A police officer from Springfield, Ohio, had reason to be upbeat earlier this month when his doctors reported that he now has movement in both of his legs. Earlier it was feared he might never walk again.
The officer was hit by a pickup truck while on duty at the end of March. He had been in the middle of evidence collection for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office along Arlington Road. A New York Spinal Injury Lawyer said the 34-year-old driver was drunk and subsequently charged with his fourth DUI.
Speaking to reporters from Summa Akron City Hospital, the injured officer said his faith has helped him hold no grudge against the driver, who is still in custody. He called the incident “terrible,” but added that “we all make mistakes. What he did was a criminal offense. He’ll be dealt with through the justice system, through the courts, and I’m sure he wouldn’t do it again.” Many car accident are the cause of spinal injuries in Long Island and Manhattan.
The man went on to comment, “I’m not a vindictive person. If I’m going to heal properly, if I’m going to focus on getting better and on walking and on doing the things I need to do either to get back to work or in a situation where I can do something else with my life and still be productive, I have to forgive him.” He is currently working as hard as he can to recover from his injuries so he can walk again.
One of the specialists involved in his care reported that the initial diagnosis was dire. In fact, the officer’s wife had reported at an earlier news conference that doctors had given her husband only a very small chance of ever taking another step.
Thankfully, though, his spinal cord injuries don’t seem to be as severe as that initial diagnosis revealed. “His ability to walk is a realistic goal,” the doctors can now say.
The dedicated and hard worker police officer received an award from the Springfield Police Chief. The certificate was from the Summit County Prosecutor’s office and honored him as their “Top Cop.”
When a spinal cord injury is inflicted by another, you may have legal recourse to seek compensation. Contact a New York Spinal Injury Attorney today to make that happen.