Did the family ever look into who was at fault for the accident? If it was not their fault, I would get an attorney, pronto. He could go after the people and their insurance company to get Ian's bill paid. Also, Ian's recovery may be able to go through their auto insurance (I have no idea about that, but I would look there). My sister was in an accident (carbon monoxide). She ended up with a below the knee amputation and she has her prosthetics paid for the rest of her life. They need to look into that.
WVMM
Thanks for the suggestion. I think they've engaged the services of an attorney, but I'll check with Tom.