I’m hoping there are some other federal employees in this group because I’m really struggling to figure out how this all works. I’ve been a letter carrier out of the Highland post office for about twelve years, and about eight months ago I was doing my route when a dog came charging out of a yard and I jumped back to avoid getting bitten. I landed wrong on a curb and snapped my ankle—had to have surgery and I’ve been recovering ever since. The whole process with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs has been like nothing I’ve ever dealt with. The paperwork is endless, the deadlines are strict, and I’ve had my benefits cut off twice already because they said I missed a form even though I sent it in. My postmaster has been sympathetic but says his hands are tied because OWCP does things their own way. I’ve talked to a couple of other carriers who’ve been through this and they all said the same thing: the federal system is completely different from state workers comp and trying to handle it on your own is a recipe for disaster. One of the older carriers who’s been around forever said that if I don’t want to keep getting caught in these bureaucratic messes, I should look for a federal workers compensation attorney Highland NY who knows how OWCP works and can make sure I’m not missing deadlines or getting dropped for paperwork issues. I’ve never had to hire a lawyer before and I was hoping I could just follow the instructions and get through this, but I’m starting to realize that the instructions don’t always make sense and one wrong move can set you back months. Has anyone else dealt with OWCP and actually gotten through it without going completely crazy? I just want to get my ankle healed and get back to my route without feeling like I need a law degree to navigate this system.
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