State: Mo.
Carrier Reverses, Agrees to Pay Joplin Tornado Hero's Comp Claim: [2011-10-25]
On Sunday, the news service reported that Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America, based in Lansing, Mich., had denied Mark Linquist's claim - but the carrier announced on Monday it had reviewed the claim further and would honor it.
The tornado's 200-miles-per-hour winds threw Lindquist nearly a block, breaking all his ribs, knocking out most of his teeth, smashing his shoulder, impaling him on a piece of metal, and putting him in a coma for two months, the Associated Press said.
Lindquist, 51, incurred medical expenses that exceed $2.5 million, requires 11 prescriptions daily and will need more surgery.
Lindquist had no medical insurance, which he said he couldn't afford on his salary, but assumed workers' compensation would cover his bills.
Accident Fund, the workers' compensation carrier for Linquist's employer, Community Support Services, first denied Linquist's claim, based on him being at "no greater risk than the general public at the time you were involved in the Joplin tornado," according to a letter to Lindquist from Accident Fund Insurance, the Associated Press reported.
On Monday, Accident Fund announced it was reversing its position, the Associated Press reported.
In a statement, Mike Britt, president of the insurer, said that "upon further review of the case, and receiving additional information on the facts involved in this situation, Accident Fund believes the appropriate decision is to honor Mr. Mark Lindquist’s claim for workers' compensation benefits."
"We are committed to working with Mr. Lindquist to ensure he receives all the benefits to which he is entitled and helping him to recover from his injuries," Britt said.
Before the tornado struck, Lindquist and a co-worker went to a group home occupied by three middle-aged men with Down syndrome.
Because there was no basement or shelter and the residents moved too slowly to relocate, Lindquist and the co-worker placed mattresses over the men for protection and climbed atop the mattresses for added weight.
The group home was destroyed by the tornado, and the three residents were among the 162 people killed in the disaster.
After the storm, rescuers found Lindquist buried in rubble, and delivered him to a hospital.
Doctors told relatives that if Lindquist survived, it likely would be in a vegetative state, and in a best-case scenario likely would be blind in one eye, never regain use of his right arm, and never speak or think normally.
Lindquist also developed a fungus infection due to debris in his wounds.
The Associated Press reported Lindquist's right arm remains in a sling, but he has use of the hand; the eye that was temporarily blinded has full sight, and Lindquist moves slowly and has short-term memory loss, but speaks well.
Amy Susan, spokeswoman for the Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation, said earlier that 132 workers' compensation claims were filed after the tornado, with eight denied by insurance companies.
Monday's action by Accident Fund will change that count.
Source: Associated Press