Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Janitors broke my shoulder!

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-02-2007, 01:18 AM:

So yesterday I had to do a quick service call to a theater. The stupid janitors were mopping the lobby floor without posting ANY SIGNAGE WHATSOEVER and I was carrying one of those big "platter reels" in one hand and a box of supplies in the other across the lobby. I slipped, with feet flying in front of my face and above me, and landed on my right shoulder/neck.

After suffering all last night with the pain, I decided today that even though I was probably overreacting that I should go to the emergency room and have it checked out just to be safe. (If nothing else I was hoping they could at least prescribe me with some decent pain killers.) Needless to say, after running some X-rays the doctors were shocked that I was able to break my scapula from a fall like that instead of, say, a fall from 20 feet. (It is apparently one of the hardest bones to break, but it was a hell of a fall.)

The only good news of this is that I *probably* won't have to have surgery to correct it. I will see the specialist in the next couple of days to find out for sure. In the meantime my arm is in a sling and it hurts like bloody hell if I move it past certain points. I am told it will probably be 6 weeks before things are normal.

I have been busting my ass (along with the rest of the install crew) this last month'ish to make an IMPOSSIBLE deadline on the new Studio Movie Grill location in Lewisville. As such today marked the first day off I would have had in awhile after such a ridiculous amount of stress and some 20 hour work days to make it. (We had to pre-wire the building to a sort of "plug-and-play" status because the equipment arrived a mere one week prior to it's pre-public opening nights...and it opened complete and on time I might add.) I was looking forward to getting away from the theater work a bit and actually turn on the new camera I bought and do some photography. Right now I can't even lift the camera body on it's own, much less with a lens mounted on it...plus there is this PAIN that just won't go away even with the prescription drugs.

The best part of all...when I fell the two janitors who witnessed (and were the cause of) the accident walked over, picked up my items and said "I'll just leave this stuff here for you". Fucking assholes.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-02-2007, 01:24 AM:

Sorry on that happening to you,for that aint a total lot of fun to go through. Speed with you in getting well...

(Guess the janitors are out of a job and a insurance claim is in store...)

-thx Monte

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 05-02-2007, 01:25 AM:

You - 0
douchebags - 1

Hope you have a quick recovery.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 05-02-2007, 01:46 AM:

A colleague broke her scapula a few years back when the crowded train she was standing in went over a rough set of points, and a very heavy suitcase fell out of the overhead luggage rack and onto her shoulder. Of course it had to be her right shoulder, which made writing very slow and difficult while it healed up. If I remember correctly, it had recovered to the point at which she could do most things within 2-3 weeks, but did take a bit longer to completely heal.

Sorry to hear about that - needless to say, these things always happen at the worst possible time. Let's hope the moron with the mop gets taken to a cellar and introduced to The Gimp...

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-02-2007, 02:49 AM:

Brad: Get well soon. [thumbsup]

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 05-02-2007, 02:51 AM:

So, do you qualify to workers comp. then??

Posted by Christos Mitsakis (Member # 143) on 05-02-2007, 03:20 AM:

AUUCH.. have patience...

C.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 05-02-2007, 03:23 AM:

quote: Allison Parsons
So, do you qualify to workers comp. then??

I think he would but in this case the janitorial service would need to pay, imo.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-02-2007, 04:54 AM:

Brad, I sincerely wish you a speedy and relatively painless recovery. Breaking a shoulder blade is serious stuff...

Speaking from personal experience, the secret is HEAVY drugs! They may slur your speech, but who the hell cares...the mind still works fine! HA! [Wink]

Get well soon, bub!

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 05-02-2007, 06:34 AM:

Hope you are feeling better Brad. [thumbsup]

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 05-02-2007, 08:39 AM:

Ahhh, I already read this once!!! =)

That sucks brad, and the shoulder is such a bad thing to hurt, it really knocks you out so you can't do anything. =(

FEEL BETTER!!!

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 05-02-2007, 08:55 AM:

Sorry to hear what happened.

Get Well Soon!

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 05-02-2007, 09:02 AM:

Brad,

Sorry to hear of your fall. Hope that you are a "quick mender"!

In any accident of this type you should overcome the masculine trait of thinking you will be ok. Report the accident to the management immediately and see that it is written up. If you have any idea that you may be injured, have someone else call 911 and get yourself checked out.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-02-2007, 09:46 AM:

No "Caution Wet Floor" sign erected = big lawsuit!

