College Student Steps on Explosive
Imagine going on vacation and at the end of your vacation learning you have to have a limb amputated. This is exactly what happened to an 18-year old college student in July of 2016. The Music Engineering student from Virginia was in New York’s Central Park with two friends who were vacationing with him. The three young men were climbing rocks; little did they know there was some type of explosive hiding in the rocks. The students heard an explosion and when they turned around, they saw the victim lying on the rocks with a mangled foot.
Could this accident have been prevented?
According to the NYPD Bomb Squad, who was brought in as a precaution, it did not appear that the intent of the device was to cause harm. Instead, it is believed that a person who has a working knowledge of chemistry designed the device to make noise, not cause harm. While the police have been unable to determine who was responsible for the bomb, they have continued to look for the person responsible. The injured student and his friends are not believed to have been carrying the explosives with them at the time of the incident. In this instance, the only possibility of avoiding this incident was if the young men had avoided climbing the rocks, a legal activity.
The victim’s injuries: Long-term consequences
Unfortunately, the explosion caused a life-changing injury for the victim. Because of the extensive damage to his foot and lower leg, doctors elected to amputate the victim’s leg below the knee. This type of surgical procedure, amputation, is very serious and is done in only extreme cases. In this case, we must speculate as to the reasons for amputation because no information has been released.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, amputation is “surgery to remove all or part of an arm or leg. It may be done to treat injury, disease, or infection. It may also be done to remove tumors from bones and muscles.” In this case, injury was clearly the reason. While most of us anticipate an injury will simply heal, most news reports indicated this victim’s foot and lower leg were “shredded” by the explosion. Because of this level of damage, it is fairly common to recommend amputation since it is unlikely that the victim could heal from this level of damage.
Can anyone be held responsible for the injury?
Should the New York police be able to identify the person responsible for creating the explosive, the victim may have the grounds for a personal injury suit. Since the suit occurred in New York the suit would have to be filed there. This is in spite of the fact that the victim was a student in Florida and a resident of Virginia. Additionally, there may be some question as to whether the statute of limitations could pose a problem; if the person responsible is not found before the deadline, there may be a problem filing a lawsuit. It’s important to remember, this type of incident can occur anywhere, not just in New York.
Importance of seeking legal help
Personal injury laws are complicated and it is not always immediately obvious who is responsible for an injury or death. This is true whether the accident is a complete freak, as this one was, or you were involved in a roadway accident. While in the case referenced here, it is impossible to hold anyone accountable until such time as the culprit is identified, in most cases, the responsible party is identified easily.
Remember, even a serious car accident can result in your losing a limb to amputation. Crushing injuries can stop blood flow, which can cause the tissue in the limb to die. Infections are also a common cause of amputations; infections can occur while recovering from an accident or as a result of surgical procedures.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
When you’ve suffered an injury or your loved one has lost his or her life, it is natural to want to blame someone. Not every accident is the result of a deliberate action or negligence but when it is we can help you hold the person who is responsible accountable. Brandy Austin Law Firm is located in in Arlington, Texas, but serves personal injury clients throughout the state. Please call us at 817-841-9906 or complete our online form.