Irish woman says she’s ‘lucky to be alive’ after suffering horrific injuries in tram fall 3 years ago in US

An Irish woman has told how she is “lucky to be alive” after suffering horrific injuries in an electric motorcycle crash in the United States three years ago.

Karmen Curley, 21, from Belfast, was diagnosed with a brain bleed following a scooter fall while on vacation in California in May 2019.

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She also broke her collarbone, nasal bone and eye orbital bone and had to pay 13,000 euros a day in medical bills as she recuperated in intensive care at UCLA Hospital, in Los Angeles.

Karmen, 18 at the time, spent nearly three weeks in intensive care after hitting a pothole and being thrown through the front of the e-scooter

Talk to Belfast Telegraph About the horrific accident, Karmen tells how she is still undergoing examinations due to the injuries she sustained after being thrown over the front of an e-scooter.

She said: “I was in hospital to test the camera last year and I’m still on medication because of the accident.

“I suffer from migraines a lot. Experts aren’t sure what’s wrong with me. They believe it could be post-traumatic epilepsy related to the accident.

“My sister told me that right after I came back from the accident, I started having seizures. I had a seizure in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, I hit my head anyway. into the head.

“The doctors told me I was lucky to be alive. They said that a lot of people with brain bleeds like me don’t make it, so I feel very lucky. Even if I have epilepsy, I still have a seizure. glad that’s all.” Yes.”

Karmen said she doesn’t want to see e-scooters legalized here after knowing first-hand the dangers associated with riding them – and added: “They should at least wear a hat. insurrance.”

The 21-year-old store worker said she doesn’t remember much about the day of the accident.

“Every time I wake up in the hospital, I can’t remember where I am,” she explained.

“The accident definitely affected my memory, it’s still not the best. But I can’t complain. I’m very lucky to be here.”

Her sister Sian has launched a fundraising campaign to help pay the rising medical bills because Karmen doesn’t have health insurance.

Speaking to the Irish Sun at the time, Sian explained the family still exists pay funeral expenses for their mother Karen.

“We’re still paying for our Mother’s funeral costs and with these increased costs we don’t know how we’re going to cope,” she said.

Karen, 47, suffered an aneurysm and died a year before the crash, while her older sister also tragically lost her brother Saul in a car crash in 2014.

To help the Curley sisters, you can donate here.