Rachel Corey, Injured Triathlete, Celebrates 33rd Birthday, Despite Missing Iron Man Competition
Rachel Corey had been training to compete in the Ironman World Championship competition that took place on October 11 in Hawaii. While she didn’t make the competition, she managed to celebrate her 33rd birthday on October 11th, an achievement some doctors were doubtful she’d make last September.
On September 16, 2014, Rachel Corey’s life changed forever when she was hit while riding her bicycle in South Boise, Idaho. She was near the state prison complex when the accident took place. Corey had just purchased her new bike, and was riding north on Pleasant Valley Road when she was hit by a vehicle driven by a prison guard. Corey’s suffered a broken clavicle, broken elbow, broken back, broken ribs, broken nose, and brain contusions.
Corey had been an elite athlete, capable of competing in the Ironman World Championship triathlon. The triathlon includes a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a marathon. The event is considered the most difficult sport event in the world. Triathlon training is often rigorous, requiring athletes to train 6 or even 7 days per week. The minimum training is three days a week.
Corey didn’t make the triathlon this year, but fifty of her friends and her competitors joined forces to make sure that she rang in her birthday properly.
Her friends and family donned Hawaiian-themed gear and threw her a party at St. Luke’s Health System Campus.
Corey hasn’t let her accident stop her from dreaming. Her mother told the Idaho Statesman that her daughter still hopes to compete in the Ironman World Championships someday.
Corey inspired friends to pursue their own triathlon dreams. Her friend, Erin Green, told the Idaho Statesman that she got her “start with her.”
Corey’s accident highlights the risk motorists pose to bicyclists. According to the Idaho Transportation Department, in 2013, there were over 300 bicycle crashes in Idaho alone. Like most motor accidents, these accidents could have been easily prevented had drivers yielded, obeyed speed limits and traffic signs. (In 2012, there were over 21,000 total car crashes in Idaho.)
The Idaho Department of Transportation recently compiled a pie chart of factors that contributed to motor vehicle accidents in the state. Failure to drive in the proper lane and speeding were among the major causes of accidents, with failure to maintain the car in its proper lane amounting to 22% of accidents, and speeding accounting for another 22%. Distracted driving accounted for 11% of all accidents.
In cases like distracted driving, speeding, and failure to keep the car in its proper lane, victims may be entitled to compensation to pay for their medical bills, pain and suffering, required lifestyle changes, and lost time on the job.
Rachel Corey faces a long recovery period and it may take years before she’ll be able to realize her dream.
If you’ve been in an accident where you were not at fault and where you faced catastrophic or life-changing injuries, you deserve to be compensated for your losses. Finding a personal injury lawyer in Boise or Meridian, Idaho is an important step in the recovery process. The Law Office of Johnson & Lundgreen is a firm that provides representation for people who have suffered serious injuries or wrongful death.
