Sometimes dreams never die. In this case, a paralyzed nine-year-old holds out hope to be a doctor.
This drunken driving case nearly ended a nine-year-old girl’s life. She is paralyzed from the chest down and in a wheelchair. Her life is no longer what it used to be. That has not stopped the plucky young lady from writing a letter to the man who shattered her life. She is certain her words will get his attention.
Once used to wrestling with her four brothers, the nine-year-old girl still holds on to her dream of being able to help others one day. She holds on to that thought, that even though she cannot walk now, it does not mean she can’t help others heal if she fights hard enough to be able to walk one day.
This story started on the day of her eighth birthday. She and some of the women in her family had gone out on the town for haircuts and manicures. It was an exciting day. They were headed home later, talking about the birthday girl’s cake and what they would do with the rest of the day, when a car slammed into them. The driver had a blood alcohol content at three times the legal limit. He was driving while impaired.
The young girl wanted to see if the 28-year-old driver had learned a lesson from what he did, and whether or not he was sorry. She read her letter to him out loud in the packed court room, bringing tears to everyone’s eyes, including the drunken driver who had left her paralyzed from the chest down. He was sentenced to jail for ten years; the girl hopes that when he gets out, he will remember his actions and how they harmed someone else and changed her life forever.
This accident seriously injured not just the nine-year-old girl, but put her family in a position of extreme financial jeopardy. The girl’s hospital bills and rehabilitation now, and in the future, are phenomenal. The only way for the family to recover some of the money would be to file a personal injury lawsuit, as this court case was held in the criminal courts. A successful claim would help them recover medical bills, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs among other things, as they struggle to care for their daughter.
Will she ever walk again? With a spirit like that, she likely will. Even at the young age of 9, she has more pluck and courage than many other people in a similar situation.
For anyone that has been in an accident such as this, do not wait to talk to a personal injury lawyer about compensation. While there may be criminal proceedings, that does not bar you from launching a civil action when the criminal trial is completed. In fact, a criminal conviction bolsters the civil action, and the two can go hand-in-hand. The criminal case is to protect the public from that kind of behavior. The civil case is for compensation.
When in doubt about what to do, always call a seasoned Nashua injury lawyer and get the straight scoop. It’s your life. You matter, and your lawyer will go to the mat for you.
Charlie Donahue is a New Hampshire personal injury lawyer located in Keene. Donahue handles injury cases in New Hampshire and across the United States. To learn more about New Hampshire injury attorney, Charlie Donahue, visit Donahuelawfirm.com.
