FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 12, 2014
CONTACT:
Edie Surtees
Communications Director
512.407.2739
esurtees@drtx.org
AUSTIN – The Dell Legal Team and Dell attorneys Maryann Overath, Martin Hernandez, Laura Robertson, and Susan Marx were recently honored with an award from Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) for their outstanding pro-bono work. DRTx is a non-profit organization that provides legal and advocacy services for Texans with disabilities.
Peter Hofer, Senior Litigation Attorney for DRTx, presented the award to the team and individual attorneys for their outstanding work in handling cases that have made an important impact on young people’s lives.
One case involved a teenage boy who sustained a spinal cord injury in an accident and was suddenly denied approval by Medicaid for a device he had been using for three years for respiratory treatment. Hernandez argued at a Medicaid hearing on a behalf of the young man and was able to get the device reapproved.
At another hearing, Marx and Robertson argued successfully to reinstate eligibility for a teenage girl in a special Medicaid program. The young lady has cerebral palsy and other serious health conditions and was in the program for seven years when she received notice she would no longer be eligible despite her worsening condition.
Overath, who was once an attorney at DRTx, serves as a key resource and consultant in helping the Dell attorneys manage the DRTx cases.
Every day DRTx receives numerous requests for its legal and advocacy services that they cannot fulfill due to limited resources. The time given by pro-bono attorneys like those at Dell is vital in helping DRTx serve more people with disabilities whose legal rights are being violated and who need professional assistance so they can receive what they need to survive and thrive.
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Disability Rights Texas (previously named Advocacy Inc.) is the federally designated legal protection and advocacy agency (P&A) for people with disabilities in Texas. Our mission is to help people with disabilities understand and exercise their rights under the law, ensuring their full and equal participation in society.