This only tells me that the WCB across Canada is a huge trough of money being gobbled up by every greedy government official in power.. IT IS FAR PAST THE TIME AN INVESTIGATION WAS LAUNCHED BY AN INDEPENDANT AUTHORITY WITH ZERO TIES TO THIS ATROCITY !!!
#ChristyClark #BillRoutley #MikeFarnworth #ElizabethMay #HUMANRIGHTSTRIBUNAL #BCOmbudsperson #BCOmbudsman #BCLegislature #GlobalBC #JohnHorgan #CKNW #CANADIANGOVERMENTS #BritishColumbiaMLA #JustinTrudeau #ShirleyBond #AdrianDix #CBC #AWCBC #WorkSafeBC
https://youtu.be/eR3-_GjYWr8
http://www.therebel.media/why_is_notley_trying_to_force_wcb_that_she_once_called_broken
i have had three work related injuries and three injury-related surgeries.i am not working because of these injuries and i am not recieving any benifits from wcb. i have had the workers advisors asist me on two loss of earnings appeals and lost both times because of it. the first time they backed out of representing me at an oral hearing minutes before it was supposed to happen. the second time i found out eight months after the submission deadline that nothing was submitted, therefore i lost again.i stil have a very significant disability but nothing is being done. what do i do now?
Hello;
My name is Allan Bertoia, Six years ago I had a work place injury, injuinal hernia. At first the WCB denied my claim, I and my employer had to fight them, The Wcb worker had no interest in the truth. I had to insist and I used every tool available, before they would accept my claim. It was very stressful and intimidating. The intimidation continued, and I was intimidated into having the surgery outside of the area that I lived, I was always under the pressure, that if I didn’t comply that I would be cut off. I finally agreed to the surgeon they recommended. This is were we begin to get bazar, there was a problem after the surgery, the surgeon was informed right after the surgery and so was the Wcb. On my own and with the assistance of my treating physician, we went through the tests and procedures to help to establish what was causing the intense pain that I was having all the time. My doctor was the only one who followed the diagnosis of all of the experts that he referred me to, an internal medicine specialist, a top surgeon, a neurologist, two top pain management specialists, and a specialist in acupuncture, all of these Doctors diagnosed my injury as entrapment of the ilioionguinal nerve. The Wcb ignored all of these doctors and always refered to their own medical advisor, this continues to this day. I have have had many appeals and I am in the throughs of one right now. I am handling these appeals myself, as the workers advisory office was of little help, and the review office has made decisions that are fundamentally flawed, and are in violation of natural law. You are correct, when you suggest that there isn’t any lawyer who is willing to take the Wcb to court, unless they are absolutely sure that they can win. If I am paying for there services and I am aware of what the outcome might be, as in any case, then why would they not proceed and at least bring out in the open the disgusting way that the Wcb treats those expect them to protect them.
I have been diagnosed with Chronic Neuropathic Pain as a result of the entrapment of the Ilioionguinal nerve from the surgery, and I have been fighting with the Wcb for six years. You are correct when you state that even the media won’t take on the Wcb, its as if everyone is afraid of them. I am not, I am still deciding, when I have come to the end of the appeals and all other avenues have been exhausted, that I will sue the Wcb in the court of queens bench, that there is culture within the Wcb, that is destructive and diminishes the value of those that they are mandated to protect.
There is a lot more to this story but I will end in saying that you are correct and I hope that some one, or maybe if those who are and those who have experienced these difficulties with the Wcb join as one and bring this organization into the twentieth century.
Thank you
Allan Bertoia
Hi Allan,
Your story is very close to mine. I have decided to take WCB to court, on my own, I’ve run out of money, but not out of courage to stand up for myself. I was wondering if you had taken WCB to court, which I hope you were successful, and I wonder if you have any tips for me on how to put my case together or anything that might help me present my case in a the best light possible. I am not familiar with the court language and if you could help me, I would deeply appreciate any help.
Hope you are well and have gotten to a place where you can live without pain.
Thank you for sharing your story; it gives me hope.
