After I-Team report uncovering pattern of complaints, Fort Worth City Council discusses first responders workers' comp issues
Just months after injured Fort Worth firefighter Caleb Halvorson's workers' compensation battle sparked outrage and questions about how North Texas cities treat first responders, the City of Fort Worth addressed concerns at a council meeting.
Halvorson was part of a crew responding to a two-alarm house fire on the city's historic Southside last September, when the home's garage collapsed around him, leaving him crushed beneath debris and his body covered in burns. Halvorson is home now, recovering, still in therapy, and facing additional surgeries. But his case drew widespread attention after his family took to social media, alleging that workers' compensation had denied and delayed parts of his care. He said that while he's getting the care he needs now, it's been a "horrible, agonizing" process.
After Halvorson's story became public, more than two dozen first responders came forward with similar accounts. An I-Team investigation found those stories are not isolated, raising questions about a system many describe as slow and adversarial.
On Tuesday morning, Fort Worth's director of human resources presented a 20-page overview of how the system is supposed to work, saying the goal is to treat employees with dignity and respect, and to provide high-quality medical care when first responders are injured in the line of duty.
"Workers' compensation is in place to ensure employees who are, injured or become ill as a result of their work, that they receive treatment on timely care and in some situations, compensation, for their situations," said Director of Human Resources Kristen Smith.
Fort Worth City Councilmember Charlie Lauersdorf said he doesn't believe there is ill intent when it comes to the workers' comp system, but that it's become clear to him that something has to change.
"There's been more and more and more stories," Lauersdorf said at the meeting. "Thirty plus first responders have come directly to me."
The city's human resources department presented plans to improve outcomes, including more accountability and adding two new support positions to help employees navigate the process.
Halvorson said he sees this meeting as a positive step in the right direction. But Lauersdorf said this is just the beginning.
"We're certainly not gonna stop the fight now because nothing's changed yet," he told CBS Texas in an interview following the council meeting.
How the system works
Across North Texas, when an employee of any city is hurt, he or she files a workers' comp claim. The city's insurance carrier or a third-party administrator decides whether care is approved. If a claim is denied, the case can be appealed to the Texas Department of Insurance.
State Rep. Jared Patterson has been a vocal critic of the workers' comp system and has been working on legislative changes for years. In an interview with the I-Team, he said that while insurance carriers make decisions, cities control those contracts.
In Fort Worth, taxpayers fund Sedgwick, the third-party administrator that handles workers' comp claims. In the past, the city has referred CBS Texas' questions about the system to Sedgwick, saying it made the decisions. Sedgwick, in turn, has referred us back to the city.
The I-Team found the same finger pointing in other North Texas cities.
