‘I’m in pain every day’ Retired Knoxville firefighter seeks workers’ comp solution after career-ending injury

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Chris Patterson was a Knoxville fire captain when he rescued a woman from a house fire in December 2022. He fell from the ladder and broke his back. To this day, Patterson is still trying to get help through the city's third-party workers' compensation administrator.

"I came here because I'm trying to get a spinal cord stimulator because I broke my back making a rescue one year and 11 months ago," Patterson said at a city council meeting on Tuesday. "Sedgwick, the company that they [City of Knoxville] hired, does not want to work with me and get me a spinal cord stimulator in a timely fashion. They want to drag this out and all of us city employees are putting up with this and we do not deserve this in the City of Knoxville. We are better than this."

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Patterson retired from the fire department due to his injury.

"I came off the ladder and broke my back and sustained career-ending injuries," Patterson said. "I had cerebral spinal fluid leaks, I had laminectomies done and I had five levels of fusion done. I'm in pain everyday, I just want some relief."

Patterson was surrounded by his brothers and sisters from different fire departments all showing their support for him.

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"I had my parents come out here. I've had my brother and sister firemen. I had a brother drive down from the Indianapolis Fire Department for this today," he said. "They know we are not getting treated right it's absurd what we have to deal with, this is insanity."

Patterson didn't hesitate when asked if he would return to firefighting if he was able to.

"Absolutely, today. I miss it so much. I miss my brothers. I miss the family. I love the job," he said. "I did it 29 years, 20 for the City of Knoxville. I was blessed to do it for the city. I loved it but I can't do it."

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Patterson told 6 News that several of the city council members came up to him after the meeting had ended and told him they had no idea this was going on. He hopes he got his message across and that he is able to get the help he needs so he can live life with less pain. We are told the device he is asking for costs around $100,000.