~~Vio~~
I have taken them to the Supreme Court of Appeals (close to 50 Grand) and won, so WCB agreed to review my case. They did, they hired a person who got their diploma in night school (equivalent to a PE Teacher) who said that the number one surgeon in British Columbia was fooled into believing the extent of the injury, the number one expert doctor in CRPS made a misdiagnosis. WCB chose to accept the findings, and left it up to me to find another 50 grand to take them back to court. My lawyer filed a complaint with the law society that WCB was in fact simply bankrupting their clients so they could not fight back. Unless there is a change in law, spending money fighting WCB is just a waste of money, unless you have millions to take them on. One adjudicator bluntly said “You will never beat us, we have millions to make sure you won’t”
Isn’t it nice and just they can’t & won’t be fair and pay us what we are entitled to and pay taxes for!! But they use our money to fight us!! Karma & GOD will be their Bitch….
There’s some Groups on fb, that would love to see Justice to All Injured and Disabled Workers….
As well as those who have died because of their Employment.
Bill C-45 is but a tool for Government to Make More Money yet!
They’ve Removed Anything that the Meredith Principals would have been Used to Forfiet and Injured or Disabled Workers Rights, Removed his Rights to Sue,… and Then the Government Pursues it….Isn’t this Double Jeopardy…
What Injured Workers “Gave Up- by Government” - No Government want the Chance to TAKE THEM at the BARGAINING TABLE! Fine and Sue Employers!
Bill C-45 was not only Created because of Poor Working Conditions and Poor Oversight by Employers/ BUT ALSO Government Officials!!!
Yet these Officials are NOT Accountable for Seeing all the Infractions, and not Issuing STOP WORK ORDERS!!!
It’s All Quite Preposterous
,
Can’t we send a letter to Justin Trudeau about this? I am a worker and was diagnose with calcific tendonitis on both shoulder but my left shoulder is more painful, I’m right handed, this was since March 14, 2016 and until this day April 7,2016 my claim is still pending. I don’t know what are they doing I’m in pain not everyday, someday I’m ok someday I just wake up in pain, I am an assembler so strain of wrist, elbow or shoulder is common.
I was mob bullied at my job-the Union refuses to help me. The company Pacific Coach Lines allowed the bullying and targeted me further after firing 3 perpetrators (only to make themselves look good). WorkSafeBC paid psychologist Zal Saper lied in his report and my claim has been denied. WorkSafeBC uses these so called doctors as whores to do their bidding. now I’m screwed - have no job, no benefits. What next-the street?
fighting 40years for compensation accident at work ,pins and screws to keep ankle together altered gait has affected back needing surgery could not continue working in my field I guess they are waiting for my death!!!
Appeals court sided for me. With care givers 100% documenting my tissue damage and complex regional pain caused from crush injury in trench cave in. Still having to fight with negligence from compensation. 29 years of human suffering having to live in poverty. My means of heating was taken in 2006. I have pro bono lawyers, but still the same. Home was taken, now having to live in run down trailer. Having to attend another medical panel. And compensation has removed the pain Doctor that could assist me. Still fighting. May try media if posible. Cliff
Total body crush injury . Fractures pelvic vertebra total body bleeding soft tissue damage in 1987 Complex reginal pain. Fibromyaldia. Courts and care givers sided for me, and having to repeat medical review panel. Compensation removes qualified Doctors from the list. Compensation still work against the rule of law or courts. All ready proven case still neglected. How can this type of human cruilty be real for so long. And the Government and law does nothing.
WorkSafeBC was negligent in the fact that they cost me to lose my right leg below the knee and drove me to try and end my life. Is there no lawyer able to do pro bono work to take on the corrupt WCB. Is the fact that they were negligent and cost me my leg and all most my life. Is it not against the Charter of Rights. I have all the proof and it is going no where.
I never thought I’d say it, but Canada is now a 3rd world country. Even worse. Corruption on every step and at every level. It is indeed heartbreaking.
what about an” inquiry “into WBC?
Considering how the WCB ignored the Supreme Court on issues like CRPS, a hearing into how its become a protection agency for employers is most welcome. But one has to keep in mind, government is the largest employer and would be most impacted by having to pay injured workers their just compensation. Getting any government to agree to an inquiry will indeed be a mission difficult at best to accomplish.
I myself am in injured worker that lives off of $1000 a month, I am looking for someone to help me do the appeal so I can get full benefits and live a normal life I am 53 years old I am suffering with the mana money I do live on if there is somebody that can help me please email me at [email protected]
If that’s all WCB is paying you, you need to quickly apply for CPP Disability, because there is a clock running on your ability to apply.
