Hit by a Car - coverage for medical bills

Thank you for your attention. I am raising money to cover the medical expenses caused by a car accident in which I was a victim. I was an international graduate music student living in Denver at the time of the event.

I am fundraising for the coverage of the medical and paramedic bills of $5,000.

 

On October 13th 2020, I was hit by a pickup truck when I was riding bike from school to home.

I was crossing the street on the green signal and the driver of the truck was coming from the opposite direction, trying to make a left turn at the same time. He was supposed to stop and wait for me to finish crossing the street and then make a left turn; however, he kept turning and hit me. The accident occurred in the broad daylight and it should have been an extremely open sight from his point of view.

 

I was thrown to the ground and he stopped the vehicle before it hit me for the second time.

Thanks to the call of a kind person in the neighborhood (not the driver!), the ambulance came quickly along with the police force and I was taken to the ER at a local hospital. It was very fortunate that I did not get any severe damage to the brain and other important organs, but unfortunately, I ended up getting rib fractures with the extreme difficulty to breath, and terrible bruises. Due to the damage to the ribs, I was unable to sleep for a couple of nights. From the pain medicine, I suffered for extensive stomatitis. Most importantly, I could not play the oboe, my instrument which requires consistent and sensitive air blowing, for long time after the accident. I had to miss many classes, rehearsals and even a performance in which I was supposed to be featured as a concerto soloist. I also had to suffer for intense muscle spasms which kept coming back even after my rib fracture healed.

 

The driver claimed he did not see me. The police examined the situation and determined that he was not paying attention to the surroundings while completing the left turn. The police even implied that the driver was looking at the phone. It was very unfortunate that he is from out of the country and did not have the driving insurance to cover the accidents in the US. He later claimed in the court that he doesn’t have a large income.

After the series of trial sessions, the driver was found guilty for the careless driving and ordered to pay the restitution in full by my claim, which was the sum of medical bills, damaged property - the destroyed bicycle that you can see on the cover photo - and transportation cost, totaled about $5,000.

 

The court of Denver County and the driver’s attorney settled the case with the restitution plan of $50 a month for the first six months, followed by $100 a month for 47 months. It takes four years to collect enough money for the medical cost; however, I have to pay the expenses soon as the hospital and paramedics department would not wait for four years. Even after they set a monthly payment plan for me, I have no ability to make payments on time, since I am an international student and not allowed to work outside the school to make extra money. I could go into debt or bankruptcy for something that is not my fault.

 

All the attempts to apply for government's Victim's Compensation to this case, and to have the court to order to switch the lien of medical expenses to the driver of the truck were unsuccessful. Now, I need to have fund as soon as possible to pay off all the expenses and avoid going into debt.

 

I propose, in case I am able to pay off the medical and paramedics expenses by this fundraising, I am willing to make small, but continuous donations using the restitution payment I will receive monthly from the car driver, to contribute to the improvement of traffic safety.

 

Thank you very much again for your attention and kindness.