Road to Recovery — PEF member Glenda Garrick finds laughter good medicine as she recovers from a serious car crash. She helped organize a “comic relief day” for patients at the Kingsboro P.C. — Photo by Allan Guberman Workers comp advice key to claim PEF members rally to aid injured colleague By DEBORAH A. MILES PEF Division 252 member Glenda Garrick had just left her job as a rehabilitation counselor at Kingsboro Psychiatric Center when a car struck her two years ago, causing serious injuries. Garrick was standing on the sidewalk at the corner of Albany and Clarkson Avenues when a midsize car struck and pinned her to an iron gate, just outside the Brooklyn facility. The accident resulted in Garrick having her left leg amputated above the knee. She also suffered major damage to her right leg and both hips, and other injuries to her shoulder, arm and back. Because the accident occurred “within the precincts of her employment,” Garrick was eligible for Workers’ Compensation benefits. But she may never have received that aid, if it had not been for her fellow union members. Garrick is very grateful to several PEF members, including Vice President Pat Baker, who helped her through a physically and financially challenging time, especially while she was hospitalized for six consecutive weeks, underwent four surgeries, and was bound to a wheelchair for more than seven months. “I’m a walking metal detector,” Garrick says. “My body is full of hardware.” Training pays off “I started the ball rolling to make sure her rights were protected,” Baker says. She credits her success to PEF’s Navigator Training class, which focuses on expediting Workers’ Compensation claims. “Because I took the Navigator class, I had the resources at hand when this happened to Glenda. A number of PEF members came together bringing their expertise to this case,” Baker adds. “They helped Glenda get Workers’ Compensation benefits, so she wouldn’t have to worry about the financial end of her recovery.” Among those who helped are stewards from Region 11, Susan Braverman of Division 252 and Susan Kirsch of Division 253 who told delegates at the 1999 PEF convention about Garrick and raised $1,000 to assist her. And PEF member Gwendolyn Henry, director of rehabilitation at Kingsboro, obtained a waiver for Garrick’s health-insurance premiums. Contract pays off too PEF Executive Board Member Bernie Kahn, who chairs PEF’s Workers’ Compensation Committee, helped Garrick complete forms and get extended leave from work, and he gave her a lot of valuable advice. “I had her claims file reviewed to re-evaluate whether she was within the precincts of employment when she was injured,” Kahn said. It was crucial to her coverage under Workers’ Compensation. Kahn’s advice also led Garrick to discover the Medical Evaluation Network Program income supplement available through Article 13 of the PS&T contract. “This supplemented my income, while I was on Workers’ Comp,” Garrick said. Although Workers’ Compensation is a “no-fault” statute, it is not exclusive in its remedy, according to Kahn. A separate legal action — if justified, as in the case of Garrick — may be filed, as well as a Workers’ Compensation claim. Now, Garrick works part-time and continues with physical therapy. And, she is about to receive a $3.65 million settlement from a third-party lawsuit over the accident. She plans to use some of the money to get a more suitable apartment and a car, so she can drive and be more independent. “I’m dedicating most of the money to purchase the best prosthesis I can find,” Garrick said. The Communicator Home Page