There are a variety of injuries that may result when a semitruck slams into a passenger vehicle. One of the possibilities is that a victim will suffer a spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, these are often lifelong injuries that require significant modifications in order to carry out activities of daily living (ADL).
Some with spinal cord injuries might be paralyzed from the accident. This can mean that they need to have a wheelchair to remain mobile. Not only do they have to think about transportation, they also need to have a home where they are free to move around.
How can a home be modified to be accessible for a wheelchair?
Some homes are already fairly wheelchair friendly; however, older homes might not be. In order for a wheelchair to move freely through the home, all halls and doorways need to be a minimum of 36 inches. Single level homes are ideal unless you can have a special lift or elevator placed in a multilevel home. The floors should all be flat and even to make it easy for the person to move around. Having a roll-in shower and specialized patient lifts around the house can increase the ease of normal activities. For example, a transfer hoist to move from the wheelchair to the bed or sofa might be helpful.
What special considerations might be beneficial?
Remember that a person who is in a wheelchair won’t be able to reach as high as a fully able-bodied person. In order to compensate for this, light switches, countertops and other things they will need to reach on a regular basis might have to be placed a little lower than what is considered standard. It might also help to have electrical outlets placed at an easy-to-reach location for things like charging a phone or even a power wheelchair. Using lever door handles and bar shaped drawer and cabinet pulls can also make life a little easier.
These home modifications, as well as vehicle modifications and even the wheelchair itself, can be costly. The victims who are paralyzed due to a big-rig wreck might opt to seek compensation for the financial impacts of the crash.
