Two weeks ago, 17 News profiled a Bakersfield man who suffered a brain injury in a hit and run accident a year ago. Surgeons at Kern Medical Center removed a piece of his skull to relieve swelling on his brain.
But to this day, his skull has never been repaired, and he's still out of work. Lee Lyle says the system has failed him. 17 News tried to find out if that is indeed the case.
Two weeks ago, we introduced you to 53-year-old Lee Lyle, who says he's tired of playing head games. "Humpty Dumpty just wants to be put back together again," said Lee Lyle.
Eleven months ago, Lyle was riding his motorcycle when he was injured in a hit-and-run accident. "I hit them so hard I blew out the left front tire of their truck," said Lyle.
Lyle was rushed to Kern Medical Center, where surgeons removed a piece of his skull to stop the bleeding on his brain.
They placed the bone inside his abdomen to preserve it and prevent infection, and there it remains, almost a year after the surgery. "I want to be put back together again so I can resume my life and move on," said Lyle.
Lyle is unemployed now. His disability benefits have run out, he has no health insurance, and the follow-up surgery he needs has been tied up in red tape.
Administrators at KMC say they've tried to get Lyle to apply for MediCal disability. Lyle says he's been denied three times.
He applied for Social Security benefits, but last October, the Social Security Administration rejected his claim, saying his condition wasn't severe enough to keep him from working.
Mark Ashley is CEO of The Centre for Neuro Skills in Bakersfield, a full-service rehab facility for people suffering from traumatic brain injuries. He strongly disagrees with the SSA.
"Most employers are going to look at him with this concavity in his skull and look at this as a major liability for them. If he was to strike his head or an object were to strike him accidentally in the course of his employment," said Mark Ashley CEO for the Centre for Neuro Skills.
Lee Lyle says all he wants is to be put back together so he can get back to work.
17 News asked KMC CEO Paul Hensler why the operation is being held up. While he's prohibited by law from discussing Lyle's case specifically, he says a patient in this situation need only apply for MediCal disability and the hospital will move forward with the surgery.
"In the case of MediCal disability, we may not hear back from the state for a year or two, so we proceed immediately on the hope that we get paid. But we owe it to the county taxpayers to look for any other source of coverage before we just use county funds to perform the procedures," said Hensler.
Hensler says his finance department will even assist Lyle with the paperwork.
17 News told Lyle about KMC's willingness to resolve the issue, but you might be surprised at his response.
"I do not want to go to KMC to have this done if I can get it done somewhere else. It's not how I was treated while I was at KMC. It's how I've been treated since I was released from KMC," said Lyle.
Lyle says he has another possible option. Since our story aired two weeks ago, two Neurosurgeons, who've asked to remain anonymous, have offered to do the surgery free of charge.
"KMC wants to do something for me and now someone else calls. That's two positive things and not a negative direction, so it's a breath of fresh air. I can tell you that, definitely," added Lyle.
