By Police1 Staff
HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — A jail deputy who was injured on the job has been fired from his position and is close to losing treatment.
According to KWCH12, Jaycob Hultberg,18, was in a medical room helping patients at Harvey County Jail when he fell and sustained a traumatic brain injury.
Due to Hultberg’s hospitalization, the county fired him because “he’s been on unpaid leave for more than 30 days,” which is the maximum amount of time employees can be on leave.
He is in a rehab facility thanks to the donations through GoFundMe and the community, but his family said the money is running out. He lost his insurance after his termination.
He is set to be removed from the rehab facility because workers’ comp has denied his claims, his family told the news station.
Hultberg needs more surgery to replace a portion of his skull that’s being stored in his abdomen.
Attorney Randy Stalcup told the news station a wrongful termination claim would be a claim separate worker’s comp.
“They’d have to prove they were terminated for discriminatory practice, which is not allowed,” Stalcup said. “In other words, ‘I was fired just because I had the work comp injury.’ Now if you can prove that, you win.”
Sara Pennington, Jaycob’s mom, told the station the family is concerned because “we’re afraid if he does not continue with his therapy, he’s not going to be able to function in the real world.”
Both Harvey County and workers’ comp refused to comment to the news station due to ongoing litigation.