Paralyzed Golfer Plays Again
D.J. Adcock, 22, lives in Joelton and has been a scratch golfer for years. Last year, he was captain of the Martin Methodist golf team before he had a tragic accident. In September, D.J. fell fifteen feet from a tree stand while he was deer hunting and suffered from a spinal cord injury. After he underwent surgery, the doctors told him that he would never walk again. However, this has not stopped D.J. from continuing to golf.
Seven months after his accident, D.J. was back on the greens playing golf despite his disability. First, he played golf from a wheelchair and shot a 48 on his first nine holes. Last week, he played for the first time in a SoloRider, “an adaptive cart designed for golfers who require mobility assistance,” in the golf tournament Drive for D.J. Tournament at the Highland Rim Golf Course.
D.J. worked at the golf course as a teenager and currently holds the course record of sixty strokes. The proceeds of the tournament went towards paying D.J.’s medical expenses. Since his rehabilitation, he has made significant improvement in his spinal cord injury. Now, he can stand with the assistance of a walker and move about the house. Recently, he even felt pain a leg when a sticky patch was removed from his skin. At this point, he can almost feel down to his knees.
Participants and friends in the golf tournament were also excited by the improvement in D.J.’s injury. “When I first saw him in the hospital he told me he was going to play golf again. When I saw how upbeat he was, I knew he was going to bounce back. Watching him learn to play golf again with the aid of the SoloRider has been inspiring and encouraging to anyone who has seen him.”
D.J. currently has two eight-inch rods and eight screws in his back as a result of the surgery. He said that the biggest difference in his golf playing is the adjustment of using his upper body instead of his lower body when he swings a club. “Every time I practice, hit balls or play, I become more used to it,” he said. “I have noticed that I actually hit it straighter than when I was standing.”
Compensation for Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries often come with serious medical expenses and years of rehabilitation. Compensation for these injuries can cover all of these costs, and more. Damages that can be collected for a spinal cord injury can include:
- Past and present medical expenses;
- Lost wages;
- Impaired earning ability;
- Disability payments;
- Lifestyle changes;
- Pain and suffering;
…and other costs associated to the spinal cord injury.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you or someone that you know has suffered a spinal cord injury in the Nashville area due to the negligence of another, let the experienced personal injury lawyers at Calhoun Law, PLC help. Call the office or contact us today for a free and confidential consultation of your case.