I am sure you have seen the well marked vans and transport buses in your Virginia city or town that provide for wheelchair transport. Sometimes they are owned by the City, sometimes by a private company, and other times owned and operated by retirement communities, nursing homes etc.
These vehicles are designed to transport people in wheelchairs safely. That is the sole purpose they are used.
Sadly, if the driver does not fasten, secure or hook the wheelchair and its’ passenger in properly, great injury can result.
A Richmond attorney Gregory Hooe, with Richmond firm Marks & Harrison recently represented the family of a man who was riding in one such vehicle, when his wheelchair fell backward causing the gentlemen to injure his spine. Within days of emergency surgery, he contracted pneumonia and died.
Heartbreaking – and preventable.
Sadly, this kind of carelessness occurs all over the Commonwealth. Drivers, rushed for time and concerned about their next pick up, may fail to properly secure already vulnerable and helpless people. The momentum of the moving vehicle, coupled with gravity and the force of a body in a wheeled chair – can lead to extensive injuries.
Frith Law Firm is available to discuss your concerns about such an incident. We are currently pursuing such claims and available to assist others.