Gastonia Pedestrian Accident Leaves Man Paralyzed with Spinal Cord Injury
Police are trying to find the driver of a hit-and-run Gastonia car accident that left a 55-year-old man with a spinal cord injury. Jerome Crawford was crossing the street at Gaston Avenue and West Franklin Boulevard on the evening of March 27 when he was hit by a vehicle that was making a left turn from Linwood Road. He is now paralyzed.
Spinal Cord Injury Facts:
• There are almost 200,000 people with spinal cord injuries living in the US.
• About 11,000 new SCI cases occur every year.
• The number one cause of SCIs for people under age 65 is car crashes.
• Fall accidents are the number one cause of SCI’s in the older age group.
According to SCIInfoPages.com, the approximate costs of living with an SCI:
• About 140,000 for initial hospitalization costs.
• $152,000 for a first-year paraplegic.
• $417,000 for a quadriplegic during the first year.
• Average lifetime costs for paraplegics that were hurt at age 25 is $428,000.
• For quadriplegics injured at the same age, the average lifetime cost of living with this kind of SCI is $1.35 million.
• About 52% of individuals who sustained SCIs had insurance at the time they were injured.
In addition to the loss of the ability walk and/or move your upper body, an SCI can lead to spastic muscles, breathing difficulties, blood pressure problems, sexual dysfunction, heart rate problems, and digestive problems. Depending on the seriousness of a patient’s SCI, round-the-clock care may even be required.
Living with a spinal cord injury is life changing and you will likely need a lot of professional help and financial support. Obtaining financial recovery from the party liable for your spinal cord injury can help cover your medical expenses and other associated costs and losses.
Gastonia police seek help in hit and run, Charlotte Observer, April 13, 2010
Man paralyzed after being hit by car in Gastonia, WBTV, March 29, 2010
Spinal Cord Injury Information Pages
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI): Fact Sheet, CDC
Related Web Resources:
The National Spinal Cord Injury Association
Spinal cord injury, MayoClinic