My name is lawrence topolewski and I have been fucked over from wcb since march 4/2000. I have lost everything that I have worked so hard to achieve in mt life. The board is crooked, some fat fuck namely denise hall decided because I could not do a rediculous job back to back days that I should be cut of benefits even though I did not refuse but stated I needed a day between this terrible job. She had no right to do that. Her job is to try a find me another job on the waterfront. There are many different jobs on the waterfront. Denise Hall and the board owe me a house. The board has continued to fuck me over with their other buddy wcat. There is another story there with these phony lawyers who would sooner work on her finger nails instead of paying attention to the appeal. Her name is Rene Miller and she is not worth the air she breaths. I will try Global News with all the facts and history and see where this goes. October 22/16. Thank you.
Deep stuff.
Crazy to review the board. I could only never ever imagine imagine coming back from combat and dealing with this shit.
Wake up Canada we should do something about this, why don’t we start a petition from all the injured who was refused by WCB. The abuse has to stop enough is enough, we pay a lot of money to them so we can get protection when injuries happen; where is that money goes, to their own packets? The WCB makes you feel like is our fault when we get injured, they are using our money for their own benefit. What can I said MAFIA! Organized Crime
My story is not much different than all the rest. Just the dates and names are different. My injury happened, Oct. 4th. 2004. What I thought was a simple back strain. Later that night, the pain and discomfort set me to the hospital. Long story, made short. 5 back surgerys, installation of 16 electrodes on to my spinal cord and a power pack in surgically inserted into my stomach. The electrodes were a failure so my only option for pain controll is narcotics. My drug schedule was: 1 - 100 mcg/h Teva-Fentanyl pain patch, 1 - 50 mcg/h Teva-fentanyl pain patch every three days plus 18mg of morphine every 6 hours. I need the support of crutches to waik. Yet Heather Johnston of the Saskatoon WCB office deducts over $700 per/month. Suggesting that I can get work behind a desk at a hotel/motel. I was enjoying the rewards of 25 years in the trades. $135,000 - $150,000 per/year including outstanding benifits. WCB ( Sask Suicide Assistance ) $134 x 5 day plus all the harassment, abuse, intimidation, that you can / cannot handle. Like many of you i have given up fighting them. I have the documents to prove that WCB has killed injured workers, with there delays and there favorite line, you can appeal it. Please contact me if I can help to drive a stake through the heart of WCB.
I agree with all of you ladies and gentlemen, I have been fighting wcb for 8 years now and I have gotten somewhat of things but they want me to become a security guard and I’ve been in a lot of pain, I’m sorry there heartless people, we have families and want to participate in working again but you just get rejected over and over again. I’ve been seeing cycalalajest and she said security guard will not work cause I’m in a lot of pain walking with a cane were I wasn’t before f u wcb. I just want them to do there jobs and treat us with respect and be concederet.
I was injured in 210 at the surrey memoral hospital working as a house keeper and also a care aid WCB gave me very hard time only 3 check I receive from WCB they stop my check I was struggling a lot I am disable and I am on cpp disability due to my broken bones and numerous of problems I am disable cant even do my house work or do my owon self care WCB are the worse in Canada I hope some one please do investigation more about them I was a very hard worker work 14 hours a day for two jobs now the cpp disability pays only 530 a month how can I live on this my work injury made Me a disable my whole life
Glade to see And hear more about WCB Thanks lot
I fully empathize and am currently going through these similar circumstances. I appreciate your article as at least it makes me feel not so alone.
Need to get a private Web site,server and make a go fund me page for injured workers and do one province at a time.
Yes private web site and go after them I’m in……jim
WE also lost everything. WCB lied, cheated, delayed and committed fraud. I provided proof to my MLA. They said they referred it to the Labor Minister. Just sent the following to my MLA:
“Hi there,
I still have heard nothing from the Labour Ministers Office. I would have thought they would have done something. An email, saying they are investigating or something. In another week I will be putting together a letter and supporting documents to send to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Premier, and leader of the Green Party. I am doing this to satisfy the requirements of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Canada is a signatory to the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which recognizes the competence of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to receive and consider communications from or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals subject to its jurisdiction who claim to be victims of a violation by that State Party of the provisions of the Convention. If I see no action by the responsible government parties I will begin the complaint process. I am also sending this information to the Metis National Council and our National President Clément Chartier. I will as well contact the UN regarding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Unites Nations says that Canada supports this. I guess not when you are an aboriginal injured worker. It is kind of sad that my ancestors lost their land to government corruption and lies and it has happened to my family once again. And yet again no action by the government responsible. Even when there is proof of WCB’s wrongdoing. One call from the Labour Minister to WCB saying ”have a agreeable resolution on my desk in 10 days or we change the legislation to hold you accountable for your wrong actions.” Issue would be dealt with pretty quickly I imagine. Instead WCB thinks MLA’s are laughable and have no control over them. They laughed when I lost my home. WCB thought it was very amusing when I said I would not stop and would take it to my MLA. It is really quite unfathomable how any government can allow an organization like WCB to be out of control and to destroy peoples lives.”
