Help Support Marcus's Hit & Run Recovery

Marcus was the victim of a hit-and-run driver on November 15th, 2022 in South

Eastern Idaho. He was struck by an accelerating vehicle making a left turn while on a walk to take care of a few errands. Were it not for the quick reaction of witnesses, Marcus could have been the victim of vehicular homicide.

The car slammed into his legs, he flew onto the hood and slammed his head on glass and steel, immediately rendered unconscious, then was dropped onto the pavement hitting his head for a second time as the vehicle sped away.

A Good Samaritan chased down the perpetrator and recorded the license plate number. Marcus regained consciousness and was taken by ambulance to the neared ER. He sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other significant injuries to his neck, knees, wrists, hands and partial hearing loss. Later that evening, law enforcement caught the hit-and-run driver.

Marcus is unable to safely drive a vehicle due to the ongoing TBI symptoms, his walking mobility has limitations, and surgery may be necessary.

He still faces an ongoing journey with therapeutic intervention to restore his physical and cognitive abilities and a legal process to pursue damages for his injuries that will take many months or potentially several years to resolve.

Marcus could soon be on the verge of losing his home simply because the costs to support himself are at their greatest, at the same time ability to fund them is at its lowest, all through no fault of his own.

Marcus's experience is not exceptional. Many people suddenly find themselves victims of a life-changing accident.

Drivers-Bodily-Injury liability insurance coverage varies by individual policies and is also dictated by state minimum-limit requirements. Most drivers carry the minimum bodily-injury policy coverage with shockingly low maximum policy limits. In moderate to severe vehicular injury cases, the cost of emergency and follow-up medical care quickly exceeds average maximum coverage limits. The national average minimum coverage is a mere $25,000, and several state requirements are as low as $10,000. Because of this, many vehicular accident victims end up with deficient insurance settlements, leaving them in many thousands of dollars of medical and personal debt. Thus far, Marcus's compounding medical care and rehabilitation estimates have exceeded the median bodily-injury policy coverage limits.

Because the hit-and-run driver who struck Marcus is facing a felony trial and has pleaded not guilty, and the case is scheduled for trial, it will be a significant amount of time before Marcus can pursue compensation for his losses in a civil case, which has no guarantee of a compensatory award. Even in such clear-cut cases, the fiscal status of the defendant is the end indicator of recoverable damages. In the meanwhile, Marcus needs support with the ongoing rehabilitative journey ahead and with stabilizing outstanding expenses from loss of earning ability, due to the perpetrator's egregious and negligent acts.

Your kindness and generosity in support of Marcus in his time of great need is vastly appreciated. And if that is currently beyond your means, please share the campaign, keep him in your thoughts or send him a message via hitrunfun@proton[dot]me, as he would love to hear from you. Getting knocked off your feet by an automobile is painful enough, but the isolation resulting from his disability is salt in the wound, and your best wishes are invaluable to him.

Please help spread the word to friends of old and new, sharing this campaign on your social media channels or via email will have a significant effect.

Thank you for your time and consideration, collectively we can make a difference for our beloved friend.

With gratitude,

JUAN MENDEZ

(Below, Marcus not long after the incident)