Car accidents can occur in any situation and can cause any amount of harm to someone. Earlier this year a young boy was struck by a vehicle while he was riding his bicycle and his life is forever changed. The accident is causing much uproar as the friends and family of the young boy believe his medical condition as a result of this accident wasn’t regarded with the amount of consideration it deserved. Tennessee residents may have heard of this case, wherein community members of the boy’s state are now petitioning their governor to rethink how it sees such accidents.

This car accident has caused the young boy, an eighth grader, to deal with a traumatic brain injury for the rest of his life as well as losing most of his mobility in his limbs, cognitive response and communication skills. He remains alive, however, he is unable to do much, if anything on his own. His parents’ journey after his accident has cost them over $1 million worth of medical expenses, the mother’s job, and now they must face the decision about how to proceed with their son’s condition. The boy’s mother explains that her son’s life is ongoing physically, yet he is not able to function other than that and has begun preparing for whatever comes next.

This accident has garnered a lot of attention not just from the community around this family, but many people in the state and area have signed a petition to reevaluate the traffic laws surrounding pedestrian and bicycle crashes. A woman close to the family notes that the penalties for hitting construction workers can be up to fourteen years in prison and a substantial fine, larger than the $1,000 and no jail sentence that was required of the driver in this case.

While the ability to petition remains an option for a Colorado citizen, it cannot always fix the situations that have already occurred. For victims of car accidents that have changed a life similar to this young boy’s, contacting legal counsel might be able to help with the added stress of the financial burden as you begin to move forward. Understanding your options regarding medical care, insurance, and compensation may make this difficult time a little easier.

Source: The Chicago Tribune, “Parents, friends of disabled Downers Grove teen petition to change traffic law,” Dawn Rhodes, Nov. 2, 2012