After an AP story ran about it, an insurance company has reversed its decision to deny paying the medical bills of a man who barely survived the Joplin tornado while he tried to safeguard three developmentally disabled adults in the group home where he worked.

Each of the three men died, and Mark Lindquist nearly did too. His doctors never thought he would wake up from the coma he was in for two months, regain sight in his blinded eye, or move his hand again after his shoulder was destroyed. He did all those, but he wasn’t able to get the Accident Fund Insurance Company of America to pay his workers’ comp claims, even though he suffered his near-fatal injuries while on the job.

Then the AP ran a story about his plight and the insurance company changed its tune. “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 worker’s compensation benefits,” the company told the AP. “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.”

Public shaming saves the day again.

Insurance firm agrees to pay Joplin survivor [AP]

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