It’s only natural to reflect on the past year as we begin 2015.
Often in this job, I have the experience of working with people who have suffered severe injury or the loss of a spouse, son, daughter, or a sibling.
In 2011, I took on a case where the victim was a German citizen, who while visiting the USA, was run down by a bread delivery truck while riding his bicycle in rural Pulaski county. My client, suffered life altering injuries to his head, back, neck, and spine. The careless and negligent acts of the truck driver on that fall day forever robbed my client of the ability to care for himself, to communicate, and to move his limbs without assistance. We still don’t know if his paralysis is a result of his traumatic brain injury or his spinal injury which required surgery.
Since 2011, when not in a hospital suffering from his severe traumatic brain injury, pneumonia, bowel obstructions, and other ailments, my client has lived in a facility that provides around the clock care. He has to be fed, bathed, rolled over, and changed every day. His sister visits him as much as possible but is unable to take him out of the facility because he needs a special van in order to be transported safely. She has never been able to take him home for Christmas. She doesn’t have a transport van. She doesn’t have enough money to buy one.
He has endured multiple therapy sessions for speech, swallowing, and movement. His doctors believe that he has a chance of regaining some of his abilities if he is able to receive more intensive therapy. He hasn’t received this additional therapy. He doesn’t have enough money to pay for it.
Until now. After 3 years of intense litigation, my client’s case was settled for 21 million dollars ($21,000,000.00). This is I believe to be one of the largest personal injury settlements ever in Virginia. Now, he has hope for improvement with therapy. His sister will be able to pay for the additional medical care that he needs, that his health insurance company won’t pay for and he will be able to leave the confines of his care facility. Money will never buy him his old life back, but it will give him hope for improving the quality of life he has now.
It is impossible to read this and not wonder what you would do if you or a loved was in an accident like this. How would you go on? How would you pay for the hospitals, therapies, surgeries, doctors, wheelchairs, transport vehicles, braces, hospital beds, and nurses you or your loved one would need? What if you had no health insurance? If you have health insurance, how much would it pay for? How long would it pay?
You would start by calling an attorney with experience in working with clients who have suffered catastrophic injuries. When you call me, I will thoroughly investigate the accident, go through every bill, interview every eye witness, find expert testimony and aggressively represent you or your family member. So, if you’re reading this because the worst has happened to you, call (540) 777-4900 for a free consultation today.
Read more about my client’s case in The Roanoke Times.
