In September of last year, Parkers Eads, a 22-year old college freshman, was struck by a Utah Valley University maintenance vehicle while traveling through campus on his motorcycle. 10 surgeries later, Parker has lost his left leg below the knee, and despite hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, has yet to receive a dime with which to pay these expenses. Utah personal injury lawyers Kenneth Christensen and Russell Hymas of the Christensen Law Firm are seeking not only maximum compensation for their client but are working with the Utah Legislature to raise the state’s policy limits in such circumstances, for, in this case, even policy limits will hardly suffice to pay the medical bills incurred. Current state policy limits are simply inadequate and must be changed to accommodate circumstances such as those Parker is facing.
Last September, Parker Eads, a 22-year-old university freshman, was riding through Utah Valley University (UVU) campus on his motorcycle when the driver of a university-owned maintenance truck made an improper left turn and struck Parker’s motorcycle. One witness cites, “The motorcyclist [Parker] flew from his motorcycle and hit the tire of my car, essentially rolled into it.” Another said, “He was screaming ‘Help me!’ repeatedly… He was holding his left leg, which was badly torn/broken.” These witnesses and others rushed immediately to Parker’s aid, applying paper towels to his leg until the paramedics arrived. Parker was sent in an ambulance to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where his injuries were deemed too serious for their facilities, and he was taken via Life Flight to Intermountain Medical Center. Over the course of his 12-day stay at the hospital, Parker was operated on 4 times for his left leg alone. Further injury included a concussion and multiple fractures of various body parts, all of these a result of his motorcycle accident.
6 months and 10 surgeries later, Parker’s left leg was amputated below the knee. He was forced to drop all classes during the first semester of his freshman year. Needless to say, activities such as snowboarding, rock climbing, and hiking, which Parker regularly enjoyed before the accident, will now be much more difficult. And of course, his family now faces medical bills in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, which, until the case is resolved, lay squarely upon him and his family.
Despite this tragedy, Parker’s spirits remain high. Having hired the Utah personal injury lawyers at the Christensen Law Firm, he is equipped with experienced and compassionate lawyers who seek not only future financial compensation for him but physical and mental restitution as well. Parker recently received a prosthetic leg, which was accompanied by an updated Facebook status—“New leg!! Boo-ya! :)” An already indomitable attitude was emboldened by the visit of celebrity David Archuleta, who came to Parker’s hospital room to wish Parker well and a full recovery. Parker has also returned to his studies as he looks forward to a bright future, well described in the words of his most recent Facebook post: “The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”
Parker’s accident raises great awareness concerning state policy limits on personal injury cases in Utah. The state of Utah employs thousands of workers across its many campuses, government buildings, and other state-owned entities, yet its maximum insurance policies are significantly less than that of any private establishment. Due to the fact that Parker’s accident involved an employee of a state-owned university, it is likely that the total amount he may receive in terms of compensation is less than what he may pay in medical costs over the course of his life. Parker may very well have to pay out of his own pocket at some future date for an accident he did not cause. As manifested here, the current state policy limits certain injured victims to think of their checking account before they can think of their own health.
For this reason, Kenneth Christensen and Russell Hymas are going to bat for Parker and for all future accident victims that may find themselves in the same predicament caused by short-sighted Utah law. They are currently working within the Utah legislature to get these state limits raised, for although Parker may not directly benefit from their perseverance in getting new legislation passed, countless others will.
The Christensen Law Firm always has a personal injury attorney on hand that represents clients who have been injured in car accidents, bike accidents, dog bites, etc. They have won cases amounting to millions of dollars, which have ultimately enabled those who have been injured to better deal with the effects of personal tragedy that accompanies wrongful injuries. If you have been injured or someone you know has suffered harm because of another’s negligent actions, call the Christensen Law Firm today at 801-506-0800. They will personally speak with you about your Utah personal injury. Do not wait. Take advantage of their services and expertise.