The Warren Family Hardship
Donation protected
Before I share our story, I want to say that this is a last resort for us and I know there are many campaigns for more deserving or desperate situations but I have tried everything I can to get us through the next few months and don't know where else to turn now.
On Saturday June 20th Matt injured his right knee while filming a staged scene for the new introduction for the Joe Ray Bonding Show. The injury occurred around 9:30 that morning and the producer continued to push him to finish filming until about 3:00 that afternoon despite him being in obvious pain. That night we went to the ER where they did X-Rays which they thought revealed a tear to one of the tendons. Matt was given pain medication, his knee was placed in an immobilizer brace, and he was instructed to follow up with an orthopedic doctor ASAP. Monday morning Matt and I went to his office so he could inquire about filing a workers compensation claim and determine if there was a specific Doctor he needed to see to comply with workers compensation guidelines. It was at that time that he was told he wouldn't be able to file a claim because according to management he was a "1099 employee, and since he was an independent contractor he was not covered under their insurance". Prior to this statement Matt had never been told he was anything other than an employee and comments had even been made that their workers compensation insurance was so high because of the bail recovery agents. Matt has always gone above and beyond for the company and there were countless times that he would be late coming home because he was told he wasn't able to leave yet or because he had to run errands for the company. Even though he wasn't compensated for these duties, he was still expected to complete them and it was implied that if he didn't do what was asked he could find another place to work. Matt expressed his concerns to his manager about not being able to work for possibly the next 4-6 months because of the injury that occurred at work and that even though the workers compensation wouldn't be his full income amount it would be better than nothing considering he was the income provider for our family and our baby is due mid August and her response was that it wasn't her problem and things happen. We left the office shortly after the conversation ended and less than an hour after leaving he received a text message from his manager saying she understood if he wasn't able to work for a while but they needed to discuss his health insurance, cell phone, and Tahoe that she wasn't going to pay for these items any longer if he wasn't working. The following day was his appointment with an orthopedic doctor and he was told that it appeared to be a tear to his MCL and his meniscus may be ruptured but only an MRI would reveal the extent of the injury to know what recovery method was required. His MRI wasn't scheduled until the following Tuesday because they had to receive approval from the insurance company first and then his follow up appointment to know the results of the MRI wasn't until the Tuesday after that. He informed his manager that he wouldn't know exactly how long he would be out of work until the follow up appointment. The follow up appointment determined that he has a bone contusion and would require physical therapy for the next 6-8 weeks and his knee will be reevaluated 9/1. During each of his appointments he has been informed that he can not perform any high impact activity and his physical therapist has reiterated the importance of limited movement. As if not knowing how long it will be before Matt can return to work physically wasn't bad enough, last Wednesday afternoon he received an email from his manager letting him know that his services were no longerp needed and he needed to return all company equipment, including the Tahoe which Matt was supposed to receive the title to once it was paid off, by Sunday. Everything was returned that night. Now neither Matt nor I am able to work for the time being and we are already falling behind on bills and I am terrified of losing our house or only vehicle with a baby on the way in less than a month. We also have 7 horses, of which I've been unsuccessfully trying to sell several, and 4 dogs that I don't know how we're going to feed not to mention I don't know how we're going to put food in our refrigerator. We are only asking for enough help to get us through the next few months until Raylan is here and I am able to find a job and until Matt's knee is healed and he can start his job search. Matt deserves so much more than what he has received from his previous employer. He has given so much to that company and never even received as little as a text asking how he was and instead was kicked to the curb like trash. He has given so much and worked so hard to support our family and I feel completely helpless right now because I haven't been able to step up and support our family while he's down. Please help us if you're able and please share our campaign so we can bring Raylan home to the house we love in our vehicle.
On Saturday June 20th Matt injured his right knee while filming a staged scene for the new introduction for the Joe Ray Bonding Show. The injury occurred around 9:30 that morning and the producer continued to push him to finish filming until about 3:00 that afternoon despite him being in obvious pain. That night we went to the ER where they did X-Rays which they thought revealed a tear to one of the tendons. Matt was given pain medication, his knee was placed in an immobilizer brace, and he was instructed to follow up with an orthopedic doctor ASAP. Monday morning Matt and I went to his office so he could inquire about filing a workers compensation claim and determine if there was a specific Doctor he needed to see to comply with workers compensation guidelines. It was at that time that he was told he wouldn't be able to file a claim because according to management he was a "1099 employee, and since he was an independent contractor he was not covered under their insurance". Prior to this statement Matt had never been told he was anything other than an employee and comments had even been made that their workers compensation insurance was so high because of the bail recovery agents. Matt has always gone above and beyond for the company and there were countless times that he would be late coming home because he was told he wasn't able to leave yet or because he had to run errands for the company. Even though he wasn't compensated for these duties, he was still expected to complete them and it was implied that if he didn't do what was asked he could find another place to work. Matt expressed his concerns to his manager about not being able to work for possibly the next 4-6 months because of the injury that occurred at work and that even though the workers compensation wouldn't be his full income amount it would be better than nothing considering he was the income provider for our family and our baby is due mid August and her response was that it wasn't her problem and things happen. We left the office shortly after the conversation ended and less than an hour after leaving he received a text message from his manager saying she understood if he wasn't able to work for a while but they needed to discuss his health insurance, cell phone, and Tahoe that she wasn't going to pay for these items any longer if he wasn't working. The following day was his appointment with an orthopedic doctor and he was told that it appeared to be a tear to his MCL and his meniscus may be ruptured but only an MRI would reveal the extent of the injury to know what recovery method was required. His MRI wasn't scheduled until the following Tuesday because they had to receive approval from the insurance company first and then his follow up appointment to know the results of the MRI wasn't until the Tuesday after that. He informed his manager that he wouldn't know exactly how long he would be out of work until the follow up appointment. The follow up appointment determined that he has a bone contusion and would require physical therapy for the next 6-8 weeks and his knee will be reevaluated 9/1. During each of his appointments he has been informed that he can not perform any high impact activity and his physical therapist has reiterated the importance of limited movement. As if not knowing how long it will be before Matt can return to work physically wasn't bad enough, last Wednesday afternoon he received an email from his manager letting him know that his services were no longerp needed and he needed to return all company equipment, including the Tahoe which Matt was supposed to receive the title to once it was paid off, by Sunday. Everything was returned that night. Now neither Matt nor I am able to work for the time being and we are already falling behind on bills and I am terrified of losing our house or only vehicle with a baby on the way in less than a month. We also have 7 horses, of which I've been unsuccessfully trying to sell several, and 4 dogs that I don't know how we're going to feed not to mention I don't know how we're going to put food in our refrigerator. We are only asking for enough help to get us through the next few months until Raylan is here and I am able to find a job and until Matt's knee is healed and he can start his job search. Matt deserves so much more than what he has received from his previous employer. He has given so much to that company and never even received as little as a text asking how he was and instead was kicked to the curb like trash. He has given so much and worked so hard to support our family and I feel completely helpless right now because I haven't been able to step up and support our family while he's down. Please help us if you're able and please share our campaign so we can bring Raylan home to the house we love in our vehicle.
Organizer
Sarah Warren
Organizer
Hoschton, GA