When she was just 22 years old, Elizabeth Banks was living the life of many people that age – moving away from home, spending time with friends and enjoying a bit of a party lifestyle.
That is, until a devastating motorycyle accident changed everything.
She had relocated to Gainesville, Florida, from Nova Scotia, Canada, and was working full time as a server in a restaurant. Like many young people on their own for the first time, she would go out drinking with her friends, occasionally excessively.
On one such night, an acquaintance offered to give her a ride on his new motorcycle. She accepted, despite not having a helmet or protective gear. She hopped on the bike in her miniskirt and stiletto heels.
At first the ride felt normal. She even encouraged the driver to go faster.
But in an instant, everything changed.
Half of her body was covered in third degree burns and her skin had melted completely off in six locations, exposing the bones beneath. She also broke her collar bone.
They were travelling at about 70 miles an hour on an empty street when the bike hit a light reflector in the road, which was wet from an earlier storm. The bike began to hydroplane and, on instinct, the driver pushed her off the bike and jumped off himself. (He feared that they would smash into a tree and be killed on impact.) Elizabeth landed hard on her side and then skidded across the roadway on her back.
Her clothes were burned off her body and she was left naked and bloodied on the side of the road.
She would find out later that half of her body was covered in third degree burns and her skin had melted completely off in six locations, exposing the bones beneath. She also broke her collar bone.
“I should not have survived that crash.”
Despite being gravely injured, at first Elizabeth refused medical treatment because she didn’t have medical insurance. However, she was in no position to be making decisions. Friends had found her and taken her to an apartment, where someone finally called her best friend, Eric. He arrived and, seeing her state, immediately took her to the hospital.
She was unconscious and slowly bleeding to death by the time she arrived in the emergency department.
When she woke up two days later, with her dad by her side, the doctors had already performed 11 hours of surgery to clean debris – mostly pavement – out of her wounds.
Elizabeth stayed in the burn unit at first, where she had constant monitoring in case of infection. Her parents and one of her sisters flew to be with her. “I was wrapped in bandages from head to toe with a morphine drip going into my heart. I remember the pain being constant. I couldn’t eat very much and it would take me hours just to finish one meal.”
She spent three weeks in the ICU in Florida, and then her family flew her home to Nova Scotia to care for her during a year-long recovery process.
“My mom had to bathe me and wrap my burns every day for over six months. In the bath she had to take the dead skin out of the burns so that they would heal properly,” Elizabeth said. “For six months I wore compression bandages on my legs. I couldn’t even lower my right leg down below my waist for three months…it was too much pain to bear.”
Looking back, Elizabeth’s heart also breaks for her family during those difficult months.
“When you are younger you don’t really realize the effect something like this can have on your parents, but now that I’m older I feel so horrible for putting them through that,” Elizabeth said. “They never once scolded me; they were just so thankful that I was alive.”
The worst feeling in the world…
One of the worst moments of her recovery came when Elizabeth saw her scars for the first time.
“One day after I got out of the hospital, I stood up in the bedroom after my mom had given me a bath and saw myself in the mirror for the first time since the accident. It was the worst feeling in the world,” Elizabeth said. “I remember thinking that I’ll never have another boyfriend. I’ll never look normal again in a bathing suit. I was devastated.”
Tweet thisIt took some time for Elizabeth to accept that her scars were part of who she was now, particularly when other people brought attention to them. Curious children would often ask to touch her scars or would stare at her.
But by talking about her story with friends, family and even strangers, she was able to work through her dark feelings.
“I didn’t wear shorts for the first two years or so. I didn’t want to show the scars. But now it doesn’t affect me at all, my scars are just a part of who I am. They are proof that I’m a survivor,” Elizabeth said.
She couldn’t afford cosmetic surgery. But thanks to extensive skin graft surgeries and weightlifting, which increased her muscle tone and filled out her scars, they are much less noticeable today, Elizabeth said. However, she still shares her story often because she is proud that she survived such an ordeal and she hopes to serve as a cautionary tale to young people who may be mixing alcohol and motorcycles.
Alcohol influenced her to go on that fateful bike ride with a stranger, Elizabeth said, and she thinks that the driver may have been drinking too. “I am now so happy to talk to my younger friends about this and warn them about what happened to me. I see that it can have an impact on others.”
Legal and financial ramifications
Elizabeth was not able to work for a year after the accident and was facing hospital bills of more than $300,000.
However, the hospital agreed to absorb the cost since she did not have insurance and her parents were recently retired.
“I was so relieved. I could have been stuck paying those bills for the rest of my life and I would never have gotten ahead,” she said.
After the accident Elizabeth contacted a friend who was an attorney to explore the possibility of a lawsuit against the owner/driver of the motorcycle. However, the driver said he had no insurance and virtually no assets, so Elizabeth never pursued a case, though her mother halfheartedly tried getting in touch with a lawyer in Gainesville.
