A 16-year-old Windsor girl who suffered a brain injury after falling onto a sawed-off golf club during gym class can now walk short distances again, despite doctors’ predictions.
Madison Arseneault is walking several steps at a time on her own, even though she has partial paralysis and was previously told by physicians that she would never walk again. She has also regained some use of her arm, but she still has numbness in her face and has some vision and cognitive problems.
Madison was injured at the Ford Test Track on May 25, 2016, after city workers had placed the sawed-off golf club into the ground with string between the sticks to mark off where they should paint lines on the soccer field.
Madison was running around the track when she tripped over the string and dislodged the golf club. The sharp edge then pierced her on the side of the head. This caused Madison to suffer a brain injury that has resulted in severe nerve damage, partial paralysis, and pain in the left side of her body.
Madison has daily visits to various health professionals, including physical and occupational therapists, eye doctors, social workers and massage therapists. She is also experiencing some nerve pain that her doctors are trying to treat.
She does not have sensation in the entire left side of her body, and the left side of both eyes are blurred. Madison wears a brace on her left leg to help her re-learn how to walk, training her brain to take steps and regain muscle memory.
She spends most of her day in a wheelchair, but she is regaining strength every day. Her father has multiple sclerosis and her mother recently had spinal surgery, so the family has had extensive medical and caregiving expenses while Madison recovers.
Madison has returned to school part-time.
The Family Sues the City and School Board
Madison’s lawyer, partner Jennifer Bezaire of Greg Monforton & Partners, remains cautiously optimistic about Madison’s recovery. Bezaire said it “remains to be seen” how Madison will progress.
The family is suing the City of Windsor and The Greater Essex County District School Board for $20 million in compensation for the girl’s injuries and losses. Both the City and the School Board are seeking dismissal of the lawsuit.
Bezaire said the teachers supervising the kids on the day of the accident were negligent and that the injury could have been prevented if they had warned the students to avoid the dangerous instruments in the ground.
The law firm of Greg Monforton & Partners represents injury victims and helps them obtain the compensation they need after being injured in an accident that was caused by another party’s negligence.
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