Our friend, Curtis Guinn, is someone I’ve admired from the first time we met nearly 10 years ago. Curtis came to us after his second serious work injury, the first one 19 years before that.
Curtis is one of the hardest-working men I know and not one to give up. Working since age 13, Curtis’ family moved from Wilmington to Columbus at age 14. While attending Central High School, he would play sports during the school year and work evenings and during the summer.
When he was 18, his summer job was at DCSC in Columbus, working alongside a good friend. Curtis asked his friend if he knew of any nice gals he could introduce Curtis to. His friend smiled and said, “I know someone.”
The “someone” was a young lady whose family had moved to Ohio from Marion, AL when she was only 6 years old. The mutual friend was a good judge of character (and an excellent matchmaker!), as Curtis and Edna got along swimmingly. They’ve now been married 48 years.
Curtis started in Building Services as a Team Lead at State Teachers Retirement System in 1989. In 1994, he stumbled coming downstairs, twisting his left leg. Two surgeries were ultimately followed by a total knee replacement, with Curtis returning to work after each procedure.
After their kiddos were old enough to move out, and Curtis and Edna became empty nesters, Curtis got bored. So, he took a second full-time job with the city of Columbus in 2006! He worked 80 hours per week until his second injury in 2013 when he hurt his back pushing a dumpster.
The first injury, requiring three surgeries, was minor by comparison. With the back injury, Curtis has undergone more than a dozen operative procedures, several involving spinal cord stimulators and a couple of attempts at vocational rehab (the BWC concluded it wasn’t possible). Throughout all this, I’ve never known Curtis to lose his temper. He’s calm, soft-spoken, and measures his words with care. His eyes got wide, though, when we went to his recent permanent total disability hearing as I brought all his files with me (well, all I could carry, I told him), and he said, “Arnold Schwarzenegger would have trouble carrying all that!” (Spoiler alert: I am built more like Santa Claus than I am the Terminator).
Ohio Workers' Compensation Attorney Wins Settlement For Client![Ohio Workers' Compensation client success case]()
We helped provide some help with Curtis and Edna’s financial peace as the Industrial Commission agreed with us that Curtis’ injuries are work-prohibitive, so he merits ongoing disability. Curtis still keeps on, the best he can. He goes to the YMCA faithfully to ride the stationary bike. Fishing also gives him a sense of peace, and his church family and Bible study provide encouragement. I’m inspired by Curtis and Edna and am glad to introduce you to them.
