If there is anywhere that people look on the bright side against all odds, it is Louisiana, and if there is any time when we do it, it is during Mardi Gras season, where we are only one social gathering away from it being someone else’s turn to buy the next King Cake. A Mandeville man is counting his blessings after sustaining only minor injuries in an accident that could have been a lot worse. George Fust was traveling from his home to the parade route of the Krewe of Eve parade in Mandeville, accompanied by several aides and family members, when a car struck his wheelchair and caused him to fall into a shallow ditch by the side of the road. The car left the scene without stopping, and in the dark and in the midst of the shocking incident, none of his companions could see the car’s license plate well enough to report its tag number to the police. Fust’s wheelchair sustained the worst of the impact, but his mother assured reporters that her son’s medical insurance will pay for a replacement wheelchair. Fust’s customized wheelchair is not cheap, however. If you use a wheelchair and it got damaged in a car accident, contact a Houma car accident lawyer.
Financial Losses From a Car Accident Are Not Just About Medical Bills and Lost Income
Electric wheelchairs give people with severe mobility impairments arising from a variety of health conditions much more mobility than they would otherwise have. These machines are a lot more than just a chair with wheels. They are custom built so that the user can easily reach all the controls, and they have cushioning and restraints in all the right places to prevent pressure ulcers from forming. In a highly publicized case several years ago, a paraplegic woman suffered life-threatening complications when, after her flight, the airline staff kept her in a temporary wheelchair for too long before returning her to her customized one.
If your customized wheelchair got damaged in a car accident, whether it was in the vehicle with you when you got hit, or whether you were riding in your wheelchair on the sidewalk when a car struck you, the cost of replacing your wheelchair should be one of the expenses you claim in your insurance claim. You can also claim the cost of a temporary replacement wheelchair that you use while your permanent new wheelchair is being built or repaired. The wheelchair that George Fust was using at the time of his accident weighed several hundred pounds and cost $30,000. Cars are not the only expensive machines that can get totaled in a car accident.
Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey About Personal Injury Cases
A personal injury lawyer can help you get the money you need after an accident that damaged your customized wheelchair or other costly medical device. Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana to set up a consultation about your case.
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