The basketball coach at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego counts himself a lucky man, even though his family recently went through a harrowing near-death experience. His wife and three daughters were driving in the family’s minivan on Highway 52 back in March when a suspected drunk driver on the wrong side of the road caused a head-on collision.
The drunk driver was killed at the scene of the grisly wreck. Miraculously, all of the family members survived, although they suffered very serious injuries. The oldest daughter was in a coma for 17 days before being released from the hospital. One of the other daughters had a severely damaged lung, and the other one fractured her neck. The mother suffered many broken bones, including losing a portion of her foot. All of these injuries have taken their toll, physically and emotionally, not to mention the astronomical medical bills for the hospital stays, surgeries and ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.
Unshaken, the family is grateful to be alive, and also for the outpouring of community support they have received after the car accident. The father recently released a statement of thanks, saying “”We’ve got a long ways to go. We just want to let everyone know how thankful we are and how humbled we are by their support.”
It is hard to imagine keeping up with one’s career after a wreck like this completely shatters the lives of the people you love. The father has four people to take care of now, many of which have required near-constant medical attention and care. The thought then turns to how to make ends meet after suffering through overwhelming medical bills and a loss of working income.
The family may be able to hold the estate of the drunk driver accountable by filing a civil wrongful death suit for damages, if an estate exists or if insurance coverage was in effect at the time of the collision. They may be able to get compensation for their pain and suffering, as well as their monetary losses, including medical bills, lost wages and other damages.
Source: CBS 8 KFMB-TV, “Father thanks community for supporting injured family,” Matt Johnson, June 17, 2013
