As his plant’s head mechanic, Arland Papenfuss worked on heavy equipment. One day, he was taking a bucket off a skid steer when the lock that held it unexpectedly froze. As he tried to fix the problem, the bucket fell and landed on his foot. After undergoing surgery on four smashed toes, Arland learned a week later they would have to be amputated.

The recovery took seven months, but fortunately, Arland had an individual DI policy from Illinois Mutual, which paid benefits over and above his existing workers' compensation coverage. As soon as he could, Arland returned to work performing similar duties, as his passion for his work did not diminish. He’s since retired and now enjoys time with his family.