My name is Chris Moses. I am 40 years old and married with 3 great kids. I live in Red Oak, Texas, a small town just south of Dallas, Texas.
I was hurt in the line of duty in 1998 while working for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department in Dallas, Texas. I was working in the jail when I had a serious fall, which caused major injury to my back and neck along with a few minor injuries to my hand.
After numerous tests, MRI’s, and CT-Scans the doctors determined that I would need surgery on my back and neck. Since then I have had 21 surgeries (5 major and 16 minor). I have a spinal cord stimulator implanted into my spine and 2 cervical fusions with a metal plate in my neck etc. My doctors have plans for me to undergo more surgeries in the near future. I will have to have at least one surgery every four to five years to change the batteries in the spinal cord stimulator and at least once a year I will need to have the nerves burned in my neck. The doctors have also determined that I have nerve damage down both arms and both legs along with failed back syndrome and chronic pain due to the injury and that I am disabled. I am unable to walk or sit for very long periods of time and I can’t lift anything over 15lbs. And I require numerous strong medications including Methadone to assist with the pain that I am in every day. I am not able to play with my kids like I use to before. It has been hard on my family and I with all the surgeries, constant pain, and the variety of restrictions. The impairment rating the doctors gave me was 41%, which is one of the highest in Dallas County history. The doctors have stated that I will never be able to work again. I do require the use of an electric scooter and a cane just to get around in areas that requires someone to walk a lot like a grocery store, zoo, etc.
I am drawing a little Social Security Disability. Dallas County did treat me well for the first 5 years but in the last 4 years I have had to hire a lawyer and go to court several times to fight for my workers compensation benefit money. The judges have ruled in my favor for the most part. The problem was that my family and I were going three to four months without any income from the county due to the judicial process. But as of April 2006, my benefits from Dallas County have stopped completely because the TWCC (Texas Workers Comp Commission) state law says that after 401 weeks past your date of injury your employer does not have to pay you anything unless you qualify for lifetime benefits. To receive lifetime benefits under the TWCC state law you have to be paraplegic, which is an impairment rating of 50% or higher, and my rating is 41%.
Now that I am not receiving any income from Dallas County they are denying me my monthly medications and office visits, which five of my doctors, three of TWCC doctors, and two of Dallas County doctors have reported that the medications and office visits are necessary and permanent. Now every three months I have to send a PRME request (Primary Medical Exam) form into TWCC who sends me to the same PRME doctor each time who always states that the medications and office visits are necessary. But Dallas County continues to do this to me every three months.
Because I am not receiving any financial benefits from Dallas County, it is very hard for my family and I to pay all of our bills. We have several medical bills along with regular bills because my wife has the BRCA2 breast cancer gene and she had to go through a double mastectomy and total hysterectomy last year at the age of 28. And our 2 year old daughter was born hearing impaired with deformities in her spine. She also has a cyst in between her spleen and her kidney that the doctors are watching. We currently have our house up for sale because we can no longer afford the house payment and we are afraid that the bank may take it back. We also have one of our vehicles up for sale due to finances.
This has been the hardest 9 years of my life it has been a very frustrating and stressful battle trying to get Dallas County to do the right thing and take care of me. There are very few Non-Profit Organizations for disabled or injured law enforcement officers to get financial assistance from. But I would really like to thank the United States Deputy Sheriffs Association for the times they have helped my family and I. It is definitely appreciated.
Chris Moses
I was hurt in the line of duty in 1998 while working for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department in Dallas, Texas. I was working in the jail when I had a serious fall, which caused major injury to my back and neck along with a few minor injuries to my hand.
After numerous tests, MRI’s, and CT-Scans the doctors determined that I would need surgery on my back and neck. Since then I have had 21 surgeries (5 major and 16 minor). I have a spinal cord stimulator implanted into my spine and 2 cervical fusions with a metal plate in my neck etc. My doctors have plans for me to undergo more surgeries in the near future. I will have to have at least one surgery every four to five years to change the batteries in the spinal cord stimulator and at least once a year I will need to have the nerves burned in my neck. The doctors have also determined that I have nerve damage down both arms and both legs along with failed back syndrome and chronic pain due to the injury and that I am disabled. I am unable to walk or sit for very long periods of time and I can’t lift anything over 15lbs. And I require numerous strong medications including Methadone to assist with the pain that I am in every day. I am not able to play with my kids like I use to before. It has been hard on my family and I with all the surgeries, constant pain, and the variety of restrictions. The impairment rating the doctors gave me was 41%, which is one of the highest in Dallas County history. The doctors have stated that I will never be able to work again. I do require the use of an electric scooter and a cane just to get around in areas that requires someone to walk a lot like a grocery store, zoo, etc.
I am drawing a little Social Security Disability. Dallas County did treat me well for the first 5 years but in the last 4 years I have had to hire a lawyer and go to court several times to fight for my workers compensation benefit money. The judges have ruled in my favor for the most part. The problem was that my family and I were going three to four months without any income from the county due to the judicial process. But as of April 2006, my benefits from Dallas County have stopped completely because the TWCC (Texas Workers Comp Commission) state law says that after 401 weeks past your date of injury your employer does not have to pay you anything unless you qualify for lifetime benefits. To receive lifetime benefits under the TWCC state law you have to be paraplegic, which is an impairment rating of 50% or higher, and my rating is 41%.
Now that I am not receiving any income from Dallas County they are denying me my monthly medications and office visits, which five of my doctors, three of TWCC doctors, and two of Dallas County doctors have reported that the medications and office visits are necessary and permanent. Now every three months I have to send a PRME request (Primary Medical Exam) form into TWCC who sends me to the same PRME doctor each time who always states that the medications and office visits are necessary. But Dallas County continues to do this to me every three months.
Because I am not receiving any financial benefits from Dallas County, it is very hard for my family and I to pay all of our bills. We have several medical bills along with regular bills because my wife has the BRCA2 breast cancer gene and she had to go through a double mastectomy and total hysterectomy last year at the age of 28. And our 2 year old daughter was born hearing impaired with deformities in her spine. She also has a cyst in between her spleen and her kidney that the doctors are watching. We currently have our house up for sale because we can no longer afford the house payment and we are afraid that the bank may take it back. We also have one of our vehicles up for sale due to finances.
This has been the hardest 9 years of my life it has been a very frustrating and stressful battle trying to get Dallas County to do the right thing and take care of me. There are very few Non-Profit Organizations for disabled or injured law enforcement officers to get financial assistance from. But I would really like to thank the United States Deputy Sheriffs Association for the times they have helped my family and I. It is definitely appreciated.
Chris Moses
