I'm a big fan of the game of golf. I play often, and I was in high school when Tiger Woods came onto the scene. I remember vividly watching him win The Masters - the most prestigious tournament in golf - in his first attempt in 1997.
Most everyone is aware of the story surrounding Tiger's fall from grace, as well as his epic comeback win at the 2019 Masters. His tragic rise, fall, rise again story is straight out of literature. (As an aside, the book Tiger Woods is an exceptional look at his life story. I highly recommend it.).
Like many sports fans, I was sad to hear of Tiger's automobile accident on February 23, 2021. Even worse was to hear details about his injuries, particularly when you do what we do.
Our personal injury and malpractice work has a focus on foot and ankle injuries. Whether arising out of podiatry malpractice, slip and fall accidents, or automobile accidents, many of our clients deal with devastating injuries to their feet and ankles.
The challenges with foot and ankle injuries are many. The bones are small, the area ripe for infection and the recovery, if possible, grueling. We have also observed, over many cases, just how difficult it can be to repair a foot once a severe injury has been sustained.
When I read about the very real possibility that Tiger Woods may never play golf again as a result of these injuries, it was not surprising. While we certainly hope this is not the case, we know from experience just how complicated recovery can be. Simply getting to a proper range of motion in the foot - if it is indeed achievable following surgery - could take months. Combined with the challenging surgery arising out of a comminuted open fracture (multiple breaks of the bone, having pierced the skin), and it makes for a very, very difficult recovery.
Tiger Woods is lucky, in a sense. First off, he survived, which was no guarantee given the severity of the accident. Many people don't. Second, he will receive the best care available, along with the best rehabilitation.
Many of our clients don't have this luxury. Instead, following an auto accident, malpractice, or a slip and fall, they are left to deal with the real world implications of a severe foot or ankle injury. While they may not have lost a career on the PGA tour, for many of the them the consequences are far worse.
If you are suffering from a foot or ankle injury, reach out to us today.
