Badly Beaten Teenager Comes Home From Rehab Because of Limited Money
Like many in South Florida, our Miami-Dade catastrophic injury attorneys have been following the story of 15-year-old Josie Lou Ratley. Ratley is the Deerfield Beach middle schooler who was badly beaten by another teenager after she sent him a text message he interpreted as an insult to his recently deceased brother. Ratley had been in the hospital for six weeks after the March 17 incident and was transferred to a rehabilitation center afterward to relearn life skills like walking and getting dressed. But as the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported June 1, Ratley has left the rehab center and is recuperating at home, with frequent outpatient visits to the center. The move does not reflect how well Ratley has gotten, the newspaper said, but will save money that she will need during her long recovery.
Ratley sustained brain damage in the beating. The newspaper did not report on the extent of the damage, but a nonprofit organization that counters teen violence says she has trouble writing her name and recognizing days of the week, suggesting serious damage. Her family had relied on Medicaid for part of her medical care, the newspaper said, but it won’t cover an indefinite stay at the rehab center. For that reason, her family decided to move her home and allow her to be treated as an outpatient. The move makes the best possible use of donations private parties have made toward her care, the family’s attorney said. Another fundraiser is planned for later this month. The teenager accused of beating her, 15-year-old Wayne Treacy, is charged as an adult with attempted first-degree murder, and 13-year-old Kayla Manson is charged as an accomplice in juvenile court.
This sad situation, in which money limits access to needed medical treatment, is unfortunately familiar to our West Palm Beach catastrophic injury lawyers. Brain injuries are extremely expensive to treat, reaching seven figures over a lifetime for more severely injured patients. Depending on their injuries, victims of brain injuries may need months or years of rehabilitation like Ratley is undergoing; long-term help with daily life; and long-term medical monitoring. Medicaid and Medicare have limits, as this story shows. To make matters worse, adult victims may no longer be able to do their jobs, which means they lose an income suddenly and perhaps permanently. This is a difficult financial burden for any family to carry. However, if the injury was someone else’s fault, victims may be able to recover the money they need from that person, or his or her insurance company, through a personal injury lawsuit.
If you’re stuck with a financial conundrum like this, Law offices of Sebastian John Balliro, P.A. can help. Our law firm focuses its practice on representing people who have been seriously hurt through no fault of their own. In addition to people who were victims of violent crimes, this includes people who are victims of car accidents, injuries on the job, defective products and many other accidents that can ultimately be traced to someone else’s carelessness. Our Fort Lauderdale catastrophic injury attorneys recognize that no amount of money can ever reverse a serious accident or restore a loved one who was taken away too soon. But it can help victims get access to needed medical care and make ends meet during their recovery. We can also help clients recover compensation for their physical and emotional pain, lost quality of life and other intangible but very real injuries.
Balliro offers free, confidential consultations, so you risk nothing by speaking to us about your case and your legal options. To set up a meeting, contact us through the Internet or call 1-866-INJURED toll-free from anywhere in Florida.