Posted by Chad M Calpito (Member # 3736) on 05-02-2007, 03:41 PM:

I hope you get better, Brad.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 05-02-2007, 05:28 PM:

Brad, not fun....I am lucky I haven't broken any bones while trying to do something at 110% when people around you are somewhere else in mental ville. On a project I delivered emergency parts and lenses after a two hour flight + one hour drive to the site. My head tech took one look at me and drove me directly to the hospital for "boring" 10 day stay. Stay well and have fun. [Cool]

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 05-02-2007, 05:38 PM:

Brad! Dude! That just sucks!

But ya know, there are less painful ways to get some vacation time goin' ya know.

Here's to a speedy recovery!

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-02-2007, 07:33 PM:

Heal quickly and sue them big time

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-02-2007, 07:53 PM:

Broken shoulder blade? That really sucks. Hopefully it's just a hairline fracture instead of a full break (less need for surgery and pins).

The scapula is probably just as bad or even worse to break than a clavicle (collar bone). I broke my right collar bone when I was 11 years old. Simple tasks like using a chair, laying on a couch or sleeping peacefully at night became a painful ordeal. The scapula has got to be just as bad in that regard. Hopefully it will heal quickly.

I agree with others that you should consider talking to an attorney. The janitor crew should have had signs positioned in that area. Unlike the fuckers who pull slip and fall scams in grocery stores, your injury and pain is legit and caused by negligence. They need to pay your doctor bill and then some.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 05-02-2007, 07:58 PM:

Best wishes on a speedy recovery.

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 05-02-2007, 08:14 PM:

Best wishes, and get well.

Posted by Hillary Charles (Member # 769) on 05-02-2007, 09:43 PM:

Another wish for a speedy recovery.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 05-02-2007, 09:51 PM:

Take it easy for a while and DO submit those medical bills to the responsible party. I wouldn't sue unless they tried to weasel out of their responsibilites.

I guess you'll be jacking off left handed for a while! Eh? [Big Grin]

Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 05-02-2007, 09:55 PM:

That's a tough fall Brad. I sincerely hope that you recover quickly. Best wishes to you from Atlanta.

Posted by Mike Fitzgerald (Member # 1304) on 05-02-2007, 10:01 PM:

Sorry to hear about the shoulder. Get well fast from Taipei.

Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 05-03-2007, 01:28 AM:

Best Wishes and Get Well! [thumbsup]

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 05-03-2007, 04:23 AM:

OOfff. Lame!

Get well soon buddy!

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 05-03-2007, 06:53 PM:

Sueing a customer, even if they are at fault will undoubtedly end the possibility of any future business as well as make other potential customers wary.

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 05-03-2007, 07:08 PM:

My thoughts follow Randy's thoughts as well. Best wishes for a quick recovery.

Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 05-03-2007, 07:12 PM:

Damn Brad! Wotta pain! Get better fast.

I have had rotator cuffs of both shoulders repaired late last century and they work fine now. My problems came from a lifetime of skiing, a half-million hook shots, and flying over the handlebars of my bike more than a few times.

You should be talking to a good lawyer (if there is such a thing). Regardless of what doctors say, things like this can take a long time to heal and may leave residual damage that may take time to show up. Anyway, the asshole mopper deserves a lawsuit.

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 05-03-2007, 08:29 PM:

Ouch! Get well soon, Brad!

Then when you recover, get one of these...

...find the janitor, then whack him upside the head with the sign. [Smile]

You'd think that in these sue-happy times the janitorial service would have a truckload of those signs and post them all over the place. Hmmm...

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 05-03-2007, 08:39 PM:

He should get one of those and wear it as a sandwich board to work.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 05-03-2007, 10:47 PM:

OMG, Brad!! I'm sorry to hear about this! It sounds terrible, guy. Okay, so you're in a sling right now, but it also sounds like you've got THEIR ASSES in a sling, too!

At least make the janitorial company pay the medical bills!

