Pain only starting for accident victims (Illinois)

Peoria Journal-Star ^ | July 7, 2008 | Steven Bushong

[Graybeard58]

Motorcycle wreck that caused injuries, amputation also has Bartonville couple struggling to pay the bills

BARTONVILLE —

Since coming home from a nearly two-week hospital stay following a motorcycle accident, Thom and Pam Royster have spent most of each day in their bedroom, where they lie in comfortable darkness, surrounded by motorcycle memorabilia.

They grimace when pain strikes. They console each other. They try to stay optimistic.

Losing hope amid the compounding worries that have impinged their lives since the accident would be destructive.

"We have to (be optimistic)," Pam, 41, said recently. "If I'm not confident, things will be worse."

On the evening of June 21, a car crashed into the side of Thom's '74 Harley-Davidson Sportster. They are now, for most purposes, bed-ridden.

Doctors amputated Thom's left leg below the knee. They inserted a rod into Pam's left leg to support her fractured femur and stitched closed her deep road wounds.

The injuries, which will keep them from standing for months and top a long list of trauma, are the beginning of their problems.

The driver of the car, Mindy M. Hash, 34, of Bartonville, did not have insurance. She was ticketed with operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to yield.

The Roysters only had liability insurance.

What's worse, the couple does not have health insurance or disability insurance.

"Our main concern is losing the house," the split-level at 6105 S. Adams St. where the Roysters and their three children - ages 15, 17 and 19 - have lived for a decade, Pam said.

Accident and aftermath

On June 21, Pam was riding with her husband of 10 years as he drove drove west on Garfield Avenue. The couple were on their way to the Splash Carnival at Alpha Park in Bartonville when a Buick LeSabre turned from LaFayette Avenue and hit them.

"Unfortunately, I was awake through it all," Thom said. "By the time I stopped and rolled off the bike, I look back and she's about 10, 15 feet behind me just laying there not moving . . . I look down, I see my leg, and I got a couple tendons holding the bone, which had my sock and shoe on it."

Pam spent 13 days at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, three of them in intensive care. Thom's stay was one day less. While at the hospital, both lost their jobs.

Thom was in training at Caterpillar Inc., which days after the accident sent him a letter that read, "Sorry to hear about your accident. As a supplemental employee, you are not eligible for disability benefits or leave of absence."

And Pam, a temporary worker, was replaced at Kirby Risk Electrical Supply.

While their income has ceased, the medical bills, the mortgage, utility bills and food costs still are mounting.

"My mom has been calling around to different churches, this and that, for helping hands," Thom said, but they haven't received a response.

"Frankly, we're somewhat at a standstill, really. We don't know what to do next," he said.

Help is limited

Family and friends have offered help, especially in acquiring materials to build a ramp to the front door - much needed, as Pam spent 35 minutes moving from the driveway to her bedroom Friday morning when she was released from the hospital. But they haven't received all the materials and they don't know how to build it.

"Until we get someone who even knows how to put something into this place, because of the shortness of the lot and height of the yard, nobody knows what to do," said Peggy Royster, Thom's mother.

And their families can offer limited help in paying for essentials, such as electricity and food.

"I just borrowed $74 (Friday) just to get my prescriptions from my mother-in-law," Pam said.

"We've never been rich, by no means, but we've always paid our bills."

The couple has applied for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, which could help. They've also applied for a medical card, which could pay for the estimated $200,000 hospital bill they've accumulated so far. Their approval status for both won't be known for months.

Along with financial hardship, weighing equally on their minds are the aspects of life that will be lost or delayed because of the accident: Things like fishing with the kids, working for themselves and riding the Harley.

That's something that may never happen again, they said, regardless of the love for the freedom they felt while riding.

"It's going to take us a while to get over this," Pam said. "And me, I don't even know if I can get back on a bike again. I have that fear. And I love riding, and to me, that's taking part of my life away - the fear."

[Nik Naym]

I bet you it doesn’t cost a heck of a lot of money either.

[Graybeard58]

Thank you for your prayers and concern.

I live within a few miles of this family but didn’t know them until today. My 8 year old grand son and I went to their house and had a nice visit with Pam, Thom and Thom’s mother. There is a very sharp incline from the driveway to the door (steep steps) and I can’t see how a simple ramp will ever do the job.

I ask for continued prayer for this family. They, indeed anyone, is deserving of that.

[Lurker]

It adds about 50 bucks a year to my premium.

I recommend that everyone do something similar.

L

[Nik Naym]

I received a small number of private freepmails chastising me for being judgmental, lacking compassion, one said that the victims just “couldn’t afford” insurance and the fact that they were riding a ‘74 model motorcycle was proof of that.

50 bucks. You can get coverage against these types of things for $4 per month. That’s FOUR DOLLARS a month! Less than the price of one gallon of gas.

I have been accused of being an unfeeling jerk. I feel sorry for these people’s kids.

[Lurker]

I learned that little insurance trick the hard way. My first wife was crippled by a foreign national (Canadian) who was driving carelessly.

Canada has 'national insurance' of some kind which limits liability to 250K. The lawyer I hired advised me to up my uninsured/underinsured coverage to that amount.

I advise that you look into it as well. It really doesn't add that much to your premium and should you ever be damaged by someone without adequate, or any, insurance coverage you'll have some degree of protection.

Best,

L

[Emmett McCarthy]

I think the uninsured motorist premium for a bike is a lot higher than it is for a car. So much so that a lot of bike owners decline it.

[Lurker]

Well then they've made their decision and they should live with the consequences.

L

[metmom]

I had a bike once and gave it up after some old guy pulled up next to me, glared at me, and deliberately tried to run me off the road.

I really enjoyed riding but decided that it wasn’t worth the risk.

I do try to be careful around motorcycles but there’s so many out there that are such idiots and race around and cut in and out of traffic. It’s really aggravating to see all these warnings to drivers to be careful of motorcycles when the motorcyclists by and large are far worse offenders for reckless driving than any other motorists I’ve seen.

The arrogant, obnoxious attitude they display in their flagrant disregard of the rules of the road kill any sympathy I would likely have for them should they have an accident some day.