A car accident can be truly traumatic, leaving you injured, both physically and mentally. While many of us like to think celebrities lead charmed lives, in fact, celebrities have car accidents just like the rest of us. Some of those car accidents are deadly, while others result in minor to severe injuries. Some of the celebrities who have survived car crashes include the following:
Mitt Romney, who ran against Barack Obama in 2012, was, at one time in the late 1960’s, a Mormon missionary, stationed in France. When Romney was 21 years old, he was driving a car which carried the mission leader and his wife, as well as three others. A car driven by a priest—whom by most accounts was possibly drunk and driving too fast for the road conditions—struck the car Romney was driving head-on. Initially, first responders to the accident thought Romney was dead, however while the mission leader’s wife did die, and others were seriously injured, Romney survived the horrific accident.
Former First Lady, Laura Bush was involved in a car crash in 1963. According to Bush herself, at age 17 she was out with a friend, ran a stop sign and crashed into the car of Michael Douglas, a student athlete at Bush’s school. Douglas’ injuries were fatal, and although Bush admitted she ran the stop sign because she was chatting to her friend and not paying attention, no charges were brought.
Matthew Broderick, actor and husband of Sarah Jessica Parker, was vacationing with his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Grey, in 1987, in Northern Ireland. The actor crashed, head-on, into another vehicle, killing the 28-year old driver of the other car as well as her mother, who was a passenger in the car. Broderick spent over a month in the hospital with a broken leg and other injuries, however while he was eventually charged with reckless driving, he walked away with only a $175 fine.
Anyone over the age of 55 or so probably remembers the car crash Ted Kennedy walked away from. In 1969, Kennedy and his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, were driving across a bridge in Massachusetts, on their way home from a party, when the vehicle went over the bridge, into a pond. While the 38-year-old senator managed to get out of the vehicle, swimming to safety, the scandal arose from the fact that he waited 10 hours to report the accident, leaving Kopechne to drown. Kennedy would later say the tragedy stayed with him for his entire life, and that he thought about it every day. At the time, Kennedy pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, receiving a two-month suspended jail sentence. Known as the Chappaquiddick incident, the car crash and its aftermath likely influenced Kennedy’s decision not to run for President in 1972 and 1976.
Actor Morgan Freeman was involved in a car crash in August 2008, when his car veered off the road, flipping multiple times, while Freeman was in Mississippi. Freeman was extracted from the wreckage of the car with the help of the jaws of life, then airlifted to a nearby hospital. Freeman’s left hand never fully healed from the accident, remaining semi-paralyzed. No alcohol or drugs were involved in the accident, however a female passenger later sued Freeman for injuries resulting from the car crash.
Actor Gary Busey was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in 1989, which left him with permanent brain damage. Busey’s motorcycle hit sand and fishtailed. Busey engaged the front brake, flipping the motorcycle and hitting his head on the curb. The accident split Busey’s skull wide open, leaving his brain altered in “a way that’s not normal, and I have a different way of looking at things and feeling things.” Busey was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash; while he continued to ride without a helmet following the accident, at some point he decided doing so was not smart, and began wearing a helmet.
Further Reading: What is Pain and Suffering Really Worth?
There are many, many more celebrities who have been involved in auto crashes—some walked away, others were not so lucky. If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash through the negligence of another, you could benefit from speaking to an experienced Colorado personal injury attorney. Your attorney’s job is to help you get the very best settlement possible, while ensuring your rights are protected every step of the way.
Contact Our Experienced Westminster Personal Injury Lawyers
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Broomfield, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, or anywhere in Colorado, it is important to contact our experienced personal injury attorneys immediately. At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., our committed personal injury lawyers are dedicated to the belief that everyone deserves justice. Contact us at (303) 423-1770 or (866) 385-3505.
Our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience representing injured accident victims in Broomfield, Arvada, Superior, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Brighton, Commerce City, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Longmont, and throughout Colorado.
