First responders with the Reedy Creek Improvement District have launched a legal battle to collect workers compensation benefits after being tested and diagnosed with COVID-19.
Michael Grant, a paramedic with Reedy Creek since 2018, tested positive with the virus “on the job” on July 3 and quarantined at home for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended 14 days.
“I lost taste and smell quickly and I haven’t gotten back,” Grant said. “I have a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old and obviously they were my biggest concern.”
Before working with Reedy Creek, Grant worked for the city of Palm Coast and the Seminole County Fire Department.
Records confirm he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 3, one day after he was on his shift with Reedy Creek.
Despite his contention that he was infected on the job, he was denied workers compensation benefits and because of a unique policy, was forced to use his own personal sick leave.