We will see what her response is. I imagine very little. I received a full pension after over 30 appeals and 10 years. Lost everything though.(home,credit rating,future) I am left in severe intractable pain with a life expectancy I am told of less than 10 years. Basically live in severe pain until its time to go. I do not want to spend the time left fighting WCB but I do not give up. I have been a member of MENSA, am educated, and have been forced to learn the WCB Act better than the people at WCB. But of course they only follow it when it suits them. Supreme Court is not a viable option as very few people have a hundred thousand or so dollars to try to get justice. Especially after dealing with WCB for several years. I am trying this alternative approach as it may get some action. But again maybe not. I will try my best but it gets harder each day to sit and a lot of focus is spent blocking the pain. But a person has 2 choices when faced with injustice: Fight against it or do nothing. I will not do nothing. People must email and call their MLA, MP, Premier, Prime Minister. Mainstream media seems afraid of WCB? Maybe they know which side their bread is buttered on. Media employers benefit from lower WCB rates and the way WCB abuses injured workers. Maybe that factors into their reluctance to take on WCB even though many people have committed suicide and had their lives destroyed by this corrupt organization. Fighting year after year takes a great toll but do not give up. Sometimes it is the voice of one person at the right time and place that will change things for the better. All we can do is to keep trying and hope that one of us is that person.
The Creators blessing on you all.
The response from my MLA and BC Minister of Labour:
Dear Mr. ####:
Thank you for your email of August 25, 2017, addressed to Honourable Selina Robinson, MLA, Coquitlam-Maillardville. As Minister responsible for WorkSafeBC, I appreciate you taking the time to write and I am pleased to respond to the concerns you have raised.
I can assure you that worker health and safety and the operations of WorkSafeBC are important to the Ministry of Labour.
As set out in the Honourable John Horgan, Premier’s mandate letter to me of July 18, 2017, over the coming months I will be reviewing and developing options with WorkSafeBC to increase compliance with legislation and standards that are in place to protect the lives and safety of workers. Having a fair, effective and respectful workers’ compensation system is imperative. This includes ensuring that injured workers and surviving dependents are the central focus and that they receive fair and timely compensation.
It is my hope to make British Columbia the safest jurisdiction in Canada for workers. Over the coming months, I plan to take action to deliver on these important priorities. Your concerns with regards to WorkSafeBC have been noted and will be taken into account as I work to fulfill the mandate.
Once again, thank you for writing on this important matter.
Sincerely,
Harry Bains
Minister of Labour
So basically nothing. Just more delay and not even responding to the issue. People’s lives are being destroyed and our politicians do nothing. I will keep fighting. I wish I did not have to. The last thing you want to do when faced with unrelenting pain is to have to be involved with a fight like this. WCB must be held accountable. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
I suffered workplace injury, right shoulder Jan 2003; I was forced into physiotherapy, which caused new injury, Sask, WCB claims adjuster Sylvia Tarasoff Scarback, aka; case manager, denied new injury, then terminated wcb benefits even though physician requested expedited specialist appointment, further stated “Lifting Restriction” and WARNING medications prescribed made my job unsafe. WCB employee T arasoff Scarback advised I had been cleared to return to work; “Falsified in claim file; stating an appointment was made on my behalf Oct 2, 03 later changed that to Oct 5, 03. “No Appointment” was ever made as WCB refused my physicians notification of new injury in physiotherapy,and request for expedited specialist appointment + Warning return to work was unsafe; WCB Scarback “Blatantly” lied to me stating, I had been cleared to return to work; I suffered severe injury, due to being returned to work, and was denied medical investigation, treatment of Jan 03 shoulder ijury and New injuries x-ray’s taken identified possible spinal injuries; WCB accepted spinal fracture, Jan 05; but refused investigation / treatment injury. I was denied requested diagnostic test to properly investigate injury. AS GP physicians are not allowed to order MRI “( Only Specialist Has this Privilege)” WCB non-medical claims adjuster aka; “Case Manager” simply denied specialist appointment, to prevent diagnosis of severity of workplace injury - WCB “Modus Operandi” is refuse any investigation to prevent diagnosis: ” No Diagnosis = No Costs = No Claim” - ”Cost Containment is easily orchestrated by these WCB psychopathic perverts, who deliberately falsify injured workers injury claim file information, designed specifically to deny, deny, deny; I urge anyone who suffers severe workplace injury to leave Canada and get HELP before WCB deliberately cripples you with denials; In 2013 I was diagnosed with “Central Pain Syndrome” due to Multiple Spinal Injuries” which were deliberately denied medical investigation / treatment; The WHOLE WCB system is totally CORRUPT; designed to terminate benefits without diagnosis / treatment;
Please contact me here to be included in Class Action Lawsuit; https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaskatchewanWCB.ClassActionLawsuit/
Can i contact you? I posted my story on here.
