Brain-injured teen recovering after accident
Personal Injury News
Article Date: 7/20/2009 | Resource: MLG
Brain-injured teen recovering after accident
“Vallee Marion of Westminster is critical but stable and could recover in as early as three months, her father says.”
Vallee Marion, a 15-year-old Huntington Beach High sophomore who was seriously hurt in a car accident Thursday, is in critical but stable condition at UCI Medical Center, her father Albert Marion said today.
Neurosurgeons told the family Sunday that Vallee’s “numbers are looking great” and that her condition is improving. Doctors told the family that they expect her to be “fine” within the next three to four months, Marion said. The neurosurgeon however said that Vallee may have some weakness on the right side, but that she would be fine neurologically.
Vallee, who suffered a critical brain injury in the accident, was not wearing her seatbelt, Fountain Valley police officials said today.
The single-vehicle accident occurred about 12:20 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Magnolia Street and La Stella Avenue, Fountain Valley police officials said. The Chevy Trailblazer was being driven by a family member who lost control of the vehicle after it hit the curb, said Sgt. Eric Orahood.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation. According to witness statements, the vehicle drifted to the right, struck the curb, then overcorrected back to the street, slid sideways and began to roll, Orahood said.
“We don’t believe alcohol or speed were factors in this crash,” he said.
There were no citations or arrests in this case, Orahood said.
Neither the police nor the family is identifying the family member who was at the wheel when this car accident occurred.
Albert Marion said last week that he could not imagine why his daughter would not wear her seatbelt.
Orahood said the driver was buckled up, but Vallee was not.
Marion said Vallee is now stable and that her pupils are reactive.
“The swelling in her brain has been relieved and she remains reactive to pain stimuli throughout her body,” he said. “These are all good signs.”
Vallee’s mother, Lisa, is continuing to update her condition in a Web journal at ww.caringbridge.com/visit/vallee.
Marion said the site was put up Friday morning and that it has had 3,856 visits already and 249 guestbook entries.
“The outpouring is overwhelming,” Marion said.
For more information regarding this article please contact:
Jeffrey Marquart
(949)589-0150
jmarquart@marquartlawgroup.com