It is often said that one small choice can have lifelong consequences. In some cases, the small choice is something as simple as getting into a car that your friend is driving. For one Florida man who played football for the Naval Academy, that was the choice that is still affecting his life.
The man was in a vehicle with his friend on Thanksgiving night in 2012 when the car ran into a house on a dead-end street. The man suffered a severe head injury. He was placed in a medically-induced coma for three weeks to hasten healing. He spent seven months in rehabilitation facilities in Virginia and Florida.
He worked hard and eventually returned to the academy where he attended almost all the football practices this past season. He wasn’t listed on the roster as a team member, so he was unable to travel for away games or dress for home games. His coach thinks the reason the man worked so hard to overcome the brain injury was so that he could play football.
Sadly, that isn’t going to happen. Doctors have refused to release the man to play football again because of brain scarring. As a result, the man has resigned from the academy. He has returned to Florida where he will volunteer as an assistant coach at Immaculata-La Salle High and attend classes at Florida International.
Realizing that you won’t be able to see your dreams come true because of a traumatic brain injury caused by an accident must be difficult. For this man, picking up the pieces and finding new dreams is likely going to be his new life.
If you have been injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault, you might have the right to seek compensation. While anything awarded won’t bring your old life back, it might give you the financial relief you need to move on. Seeking the assistance of a Florida personal injury attorney might help you understand the specifics about claims for damages you might be entitled to seek.
Source: Carroll County Times, “Navy football player who survived serious auto accident leaves academy” Bill Wagner, Feb. 14, 2014