“My family and I didn’t want to deal with it at the time. I just wanted to get back home to Canada and heal,” Elizabeth said. “I was so young and inexperienced and we are from a small town. We have never dealt with anything like this and really had no idea where to start.”
Moving forward with hope
She remains close to her friend Eric but no longer leads the party lifestyle that landed her in that situation.
Elizabeth now lives in Atlanta, Georgia and works with horses – her life’s passion. She is also in school to become a registered nurse. “The nurses had such an impact on me after my accident, they were amazing… I would love to help someone the way I was helped.”
Although she is prepared to possibly treat motorcycle accident victims as a nurse, she does remain wary of motorcycles herself. “I cringe when I see anyone on a motorcycle. I haven’t been on one since!”
However, Elizabeth does credit the accident for turning her life around. “I am a strong believer in God and this accident made me cherish my life a lot more. The best years of my life happened well after the accident. I am really happy now and on the right track in my life.”
Elizabeth (right) with a friend more than 10 years after her motorcycle accident. The scars remain – see her right calf – but her life is full of hope. .
What happened to the driver of the motorcycle?
He fared much better than Elizabeth, though he also spent some time recovering in the burn unit in a Gainesville hospital.
He spoke with Elizabeth’s family, telling the story of that fateful night. He shared that his motorcycle was completely totaled, and that this was not his first accident. He said it wouldn’t be long before he’d be riding again.
Elizabeth’s family may have his quick thinking to thank for her surviving the crash. But years later they still wonder whether they should have pursued some sort of legal action to help cover the costs of the accident.
Have you been a rider on a motorcycle involved in a serious crash? How did you cope with your injuries? Please share your story below.
More about pursuing a legal case after your motorcycle accident
What if I wait too long? (Statute of limitations)
What if it’s partly my fault?
Options for covering your medical costs after an accident
When do you need a lawyer?
Why might a personal injury lawyer decline my case?
Personal injury myths – what you need to know
Beth, I am just so thankful you are alive and proud of you for turning everything around. I’ll never forget Laura and I trying to track down Dad and Shirley back at the camp so we could get him to you as fast as possible. And me with my broken achilles tendon at the time! We were so shaken by the accident – and still are whenever we think of it. So proud to see where you are now. xo
Wow kid! I’m so proud you shared this story. You are an inspiration for hope and perseverance. You have so much to give this world.. you are a true gift to our family and I look forward to many more memories together:. I am so thankful everyday that you are still with us:)
Wonderful account of a tragic event and the beautiful ending wich is you Beth love ya my friend (strength )is beauty
Ohhhhhh Beth I am in such awe after reading about your story. Thank you for your bravery. I am so so grateful that you are here to tell it. You are and ALWAYS be a BEAUTIFUL person both inside and out!!! You make those scars look damn good girl!! BEST of luck in school and succeeding your future goals. Sending you biiiiig big hugs from NS. You are a hero to share this story ❤️
I love you Beth!! I am so proud of everything you’ve overcome
Miss your face xoxox
Love always Kris
You are truly a miracle!! When you stare death in the face it makes you a stronger person. The Lord kept you here on earth for a reason. Never stop giving him the Glory
Omg , we had no idea this even happened to your daughter Ester ! So very glad that Beth’s horrific story had much happier ending then it could of had ….what a courageous girl . The nitemare that you and Dave must of went through also as her parents seeing your child in that condition and the long road to healing …. Sharing this and hopefully many others will also in hopes of people everywhere realizing what can happen on a bike in a matter of seconds ….
Elizabeth, im, very sad for u that this event happened in your life . You are a Beautiful Young Lady . Please take care and be sure to tell all your friends , that protective clothing is very important when Rideing . Take care of yourself . And God Bless you .
Miss Beth, things sure have changed over the years. In life, you can put a price tag on just about everything, except the people who pull you up when you were down and helped get where you wanted to be. You had some help along the way but you are a wonderful example on LIFE being 20% of what happens to you and 80% on how you react to it. You faced a challenge that many would just break down and decide to give up on Life. However; you decided to take your life back, seek harmony, be strong and healthy … I am so proud to call you my sister.
I heard this once and it always reminds me of you, “When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have thousand reasons to smile”.
