The family of an injured teenager says that their seriously injured 15-year-old son has been released to them from the hospital. Their son was in a serious accident that led to catastrophic injury to his brain, he was receiving treatment at the hospital since the car accident occurred last fall. While most families would be happy to get their son finally discharged from hospital care, this family disagrees. They say that their son is not yet medically fit to come home. Disagreements like this in New Mexico and elsewhere are common between insurance carriers and individuals who rely on insurance money in the aftermath of a serious injury.
The insurance carrier, Blue Cross Blue Shield, disagrees with the boy’s family. Blue Cross Blue Shield says that the boy no longer requires intensive rehabilitation at the hospital. As happens in many cases in New Mexico, the insurance carrier says the boy can be sufficiently treated as an outpatient from this point forward.
The boy’s father said that bringing him home has been difficult, as they were required to rent a special van capable of transporting the boy, which costs about $100 per day. Nevertheless, the family says it is trying to make the most out of a very difficult situation. At this time, they are using a special website to try to raise the funds necessary for their son’s continued care.
While the facts and details of the accident that led to this boy’s catastrophic injury are not known, this situation highlights the reason why money received from a successfully presented personal injury claim can be so essential to an individual’s well-being. Indeed, medical care is costly and often beyond the financial reach of most families. Without sufficient funds, accident victims may not be able to pay for the level of care they require. However, if the injured victim has a viable negligence claim for damages against the person who is deemed to have caused the accident, then a properly navigated personal injury claim could be a way to garner the money he or she needs for appropriate healthcare.
Source: CBS Pittsburgh, “Severely Injured Teen Discharged From Rehab Despite Concerns From Parents“, Brenda Waters, May 8, 2014
