Korean Job Discussion Forums

travelnguy · Joined: 27 Sep 2007

A foreign teacher here once (allegedly) ran over a Korean man's foot. He had to pay for his time in the hospital, lost work, as well as 5 million won for pain and suffering.

As a side note, the man never once received a cast and we later found out that he didn't even have a job.

I do not think that it's unreasonable to ask for more money. You are not trying to milk the guy. You should be compensated 100% for lost wages, 100% for medical expenses, 100% for the damage to your bike, and a couple of million for stress. It's impossible to be paid for possible problems in the future as you never know if or when a problem will arise.

Also, what affect does this have on your job? If you are at an Academy, is your job in jeopardy due to time off?

If you are at a public school, then you are losing sick days and possible getting strikes against you for the possibility of re-signing.

Good luck and I hope you have a speedy recovery.

Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida · Joined: 27 Oct 2006 Location: Not Korea

Seoulman69 · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

So far the advice has been good.
Stay in hospital for as long as it takes the driver to give you what you deserve. You should get 100% medical, 100% work pay, bikes replaced, and extra for your suffering.
My girlfriend got knocked down at a crossing and got seriously stiffed on the compensation. Do not make the same mistake. Her neck still gives her alot of pain and will only get worse the older she gets.

Does anyone know if it is best to contact the police if this kind of thing happens?

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

kardisa · Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Location: Masan

Zyzyfer · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:23 am Post subject:

Munniko · Joined: 04 May 2011

Mix1 · Joined: 08 May 2007

NYC_Gal 2.0 · Joined: 10 Dec 2010

On a side note, if you're in the Seoul/Incheon area, do you two need anything brought to you? Books, toiletries, juice, food, etc?

pres82 · Joined: 16 Oct 2011 Location: Seoul

On the whole mate, consider yourself lucky. My friend was hit by a taxi Sat. night near Gangnam. The driver didn't stop. No one called for help. My friend is dead. I'm very surprised that this guy helped you to the hospital, and that you're getting ANYTHING out of the deal.

Best of luck to you.

nw25th · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Location: Daejeon

goesslry · Joined: 19 Jun 2007

sent you a pm with my number if you want advice. i explained a little in pm.

Stay in hospital as long as you possibly can. Any tiny thing that you feel after the accident, however minute it is, complain about it. Do not agree to, or sign anything from insurance companies. never say "i'm fine" it's ok", etc.

regarding your job: there are laws that protect you. Your boss cannot fire you. You can sue him for that. Labor board is on your side in regards to that. He is peeved because his business will lose money, because he has to pay the substitute, and may have to pay for you (have to check that law). Your job is safe.

Regarding the insurance company, you were EXTREMELY lowballed, even for KOrea. Korea notoriously pays very low in compensation, but you can get much more (and should) than what you were first offered. The first offers to me from the insurance from the guy that hit me equalled out to medical bills + 500,000 won. The final thing i signed 4-5 months later was more than 3000% (not a typo) than that first offer. Insurance companies are crooks, which is why CEO's of the companies are often indicted in this country. They are great at bargaining and swindling.

Get healthier first, don't bother with insurance stuff until after you are out of the hospital (which you should stay in as long as possible). They will bug you, but keep saying you are not ready yet for it. Make them play on your terms and rules. Bottom line, they want to settle as quick as possible. The quicker they settle, the better bonuses they get.

Watch for any discoloration in the skin. Could be a sign of infection. Did you have surgery?

goesslry · Joined: 19 Jun 2007

also, this is important. alot of people here are saying to "not milk the guy".

Remember, you aren't "milking" the guy that hit you. He has insurance. They pay for everything, not him. Even the most basic insurance covers that. And yes, you should milk the insurance as much as possible. The amount they pay is low, and not even close to worth the future.

in the agreement, once you decide on an agreement/settlement, will have (or you should make sure it does) all future hospital bills pertaining to the injury, or as a side-effect of the injury, will be covered. Make sure this includes all rehabilitation (therapy, etc), as that is not standard here. Make sure everything, however small and trivial, is written into the settlement, as the settlement contract here is a joke.

Canonite · Joined: 01 Feb 2011

kardisa · Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Location: Masan

Thanks everyone for your advice.

It's been exactly a month since my accident and I'm heading to the insurance office today to accept their most recent offer. My knee is doing much better (I can walk, jog short distances and do bodyweight squats) and I see no reason to drag this out any longer than necessary. The final offer for me was 3 million won for the bike and missed work (2 days, after taking my available sick leave) and the full cost of my medical expenses. My friend, who experienced a shoulder/upper back sprain was offered 500,000 + 100% medical. He is still deciding whether or not to accept this offer.

Some things I have learned from this experience (and yes, most of this was stated by other posters):

* Stay in the hospital as long as you possibly can. I was about to lose my mind after 4 days, and decided to ignore this advice and go home. I have no doubt that this cost me extra money. My friend chose not to be admitted at all, and has a much much lower settlement offer as a result.

* Remember that you're not Korean and you won't be treated like one. Also, the insurance company will revise their offer given the time.

* Get a trusted friend to work as your personal ambassador/translator when dealing with the insurance company. My boss performed that role for me, and I think that's why I ended up with as much as I did. He is a hard ass and had no problem telling them that their previous offers were bullshit.