Being prepared for your unknown future:
On September 11, 2001, thousands of Americans and Immigrants went about their normal work-day routines, and became victims of the unexpected. Who can forget that fateful day when foreign terrorist attacked our country, and disrupted the lives of thousands.
- 2,792 people were killed by terrorists who attacked our country
- 74% of these people did not have a Will
- Hundreds more were mortally wounded and did not have a Durable Power of Attorney, or an Advanced Healthcare Directive
- An even greater number did not have a Living Will
Aside from the obvious tragedy of the loss of life and continued suffering of those who survived, is the ongoing legal battles the family members of those survivor’s face in trying to assist in the medical decision making. In most states, if there is no advanced healthcare directive or living will on file and available to help guide medical decision making when the patient is unable to, family members have difficulty overriding or directing the medical decisions. These problems can be compounded when the patient is an unmarried adult with minor children, or a twice married adult with adult children from the first marriage, and none with the current spouse.