Choices

In the event of a car crash who is responsible for what? In the short story "Choices" by Susan Kerslake, Peggy and her friend Ken get involved in a car crash. Peggy is left with her legs crushed and potentially paralyzed for life. Near the end of the story it is shown that Ken may not feel responsible for her, as he doesn't attempt to talk to her. It is unknown whether Ken will take responsibility for Peggy, or if he is actually not at fault and is not obligated to deal with the problem, or make up for her injuries.

There can be many reasons for why Ken wouldn't be the one responsible for Peggy\s injury. If it was another driver who had crashed into them, it wouldn't be Ken's fault for the crash, therefore he wouldn't be responsible for Peggy's injuries, and the blame would instead be on the other driver. It could also have been other factors that Ken couldn't have controlled or known of such as a large bump on the road or a malfunction in the car. In these situations, Ken might still partially be at blame, however not to the point of having a large debt to her.

On the other hand, Ken may have also been the reason for the crash. There is a lot of textual evidence pointing towards the fact that Ken had not been driving seriously. He was not holding the steering wheel properly, and he also was not seated properly as he had "one knee against the door, the other against the gear shift". If the car crash had really occurred due to Ken's lack of concern for safety, then he should be fully responsible for all the resulting damage, along with Peggy and anyone else who might have also been caught in the crash.

In the end it really should depend on whether he caused the crash or not. If Ken had caused the crash, then he should take responsibility for Peggy and care for her, and cover any medical expenses and problems that may occur later in the future. This does not imply that he has to be her personal nurse and care for her 24/7, but that he should help her with problems such as getting around or helping her with chores like cleaning.

If he did not cause the crash and it was the fault of something or someone else, Ken should still at least help Peggy. As a friend, or at the very least, the only other one who understands her situation, Ken should help her through the early stages of recovery. Ken had only received an injury to the head, and it is not implied that it is anything serious, so there should be no excuse for Ken not to help her as she deals with her injuries. Whether he is responsible or not, Ken should help Peggy, as she is going through this difficult moment in her life. Even if they don't view each other as a great couple, Ken should still be there for her.