I was in a few different crashes but worst of all was the four wheeler accident where I was having great day with friends when a simple accident almost too my life I was behind my buddie on his wheeler and it was dusty we were kind of giving the bikes a shot of gas and staying beside and passing one another just playing around you know well he pulled ahead and whipped his bike sideways to enter a drive way just as I gave the bike a large shot of fuel I see him threw the dust cloud by then it was to late I locked up the brakes but still hit him very hard enough to write of both four wheelers and when I hit I just heard steel and when I was getting up off the ground I looked around to see if everyone was alright as there was two people and me on the bike I was riding and there was a passenger on my friends bike as well so I’m getting up i feel something running out of my ears immediately I know I have to stay calm I touch it it’s blood the first thing that I thought was brain damage so I did a quick mental check I was still thinking so first thing I knew I did have much time I started assessing the situation walked over to the two people that were on my bike and asked them if they were ok they said yes but looked at me as if I was a zombie so then I look over and see my buddie under his bike upside down in the ditch so I go pull it off him and I’m like I gotta go to work hospital man I’m bleeding out my ears that means brain damage most likely so everyone else is in shock and he wants to get the bikes off the road as the one I was on rolled three times and was on its wheels in the ditch both bikes wouldn’t start so we pushed them into the end of the driveway me and him everyone else was still like wtf happen im in a daze by now i cant se straight so i tell my buddie to drive me to the hospital and it was a rough ride I was bleeding alot I was starting to black out and I knew I couldn’t let that happen so I said man I’m going down I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake he said hang on man and cranked the tunes and yelled what’s your favorite song I just tried to rollback and forth and yelled this song is my favorite I don’t even know the song lol so we get to the hospital and I’m in rough shape so my buddie had about 3 beer so he couldn’t take me in I got out walked through the emergency doors and as I got the the desk I seen so many looks of horror on people’s faces I knew it was bad I could barley stand by this point so I lean against the glass and slap my wallet on the counter cause I couldn’t function to find my health card and I said I think I need some help the receptionist immediately started blood curdling screams yelling for the doctor and nurses to get a stretcher immediately so I jokingly said Oh is it that bad …mind you I knew ….so that’s about all I remember one woke up in ICU and had brains surgery I had a subdural hematoma broke my skull fractured my face in over 20 places had multiple wounds and bandages and after that I had a second surgery to get my nerves working in my face I had full facial paralysis I couldn’t blink smile drink water nothing my face was just dull all the time so for the next 3 more thsnks I slept in a lazy boy upright and taped my eye lids shut at night and had to use eye drops every fifteen minutes during the day I couldn’t bend very far before my head felt as though it would explode and during the day for at least 6 to 8 hours I had to look after a 2year old girl and a 14 month old boy I didn’t give up and I’m strong and happy today I’m a fisherman I have one of the most demanding jobs possible and I never give up each days a gift don’t let it be spoiled by the day before not every day is good but the next day always could be
Jeremy, what a story! Thank you so much for sharing it here. I’m so glad you got medical help in time! I loved that ending note: “Each day’s a gift – don’t let it be spoiled by the day before. Not every day is good but the next day always could be!”
Such a heart wrenching story from our own home town girl . You are still and always will be beautiful Beth
An incredible life story and I applaud your willingness to share it. I was working with Laura when we heard about your accident and how worried and concerned she was. We followed your recovery.
Bravo for you to be willing to turn that awful incident into a positive message. Best wishes to you in your nursing career.
So glad you shared your story and so glad you are still amongst us. Love you now and always will. Miss you. Come and see us next time you are our way. xoxo
Powerful story. It’s inspiring to see such positivity and optimism in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. Thank you Beth for sharing!
Thank the Lord you came through that horrific accident love. I never realised just what your dad and Shirley went through at that time. God bless you and all the family. Thank you for sharing your experience. Love, Lesley and Francis. X x x x. ☺️.
Thank you for sharing your story, Beth! Truly inspiring. You are such a strong woman, you will make a great nurse.
Wow, Beth…thank you for sharing your story. I’ve known bits an pieces of your accident, but not all these details. You are a strong woman and we are all thankful for your survival. Hugs to you. xox
Beth, this is an amazing story of life and hope! I knew about your accident, but didn’t know about any of the details. I am blown away by your courage and strength and the strength of your family unit. Thank you for sharing this with us. God bless you in all that you do in the coming days! Hope to see you some day soon!
Beth
You have always been a special lady. I knew you were a survivor from when you were little. I can still see you jumping out of the tree on my parents’ front lawn onto your horse and riding away lol
That is a very cautionary message you have shared.
So glad you are doing well.
You were gifted 300k, yet you regret not taking legal action? Let it go.
Chris, you’re right – that was a HUGE blessing. However, it did take some time before that came through, and it was unfortunate for the hospital that they had to absorb the cost of her care in the end. Looking back, I think what we might have wanted to do differently would be to explore every avenue first. For example, it came to light through conversations after that the driver may have had insurance but was not forthcoming about that initially. An attorney would have been helpful to find every possible angle in which insurance may have been able to come into play, especially during a time when everyone else was focused on Beth’s wellness.
God has spared your life a few times dear Beth. I know He has plans for your life to be in the helping profession. He has given you the ability to love deeply and care about others. Thank you for sharing this tragic story for the sake of others.
So looking forward to seeing you in a few days.
Love you lots.
Shirley
Wow what an incredible story . I can relate with what she went thru at the hospital cause for all my trips to the IWK at the end of the hall was the Burn Unit. I will never ever forget what i saw but took a good approach after that to give 100 percent outa everything and have a good attitude about everything and do the best that you can.. keep your head up all the best, great story