A Lansing, Mich.-based insurance company, after first rejecting a claim, agreed to pay a man who was injured in the Joplin tornado while trying to save three men in a group home.

Mark Lindquist, 51, has required more than $2.5 million for medical treatment after the injuries he sustained in the May 22 tornado. He was in a coma for about two months, broke every rib, lost most of his teeth and suffered other catastrophic injuries.

On Oct. 24, one day after the media released news that the insurer denied Lindquist’s claim, Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America decided to reconsider its decision and pay the claim for Lindquist.

“Missouri’s workers’ compensation laws limit recovery for injuries received during a tornado to situations where the employee was subjected to a greater harm than that of the general public,” Mike Britt, president of Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America, said in a statement. “Upon further review of the case, and receiving additional information on the facts involved in this situation, Accident Fund believes the appropriate decision is to honor Mr. Mark Lindquist’s claim for worker’s compensation benefits. We are committed to working with Mr. Lindquist to ensure he receives all the benefits to which he is entitled and helping him to recover from his injuries.”

During the tornado, Lindquist, who worked in a group home, placed three middle-aged men with Down syndrome beneath mattresses, then climbed atop one of the mattresses to try and protect them. The three men died during the storm.

Lindquist, who couldn’t afford medical insurance, sought workers’ compensation, claiming he was injured on the job. But his company’s workers’ compensation provider, Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America, initially denied the claim in June “based on the fact that there was no greater risk than the general public at the time you were involved in the Joplin tornado,” according to a letter from a claims adjustor.