Woman run over by lifeguard truck suffers brain injury

It appears that a case involving a woman who was run over by a lifeguard truck is now headed for trial. Three years ago, a Kansas woman was seriously injured after a Volusia County Beach Patrol truck ran over her while her husband and kids looked for seashells nearby. The accident happened July 2011 on Daytona Beach Shores, Florida. The victim’s attorney says that she was asleep on the sand when the lifeguard made a U-turn on the beach, running over her.

According to her lawyer, the 36-year-old woman’s injuries were so severe that she needed to be resuscitated. The extent of her brain injuries are not known but she has a gold weight implanted behind her eyelid to enable her to blink. She also can’t drink from certain types of containers and must physically hold her mouth closed in order to use mouthwash.

The woman’s case has even drawn national attention. The mother of two went on the Today show while still recovering from her head and back injuries. The case has drawn attention to the practice of allowing vehicles on the beach. In two unrelated incidents two young children, both only 4 years old, died after being struck by vehicles in 2010 while on beaches in the same County.

A victim suffering with a brain injury sometimes require long-term treatments and therapies. Those costs can quickly become unmanageable for most people. Victims of brain injuries should know that if they have been injured by someone not exercising reasonable care they may be entitled to sue to recover those expenses. Moreover, a person committing such an act may also be ordered to pay for the victim’s pain and suffering.

Source: The Daytona Beach News Journal, “Case of woman run over by Beach Patrol truck in Daytona Beach heads to court” Andrew Gant, Jun. 17, 2014