Military Contractor Fights Insurer, "Going to Walk Again"

WOODSTOCK, Ga. -
A Woodstock man vowed he will walk again someday, but only if he can first beat his insurance company in court. As the FOX 5 I-Team discovered, he's not the only one fighting a system designed to protect this special group.

Willie Myers spent years protecting Americans overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. In his Woodstock living room, the 50-year-old former DeKalb paramedic showed off pictures of himself heavily armed escorting diplomats like John Kerry and Condeleeza Rice. He was part of the detail assigned to presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. He was trained as a medic should the worse case scenario ever happen.

"My job was to make sure I put you on the plane in the same condition I picked you up in," remembered Myers.

In 2014, Myers was reassigned to provide protection at the US Consulate in Jerusalem. On September 26, 2014 he clocked out to go swimming in the Mediterranean sea across the street from the US Embassy in nearby Tel Aviv. An apparent riptide and huge wave slammed him into the sea floor, severely bruising his C-4 vertebra.

"It was about maybe 30 feet from the shoreline… and that's the last thing I remember," Myers said slowly. "I woke up two days later, intubated, in an Israeli hospital. Woke up. Couldn't move. Initially thought my hands were tied."

They weren't tied. Doctors told him he was paralyzed, with little use of his hands or legs. He was airlifted back to Georgia, started physical therapy at Shepherd Center and began to get some partial movement.

That's when Myers recovery hit a major roadblock.

Myers did not qualify for Veterans Administration benefits because he was not a member of the military. He was assigned to work overseas as a civilian contractor for International Development Solutions. Under a federal law called the Defense Base Act, those companies must provide worker's compensation coverage for civilians who work overseas. Myers filed a claim with that insurance company, Allied World National Assurance.

Instead, the insurance company denied his claim, arguing that because Myers was hurt in Israel, he wasn't in a "Zone of Special Danger" such as Iraq and Afghanistan. In court, the insurer's attorney Richard Garelick told the administrative law judge "we would not be here today if this happened in Afghanistan, but it happened in Israel. Sure, Israel is a dangerous place, but no more than Atlanta or New York City." He also said the claim was denied because Myers was swimming during his off time.

But Myers said he was swimming to prepare for an upcoming physical fitness test and was on call should his services be needed back at the consulate.

"He was doing important work for the American people and shouldn't be treated like this," insisted Myers' attorney Gary Pitts of Houston. "When they're in a dangerous area, they're on 24/7. Really. So everything should be covered."

Since 9/11, our government has relied more and more on civilian contractors to supplement our military, like the six men depicted in the recent movie "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi," assigned to protect the CIA Annex there.

Several civilian contractors reached by the FOX 5 I-Team said they've also struggled to force their insurance company to pay their claim. Some say the financial strain has caused them to lose their homes. Even though they made good money working overseas, they said they thought they had insurance coverage to protect them from expensive, catastrophic injuries.

"You think these insurance companies are intentionally dragging their feet on this?" we asked Willie Myers. "Sure. It's a lot of money."

His insurance company's attorney denied that.

Myers estimated his workers comp claim could reach into the millions of dollars. He's married with two children. He plans to live a long time.

And walk.

"In my mind, I'm going to walk again," he said confined to a wheelchair in his living room. "I just need the tools to be able to do so. That's all. I need the chance to be able to do so."

It could be months before an administrative law judge rules on Myers' claim. The former medic said he expects a low-ball offer from his insurance company, thinking he's in a desperate situation. He said they better think again.

"Does that mean I'm going to short-change myself or short-change my family because somebody else wants to play a game with me?" Myers asked rhetorically. "No… I've PLAYED THE GAMES. I've had people shoot at me. OK? I've played those games. OK. Them wanting to play some bureaucratic paperwork game? We can do that."