Injured While Adjuncting

Linda Lee is a part-time faculty member who slipped on ice and fell at a university where she was teaching. She recently wrote an informative post at The Adjunct Project on worker’s compensation from the perspective as an injured adjunct:

My injury occurred while walking to my car after class, and I did not realize how badly I was hurt until I administered first aid at home about 15 minutes later. Shortly thereafter, I reported the injury to campus safety — first via telephone, then in person after returning to campus. Though campus safety offered to bring me to the ER when I filed my report, this seemed an unnecessary measure at the time–in part, due to other professional obligations later in the day.

Though I asked directly about how to seek medical attention, I was told that an investigator assigned to my case would answer my questions the next morning. It took almost five hours to speak with the investigator the next day, who directed me to Human Resources instead.

A brief conversation with HR more than 24 hours after the initial injury yielded information about covered providers. This information is critical because employers are required to pay for medical bills only when employees use covered providers.

Had I visited a doctor of my own choice, I would have been responsible for all costs, including copays and deductibles.

Photo: Patrik Jones

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