Get well soon, buddy. [Frown]

Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 05-04-2007, 01:53 PM:

Brad:
Nothing more painful. Don`t neglect treatment and get more than one opinion. Although I`m over eighty I neglected my left shoulder after falling on it while fishing several times and now I can`t raise it above the horizonal. Only way I can raise it is to boost it with the other hand.
Get well and the shoulder should be your top priority right now. After 60 years in the business I still dont consider why a theater MUST open on prescribed date a life or death matter.
Regards;
Bob Koch

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 05-11-2007, 01:34 PM:

So, feeling any better?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-11-2007, 02:48 PM:

Quite a bit better yes, although the headaches from the medication aren't helping things.

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 05-14-2007, 12:08 AM:

I can't believe how fast several of you said to SUE...

It's a damn shame that our society has lowered itself to the point that the first thing folks think of is SUEING someone else..

Brad:
I feel for you.. never had a broken bone myself, so I can only imagine at the difficulties in having your problem(s).

Heal quick and get your A game back on...

Also, let the docs know about the headaches with meds.... they can change or alter the dosage...

The rest of you.. keep waiting on your magic payday..... [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 05-14-2007, 12:15 AM:

well what would you do if that happened to you and you got severely injured? Or perhaps your child (not sure if you have a kid). If that happened to me, I'd at least sue for hospital fees etc if they weren't willing to cover them.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-14-2007, 12:21 AM:

Everything was fully covered by the company where it happened. I am also doing much better. The headaches are under control with lower dosage and I have a good chunk of my arm movement back, even though I can't lift anything more than about 5 pounds yet.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 05-14-2007, 01:25 AM:

From what I remember of my friend's argument with the suitcase, just under two weeks to recover that level of movement is doing well. Glad to hear that the theatre's insurance prevented any need for any legal hassles.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 05-14-2007, 02:02 AM:

I know the feeling of having to deal with odd shit from pain meds.

When I got my wisdom teeth removed (all 4 of them at once) they gave me perocet. Well, one of the side effects of it is that it can cause hallucinations.

DID IT EVER!

I rode the bus home with my mom from the university where we got it done. I remember viewing myself from outside my body. I also tried to pick out my stitches saying "they put rocks in my teeth." And I remember that as being a dream.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 05-14-2007, 05:25 AM:

Brad, Sorry to hear about your accident; hope you have a speedy recovery.

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 05-14-2007, 06:55 AM:

quote: Mike Heenan
I'd at least sue for hospital fees etc if they weren't willing to cover them.

Again, perhaps it's me.. but you're being presumptuous that the company isn't already doing the right thing, which is covering all medical related bills associated with this accident. Things like this do happen as just that.. accidents. What pisses me off is all the bottom feeding leaches who are simply looking to better themselves financially by suing people/business'/etc... Sounds like there may even be a few here.. which is sad.. [Frown]

Brad:
Glad to hear the headaches are better.... I'm about 15 minutes from going in for a pretty decent dental procedure.... and I'm not the least bit happy about it...Altho, I must admit, I love Novocaine... LOL..

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-14-2007, 10:42 AM:

I'm certainly not going to defend any ambulance chasing lawyers. And people who pull "slip and fall" scams should be tied into a large sack with a bunch of hammers and rolled off a high, steep hill.

However, not every company is going to handle things honestly when their neglect causes someone else to get injured.

Brad definitely had one thing on his side in that he was doing professional work at that theater location. Management knew who he was and depended on his service. It was in that company's best interest to take care of the problem honestly so they wouldn't burn any bridges.

How would the situation have been handled if a regular customer had walked in and broke his shoulder in the same scenario? The results probably would have been the same, but there is still a greater chance the companies involved would have dragged their feet on the situation.

And then you have the issue of long term effects afterward. Hopefully Brad will recover 100% from his broken shoulder. But what if something worse had happened? What if he broke his back and had some permanent disability or was even paralyzed? Is it just enough for the theater company to pay his ER bill and then say "tough shit" for anything else?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-14-2007, 01:24 PM:

Bobby's scenario is precisely why I tell these theater owners right up front that there must be a full walkable platform for the stage speakers that extends from wall to wall. I WILL NOT hop up on a piece of plywood barely bigger than the speaker is sitting on at 20-30 feet off of the floor! Screw that. My future mobility is more important than their sound.

There really should be some sort of law against people who build speaker stages like that. Commonly this work is done in the morning or late night. Almost always the auditorium has nobody in it, and even if it did, a fall like that would knock the wind out of you and you wouldn't be able to yell for help anyway...assuming you aren't dead that is. People who build speaker stages like this have zero respect for other people's safety and well-being.