Fred Palmer Feb 17 2009 CBC Interview

CBC interview with Fred Palmer

Published Feb 18th 2009

"Thirty years of doing battle with workers compensation has made Fred Palmer a very angry man. He says it's kept him spinning in a vicious circle of poverty."

"Palmer was seriously injured in a railway accident thirty years ago. Among his stacks of documents are any number of letters by doctors declaring him disabled. "

"All he has to show for it is a disability pension of $200 a month. He says all his efforts to get more have run into red tape and slammed doors, he feels his right to justice and happiness has been taken away."

In the world of permanently injured workers, news travels fast. A sure sign of just how desperate injured workers across Canada really are.

It was simply put amazing to see the CBC Television had enough sympathy for what they too saw as very clear testimony of the fraud committed the Newfoundland Compensation system.

Not mentioned is that the same fraud is no less than equal all across Canada. Workers Compensations Boards have silently declared a zero tolerance to pay injured workers the full compensation owed to them.

Unfortunately this story was only available to viewers in Newfoundland, however with the advent of internet news it was rebroadcast online. Injured workers from across Canada watched through 40 minutes of headline news, other interest stories, then the weather, then abuse to dogs, and finally the Fred Palmer (human abuse) story.

I do not mean to be ungracious, or unthankful to the CBC, I merely would like to point out what thousands of permanently injured workers have observed for years, that dog abuse stories have always made the news, yet human crisis stories get only the rare recognition. Most injured workers would agree that dogs really do supersede injured workers in importance by the governments of the day.

I do wish to thank CBC for airing this story; thousands of injured workers now will be able to see they are not alone in surviving the inhumane tactics of Worker Compensation Boards all across Canada. This story really deserves National attention, however injured workers are thankful at least one story made it this far.

Commentary by WCBCANADA staff writer.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Injured
• Worker
• Canada
• WCB

[FIXWCBCANADA]

I pity anyone in Canada that suffer's a work injury. Workers Comp is corrupt; they sent me back to work against my physicians wishes driving a semi-truck on morphine and oxycontin with 2 spinal injuries and 2 shoulder injuries with no treatment , this is how CORRUPT these bastards are: When you need medical help for your injuries, Your out of LUCK:

A neurosurgeon made 10 recommendations for my rehabilitation I received, NOTHING, NADDA, ZILCH then I was cutoff benefits NO medical HELP period.

[InjuredWorkerDotCa]

They did the exact same thing to me and thousands of others!

I hurt my back at work in 1994 and both my Dr.'s agreed. The WCB sent me to a 'pain clinic' (Guy Reid of Reids Physio, Sydney - a bought and paid for clinic by the WCB) and he wrote that I was faking my back injury! The Board cut me off and I have been suffering ever since. I have documented my claim the whole time and I will have my day in court in 2 months - wish me luck!

[scafool]

WCB thinks they are an insurance company that is above the courts.

It is a sure recipe for corruption and WCB is certainly a corrupt system.

WCBA has lied and cheated in their dealings with me. It goes far beyond the line of criminal behaviour. I would necer believed how vad they are if I had not experienced it myself.

The Minister in of Labour and the 9 members of the board really do deserve to be in prison.

[dinajpadilla1]

Canadians, Americans and people from around the industrial countries have the same problems. AND we are supposed to be a civil society?

Reminiscent of the ww11 Nazi's extermination.

[MyWittsend3]

The same thing happened to me! Not sure how anyone CAN ever change the WCB across Canada? Broke! Went to Mayo on Credit, cashed in all my RRSP - now still the same thing ... fight WCB Manitoba! Fight for something that you shouldn't have to fight for! Spinal Cord Injury after falling off a Catwalk at work. Was told by WCB normal part of aging. Functioning is a huge problem. Then the Disability Tax Credit from CRA - same no you can't get that! Wow - why does our government have these programs?

[FIXWCBCANADA]

and you wonder why people go postal and shoot peoples faces off....

wcb employees are risking their lives denying injured workers medical care

they were lucky in alberta when clayton changed his mind

maybe next time they won't be so lucky

wcb=worst corrupt bullies

[MyWittsend3]

I as well PITY anyone that suffers a Work related injury! 9 out of 10 people are SOL if you have to deal with WCB you will be bullied, have to fight, and on top of that try to get well! WCB DESROYS LIVES!!!!!! And that is our safety net if we get hurt? The only way to get this corrected is to GO TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT in numbers and have this AGENCY CLOSED! Let the public run such an Agency - allow Injured Workers to be trained and RUN a Work Injury Business ... if you have BEEN.

[gr82worthless]

I can't believe you could actually find a reporter that would publish this story to Television! Noone will in the USA. I am so sorry for your pain and suffering, I am an injured worker also and I can relate. Can you get any kind of medical attention for your injury?

[onyxescence]

Fred has done amazingly for 30 miserable years. 5 yrs has me at the end of my rope. Those stacks of files and paperwork r typical ..piles of files and we r the only ones who know what evidence is BURIED  in them so its impossible to 'tell our story' in any real way. The CBC should have gone through files with Fred so they would know for themselves what has gone on and what the evidence shows-until that happens we r all just 'disgruntled' claimants- Please look at the evidence.

[canadastreetmedia]

CAPITUS DUMINTIO MAXIMA

if your name apears in all capital letters

( in law) this designates the highest forum of a loss of status .

ie = a person without rights.

CHECK All you Goverment issued id !

[SuperNewf1]

I am glad you see that I am not the crazy one. The problem in Canada is the government. They have removed the medical and legal rights of Canadians as soon as they get hurt on the job. The Canada Health Act and Workers Compensation Acts show you "injured workers are not covered under this Act" and "No action may be brought against the board, its doctors, or the company". In effect the government has given a private insurance company a licence to steal from, torture, and kill the injured worker.

[CUBBYBEAR323]

If you didn't know anything about the WC system and just watched this video, you would think this man was insane...however, I am the daughter of a failed WC system, and I have seen the deterioration of a wonderful person due to this corrupt system. "They" drive people to this, hoping their victims will either give up, look so crazy no one takes them serious, or they die from a multitude of reasons. Time for some serious spotlights to be aimed at the WC regulatory systems, or lackthereof.