Worksafe bc is a fraud. Do they have anybody who watches wcb? Get a lawyer fine do you have the money? I was lied too, to get information from me.i was told they had not made a decision on my claim and the asked me questions for a hour. Then he said he denied my claim and if i appeal he going to give my employer all my information. And told me he already mail that letter to me. I told him to go for it i had nothing to hid. If that is not criminal or what? I want to file charges agaist him he did fraud. Everything is run by tbe goverment we ate almost living in a communist province. Just pissed that we are treated that way. Remember the rich are getting richer off our backs.
NOTE the update at the end of the article. There is a link to a newly created Facebook Group, if you want to commit to fixing the problem, please join the group.
The program inadvertently closed comments, we just discovered that today, so we adjusted the settings to allow continued comments.
There was a lack of transparency in the process that creates an injustice. This is an incredibly important decision for me and the Supreme Court have not given proper justification for being denied leave of appeal!!!
I was injured in October 2012. Since then I have 5 appeals at WCAT, in that, I won four appeals and part in second appeal by myself. The last one is on February 28, 2018. In these appeals, my all claims were denied by WCB, Review Division, and negative responses from the worker advisors. I have dealt with many case managers and Review officers. I am a card dealer with limited knowledge and some English barrier. One of the purposes of this posting is sharing my some successful experience which is in the following:
Do believe your thought and judgement that made by your common sense. When you think that your points are right, do not believe WCB, Review Division and the worker advisor, and their decisions that are different from yours. I feel that they seem working together in the same office. Even you told them that this was wrong and mistake, they would still refuse it. In your claim files you can find lots of mistakes and ridiculous reasons in their letters to deny your claims, and do writing them down in your statement which will be used in the Oral Hearings at WCAT every day and every moment when you feel something is not right. Then you prepare all documents such as doctor’s notes, X-Ray, MRI report, the doctor’s letter (If the doctor can write a letter for your appeal), Physician Progress Report, the Phone Memo, the supporting letter from MLA etc., that are used to support your appeal. If you have a time, consult with a volunteer lawyer in pro bono, and get additional information. I think even you have a representative, you still need to prepare your statement to submit it to Vice Chair at WCAT, because only you know your case completely. You can win the case if your common sense is right, because WCAT is the great system with its independence.
This process is really a hard and long time, and painful. I got more hurt from WCB than my body injury.
I was just informed that I had turned down job search benefits and they were there if I changed my mind. I was never offered job search benefits and did not turn them down. I have picketed their offices previously and am going to start again probably tomorrow in Nanaimo. They tell me to go for it. I do get lots of support and waves from drivers going by on busy street.
I have recently been restricted by Worksafe BC and can no longer talk to anyone but Security. When they send you decision letters they tell you if anything is unclear or you want to talk about your claim to give the writer a call and when you call to discuss they say you are wasting their time on matters that have already been adjusticated and call it harassment of their workers.
Please if there is some one that can help get too WCB and appeals commission board to tell truth quit lies and frauding the injured worker like some buddy get off ass let get together bring down WCB and appeals commission my name Arthur Croft my number claim 200 4908I was a serious injured hit head and by a barrel on the back of head which broke arm had lot of surgery on my arm not too loose it broke my neck too lucky to be hear tell my story .let do some about it got be stop every take stand we will have hour way.