I’m afraid and don’t know where to turn…my son may be pushed to take his life.

PEOPLE THAT ARE INJURED AT WORK AND HAVE NEAR DEATH ACCIDENTS ARE CONSIDERED CATASTROPHICALLY INJURED. Workers Compensation has changed over the years due to misuse and abuse of the system. Those who are catastrophically injured at work fall under the same guidelines of those who have a paper cut or a broken toe. Sam McGinnis was shot twice at his part time job at a CVS pharmacy Nov 29th 2008 in Tampa Florida during a robbery. He still cannot get proper medical attention, is in constant pain, and wheel chair bound. CVS makes decisions for Sam on which doctors he can see or change doctors if they want, (CVS has changed his doctor 3 times without Sam's consent). The state of Florida Workers Compensation laws have provided power over Sam's health to CVS. Workers Compensation laws allow companies the power to hold up medical procedures or to even see a specialist. Sam had to use an attorney to get a court appointed neurologists. Sam has been two plus years out of the hospital, and unable to see specific specialists as outlined from his orders when leaving the hospital. Sam has a primary job with medical benefits that would pay for an doctor or service but it can’t be used because he was injured at his part time job. Many people fight these issues in respect to Workers Compensation in the state of Florida. For people who will be crippled or injured for the rest of their life due to a work injury, Section 440.13(2)(f), allows an employee to have one change of physician during the course of treatment for the rest of their life. These laws were created for people who had a minor injury and try to doctor shop or abuse the system.Becuase of the changes in law over the past few years, companies like CVS have agressively used the best attorneys and risk management to ensure they get away with as much as they can. CVS is a very large company and are self insured. Sam is wheelchair bound, and has never ending pain since being shot twice. After 2 plus years of trying to get help through doctors, Sam had to have an attorney provide him a neurologist through a court appointment. Sam has extensive nerve damage and lives on pain medication, and a host of others. All workers compensation doctors are chosen for not how good they are, but how fair they have been with the companies. This law change is important, people have been pushed to take their lives becuase of the unbearable encounters with companies. On June 22nd my son called me as I was on my way to work at 6:15 AM and Sam explained that he had been up for two days and can’t live like this any longer and wanted to make me understand what he needed to do. I turned my car around and went to his house, picked him up and took him to the ER. We received a ray of hope from the ER doctor as he realized my son is in pain and gave him an order to see a specific neurologist since there are other things that can be done. CVS ignored the ER visit. I wrote Sam's attorney and he was able to get the court appointed neuroloigist. A neurologst that CVS chose will see Sam in August.