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Paralyzed Fordham Student Sues School After Drunken Fall
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 14, 2011
Modified Nov 14, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 14, 2011
Modified Nov 14, 2011
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A Fordham sophomore who is paralyzed from the neck down after a fall from his lofted bed is suing the school for not installing guardrails. Last February, after a night of drinking, 20-year-old Kei Usami fell almost four feet from his bed and fractured his spine. According to the Post, his lawsuit also alleges that the schools volunteer EMS medics transported him without a neck brace, exacerbating the fracture.
Fordham points to Usami's "voluntary consumption of large amounts of alcohol" as the reason for the injury, but the school has sued two suppliers of the lofted beds. He spent four months in the hospital and $1.1 million in medical bills, and eventually was able to move his left hand. Usami has since returned to Fordham to continue his studies in business. "I wonder if for the rest of my life I'm going to be in a wheelchair. That makes me work hard," he says. "My goal is to attend graduation in 2013 and walk up and get my diploma.
We've had friends take nasty spills from lofted beds (one requiring thirty stitches) but they've never been intoxicated. Why wouldn't college students need guardrails?
Tagged
college
drinking
fordham
safety
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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