advice on animal bite?

[DragonEggs]

forgive me in advance typing with only my left hand

some of you may or may not know i work with exotic animals for a living.

yesterday one of the animals attacked me and did quite a number on my right hand my dominant hand hence the left hand typing. My hand swelled the size of a softball and bled profusly from numrous pucture wounds. After cleaning it up it didnt look bad enough for a hospital so I just asked to go home early which my boss was miffed about but she said if I felt I needed to go to a doctor she would pay for it. Well today it looked kinda gross so I went to a walk in clinic. They gave me a tetanus shot which my boss was insitant on me getting, gave me another shot for pain and another of antibiotics which they wanted to give me an IV which would have cost $400 just for the IV. They took an xray to check for any foreign debri and cleaned it up and patched it up. The whole trip was $401 which is really cheap considering what it would have cost me to go to the emergency room. I called my boss with the total and she threw a fit asking if I could get them to go down on the price and that she wasnt going to pay the whole thing maybe $200 because she wasnt liable or responsible. id like to not this woman is beyond filthy stinking rich. She lives in a spanish castle with a huge pool and drives 3 cars one is a bently and she owns this whole buisness and puts out $400 a week min just to feed the animals. She paid $1000 for a pair of mini pigs with no pedigree or papers, for PIGS but shes fussing about $400 medical bill for my hand.

Well she finally agreed to make good on her word but then she threatened my job, telling me she thought she needed someone more reliable and mybe she should start looking for someone else and she had just offerend me a higher position not even a week ago for more pay plus room and board. She had also admit to us that she had one employee whos life she made a living hell just to get her to quit. Im worried about going back now. The dr told me not to work tomorrow to give the medicine time to set in and do its job and she threw a fit about me not coming in tomorrow. She doesnt carry workmans comp because she has less than 4 employees so I would have to sue for personal injury and sue her homeowners insurance if I went that route and she pays me cash under the table

Im just worried if I should just get her to pay the $400 and walk away after my 2 weeks and find another job which is so hard to do in this economy or if I should sue, or if I should try and keep working there and risk her making my life a living hell till I quit.

I know there are a lot of people on here who know the law better than me and this is in the state of FL but if I didnt give enough information ill provide as much as I can for your input. Thanks!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Since you've had it medically attended to as soon as you are able I'd go back to work.

For just as long as it took to find a better job.

In this economy that might take a while, but I'd be working on it every day. I'd put up with her only as long as I absolutely had to.

If the animal did not do you any lasting damage trying to sue her would probably not be worth the hassle.

My opinion anyway. You'll get plenty of others I'm sure.

 

[redhen]

Tough one.. not sure what i would do.
Probably just go back to work. But if she starts to harrass you..then i'd sue her for all you can.
(which most likely wont be much.. because you were willingly working with those animals... so..unless she was found neglectful in some way... i dont think that you will get much at all.)

 

[redhen]

What kind of animal bit ya??

 

[sfw2]

I wonder if her insurance company knows she has exotic animals? If not they'd probably deny your claim, anyway.

I'm just saying . . .

 

[onecent]

I hope what ever bit you doesn't have rabies! and don't underestimate that it doesn't (unless what bit you was reptillian or or cold blooded) i would ask to see a rabies tag or certificate..... you cant be too careful!!!

 

[Laurajean]

Sorry I don't have any advice for the OP, but the title makes me think of one time when I was a kid, my father got bit HARD by one of our rabbits. He came into the house GUSHING blood from that area between his thumb and forefinger. My mother panicked and ran around trying to find first aid stuff. My father calmly walked over to the kitchen cabinet, pulled out a bottle of whiskey, dumped it over the wound, drank a big gulp, wrapped a paper towel over it and walked back outside. Mother came running back into the room with bandages and asked where he went. I said "Daddy dumped whiskey on it, he's fine now."

That's my dad's idea of first aid apparently.

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

i know FL has some funky laws, but is she legal to even have exotic pets? some people are importing rare animals into FL and those could be considered illegal if they are not permitted. does she have any on her property that you might be able to notify someone in animal control or enforcement if she keeps putting up a stink over your medical issue?

 

[debilorrah]

I hate to break it to your boss, but she is 100% responsible for your treatment under workers compensation laws. It doesn't matter if the bill is $100,000 or $1 - it's her respnsibility.

 

[purr]

you need to call the NLRB , they have laws and she's been breaking a ton of them Nation Labor Relation Board.