In a veterans’ medical center northeast of Texas, a federal credit union has teamed up with administration staff members to accommodate certain patients who have injured spinal cords. The recent project came after it was brought to the attention of credit union officials that a veteran with a spine injury might have difficulty accessing ATM machines in the building. The chairman of the Spinal Cord Injury Resident Council led the credit union’s senior vice president on a tour to illustrate the point.
During the tour of the medical center, the credit union officials were told that new ATM machines were needed to help those with spinal cord injuries more easily access the features. It has been reported that the Langley Federal Credit Union has been a staunch advocate for more than 10 years for those who suffer from spine injuries. Installing a new special needs-equipped ATM machine in the Virginia Veterans’ Medical Center was reportedly a welcomed project by both staff and patients.
Many of the patients at the center suffered their injuries during military service. However, some might have been injured in motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents or under other circumstances. Being able to use a handicapped accessible ATM machine is considered by many to be one way to help injury patients restore a certain amount of independence as they recover and learn to function while in a wheelchair.
In Texas, when a spine injury is suffered through the negligence of another party, it is considered grounds for litigation in a civil court. The injured victim is able to seek liability against the person or persons deemed at fault for his or her injury. In a successfully litigated case, a compensatory award could be used to pay medical expenses and help with other monetary damages related to the accident.
Source: dailypress.com, “Langley Federal Credit Union opens ATM for spinal cord injury patients at Hampton VA“, July 31, 2015