Over a year ago, a Texas firefighter was involved in a terrible car accident and suffered a serious spinal cord injury. He was told by doctors that he would suffer paralysis from the neck down. After a few months recovering in the hospital, the firefighter started outpatient physical therapy which involved three to five hours of strengthening exercises. Despite the spinal cord injury diagnosis, he slowly made progress and started to gain use of his arms, shoulders and wrist. He has been able to move his toes on occasion.
The accident happened when the firefighter was driving his Toyota 4Runner westbound on State Highway 66. A driver of an Infiniti pulled out of an intersection thinking it was clear and hit the firefighter’s 4Runner on the back left side. The impact caused the 4Runner to roll down a ditch, injuring the firefighter significantly. In the car with the firefighter was also his son, who was strapped in his car seat. Fortunately, the son escaped serious injury.
After the accident, the man’s colleagues, firefighters from Garland, came to the hospital to support him. They hosted a few fundraisers and helped with household needs and bills. When the family moved to a different home in Rockwell, Garland firefighters helped modify the new home by making wider doorways and building a ramp. It has been a year since the accident, and the paraplegic firefighter is still striving to recover.
Recovering from spinal cord injuries can be a long and grueling process. When an accident happens in Texas that cause a spinal cord injury, it takes emotional and financial tolls on families. Filing personal injury claims can help families cope with spinal cord injuries receive compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering and long-term care.
Source: Dallas Morning News, Year after spinal injury from wreck, firefighter from Rockwall striving to recover, Andrew Scoggin, Dec. 20, 2013