Your son was on his first date with a new girl from school. They met in their second period economics class at North Technical High School, and he decided to ask her on a date. They were both juniors on their respective basketball teams, and despite the “locker room talk,” you knew he really liked this girl. He’d started to wear those collared shirts you thought he’d forgotten about instead of the St. Louis Blues t-shirts that he lived in. He combed his hair before school. He was almost unrecognizable.
He had packed a full lunch in a basket with the classic red-and-white-checkered blanket so they could have a picnic at Dunegant Park right after school. He even took the extra precaution to rent out a pavilion in case it rained. After adding it all up, he must have been planning it for weeks. You’d grown so used to seeing fake romance in high school kids, that you thought chivalry was dead. Not only were you being proved wrong, but it was by your own son! He was growing up to be the man you had taught him to be.
You were so proud that you wanted to check up on him. Maybe you were just curious what this girl looked like. Whatever the reason, you decided to take a little walk. You only live about ten minutes up the street and the dog needed a walk anyway. You rounded the bend on St. Anthony Lane and were about to cross Derhake Road when you noticed some flashing lights.
This isn’t especially uncommon, but instinct told you to move faster. The Florissant, Missouri Police had one cruiser pulled up to the baseball diamond, but something else seemed out of place. There was another car in the grass. Somehow, you maintained your calm demeanor and quickened your pace to a slight jog with your eyes focused on the blue and red flashing lights. Your ears picked up more sirens in the distance.
Your feet suddenly stopped and the sidewalk you’d only just been standing on turned into quicksand. The breath in your throat caught and your head suddenly filled with the thoughts any mother would have when she sees her son’s life being sustained by one man giving chest compressions.
A car driving down the side road had swerved onto the grass on the field just as he and his date sat down to enjoy their picnic. The situation was the epitome of the wrong place, wrong time. Six inches to the right or left and he would have been out of the way. One second earlier and the car would have missed him. Moments later, he regained his ability to breathe on his own, and his pulse became strong and regular. Many broken bones, a severe concussion, and three hospitalized weeks later, your family started to function somewhat normally again.
So, what now?
We always say, “The victim should never be the one to pay.” When questions are raised about the legal nature of an accident, the best place to find answers is with a law practice that has accident experience. In school, kids are taught to ask the teacher questions because that’s what the teacher was trained to do. When adults have questions, we ask our supervisors, or someone whom we know has more experience in the area. In the legal industry, we encourage you to do the same.
He had just verbally committed to playing at Washington University for the Bears. He had decent grades, but wouldn’t get a scholarship without his involvement in sports. Your family couldn’t pay for it otherwise. He was at the park during normal hours, doing normal park things. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. The car was driving recklessly and no one could have predicted that.
Am I a bad person for seeking compensation after this accident?
There is always a part of our thoughts that wants to take the “high road,” but there is also something to be said for holding the responsible person accountable for their negligent actions. Your pain and suffering is just as significant as the medical bills, lost wages, transportation, consultations, and other financial burdens. The experienced lawyers at Finney Law Office are well practiced in personal injury cases including car accidents, truck accidents, medical malpractice, negligence in nursing homes, liability claims, and other work related accidents.
As the victim, you’re entitled to compensation for the way the accident impacted your life. The driver, who had been driving home after a 15-hour shift at the hospital, had fallen asleep at the wheel only half a mile away from his home. Reckless driving behaviors frequently go unnoticed, but can be deadly for that same reason. Because there is no technical way to put a number to someone’s alertness, drivers often think their drowsiness is not a viable reason to call a cab. This proved to be very inaccurate in your son’s case, but how many other cases have gone unreported?
Solution
Even though it looks like everything in your son’s future is totally ruined, do not lose heart. The lawyers at Finney Law Office offer free consultation about your personal injury claim, and will be there for you. We cannot promise your son will get a second date with the girl from second period econ, but we can promise you that we will do our best to make his recovery as pain-free as possible.
Contact The Finney Law Office, LLC for your free consultation on your personal injury case in Florissant, Missouri. Your case is important to us and we want to see that reckless driving and other negligent behaviors are put to an end. This can only happen by holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
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