I wanted to post this as a reminder to all of us, just what happens when you get injured in this kind of work. There are no ‘how to’ manuals on this stuff, nor is your care guaranteed to be complete or even good. The one thing you can do is prepare yourself mentally for the possible outcomes when injured. And if you read through Jeff’s story, as well as the many other stories printed about the subject, you will find that it is no easy fight. Companies like AIG will fight tooth and nail to pay as little as possible to cover your injury. One thing is for sure, either spend the money on a good insurance policy that covers war zones or get a good lawyer, or get both if you can afford it. Also get a good CPA, because you will need it for all the financial headaches involved with this stuff. –Matt
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Severely injured as a truck driver in Iraq, Jeff Haysom fights to rebuild his life
by LEAH BETH WARD
Yakima Herald-Republic
SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic
Jeff Haysom sits with one of his family’s goats, Gizmo, at his home in Gleed. While he was working as a civilian contractor in Iraq, Haysom was injured by shrapnel from a bomb that tore into his shoulder and also left him with a traumatic brain injury. Haysom is still active around his home, but tires easily and has trouble remembering things — disabilities that have made it impossible for him to keep a job. Instead, he works around his home caring for his animals including turkeys, chickens and goats. Although he and his wife are still fighting for workers compensation benefits, he says that his injury has forced him to slow down. He says that although it might take him twice as long to complete a task as it did before his injury, he’s grateful for every day and the opportunity to spend time with his family and at his home.