By Lillie Davidson
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
FORT WORTH, Texas — The workers’ compensation company used by the City of Fort Worth will pay for an injured firefighter’s surgeries and medical devices, the firefighter said Friday.
The company’s reversal comes after widespread backlash from government officials and the public. City council member Charles Lauersdorf ripped into the company on social media Thursday night, saying he was “declaring war” on it.
“Fort Worth doesn’t abandon the people who run toward danger,” Lauersdorf wrote on Facebook.
The firefighter, Caleb Halvorson, was severely burned in September when the roof of a house collapsed on top of him.
Halvorson spent 34 days in the intensive care unit at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital, being treated for second- and third-degree burns, a dislocated knee and other injuries.
The city’s worker’s compensation program initially denied coverage of a machine meant to aid in the recovery of Halvorson’s knee, and of laser surgeries to help with burn healing, he said.
“With tears and heartfelt gratitude, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has been showing love and incredible support through this very difficult time in mine and my family’s lives,” Halvorson wrote on Facebook. ”Thank you to the people who have offered help to step up to get me the supplies I need for recovery. Thank you for passionately fighting for me and with me.”
State Representative Jared Patterson said in a statement, “If not for the public post on Facebook and subsequent outrage by the public, it is likely that Caleb would not have received the care he needed. Legislators and members of the public will be watching to ensure that [the worker’s comp provider] follows through … with continued care.”
The Texas state firefighters’ union wrote on Facebook, “We’ve worked with Texas legislators to improve the system and denials are far less common now, but cases like that of seriously injured Fort Worth firefighter Caleb Halvorson remain infuriating. We’ll keep working until the system does not ever require community outrage for approval of proper treatment of line-of-duty injuries.”
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