January 15, 2013 | By Greene Broillet & Wheeler
“Obviously, I would like to walk again, that would be great. I don’t know how far down the road that would be, if it would happen, but if not, I wouldn’t let it hold me down.”
These are the words of a California high school junior who broke his neck when he hit a sandbar. The boy’s spinal cord injury is serious, but he will not let a diagnosis dictate his fate.
In this blog, we often discuss the bad things — the car accidents that seriously injure or kill people — in order to shine a light on what injured individuals can do if they find themselves in a similar situation. Yet, behind the accidents are the individual stories we hear every day. Stories about “victims” who will only let us call them victims in front of insurance companies and in court… stories about overcoming challenges and learning to enjoy life in different ways.
“Strong” is not a poignant enough word to describe the individuals that walk through our doors. They have undergone serious events that have forever changed their lives. But they are resilient and willing to fight for what is just.
They, like us, want drunk drivers off the roads. They want to see texting-while-driving laws in place so no one will ever experience what they have experienced. They want compensation for their injuries because they need it to move forward. They do not want to face low-ball settlements or a fight from an insurance company.
These people — these strong individuals facing adversity — they are why we do what we do, why we continue to work our hardest for our clients and fight for change to make our communities safer places to live.