# What do you do when your life has been stolen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 28, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020 "2013-11-28T18:31:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/61 "2013-11-29T20:59:46Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > Thanks, but trust me, I am well beyond the hurt feelings stage. The two problems I have with them getting me comp benefits are 1) As I explained just above, the payments are barely enough to live on once you get what they actually pay as opposed to what I was making. and 2) The means in which they got the coverage was fraudulent. First they tried to cover up the accident and pretend it did not happen, remember as per the rules I did what I was supposed to do, report the accident to my bosses and to the manager of the plant that I was at. I then went to the hospital. They on the other hand did not report the accident to anyone, and by they I not only mean my boss but also the company I was at. When it did > get back to the WCB that I was hurt, they tried to get out of having to accept liability by saying that they did not need coverage because they only had one employee in my province, once they realized that that would not work, they outright lied and said that they had more than three employees here, which, even if playing the stupid card, is no excuse to not have the coverage in the first place. Just the fact that they wrote two letters a week apart that said they only had one employee in the province and did not need coverage only to change it to we had three employees a week later, after receiving a letter from the plant I was at telling them that they would qualify if they had three or more employees, speaks volumes to a coverup. and I do have these letters in my file. Next comes the fact that it is illegal to operate a business in my province without WCB coverage, and the plant I was at was very strict about this, I know because I had done other work for them there as a sub-contractor and I was not allowed in the building in that capacity without coverage, and not that it’s important but I used to golf with and go for beers with the upper management, so not even being buddies with them got me any slack on those rules. With that said I can guarantee you that at some point my employers signed off as being covered as did the other four or five companies that I did work for there over the years. There was a form that had to be signed proving coverage, and if i remember correctly it had your account number on it. This was not an oversight, because at first there was talk that they signed and had coverage. Then there is the fact that it is an offense here to not report a serious accident to the department of labour, also not done. > > The WCB rules, that they themselves are supposed to follow, state that any charges of fraud are to be investigated to the full extent and that employers are not allowed to interfere with any employees claim, including threatening them. They did none of this. I brought it to there attention that there was no way there were more than three employees, they did nothing. When I asked to see the names of the employees that I was supposedly working with daily they said that they could not provide them because it was a breach of privacy??? The threats were never addressed, this goes on and on, but I have to stop for a while, I’m getting confused. > > So why do I think they owe me, because they all lied, cheated and circumvented the rules to help everyone involved. At the end of the day they all walked away pretty damn clean, except for me. > > I am going to take a break from the keyboard for a bit, I have been here way too long. Keep the comments coming, I know a lot of you don’t agree with me but it is helping and I do appreciate it. Ok, but having said all that, do you understand/agree that those minimally acceptable payments you’ve been receiving are what your employer/wc was supposed to pay out? That, while shitty, your situation is much the same as anyone else’s with a similar accident at a more responsible company? You’re getting the same payments you’d have gotten if none of those things happened and everything was proper. If the employer had their WC policy in place and did nothing dishonest or underhanded and neither did anybody else, you’d still be awarded about $30,000 year, right? ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/62 "2013-11-29T21:10:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Ok, but having said all that, do you understand/agree that those minimally acceptable payments you’ve been receiving are what your employer/wc was supposed to pay out? That, while shitty, your situation is much the same as anyone else’s with a similar accident at a more responsible company? You’re getting the same payments you’d have gotten if none of those things happened and everything was proper. Absolutely, but like I said before, I don’t live in what ifs. That is not what happened, it’s not reality, my circumstances, in reality, are far different. > [@](#): > > If the employer had their WC policy in place and did nothing dishonest or underhanded and neither did anybody else, you’d still be awarded about $30,000 year, right? Yes, you are correct. I would like to point out that they only did themselves a favour, not me, by backdating the coverage. I would still have had my LTD in place which is about the same as what I have with WCB. The original reason for cutting off my LTD was because of a lack of medical proof. This is pretty typical for LTD companies, when switching to a permanent disability after a year, as I explained earlier. Like I pointed out the WCB put me at a 75% disability, they don’t just do that without medical proof. The criteria for a permanent disability with my LTD is less than required by the WCB, so I would have easily had that put back in place. They knew this and that’s why they went to the overpayment issue, which never would have happened if the WCB was not backdated. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/63 "2013-11-29T21:12:09Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > The way I see it, You guys here are the most skeptical group I know, and if I can get you guys to side with me I can get anyone to side with me. Not that anyone is siding with me yet, but I think you would if you looked at it from a purely legal standpoint other than a moral issue or thinking of me as saying boo-hoo look at me. So basically, you’re not here to ask for advice on how to(or whether to) proceed-You’re just here looking for cheerleaders? ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/64 "2013-11-29T21:16:48Z")
> [@](#): > > So basically, you’re not here to ask for advice on how to(or whether to) proceed-You’re just here looking for cheerleaders? No, not at all. I want advice, I want opinions, I want help. If by chance some agree with me, that gives me one of the things I am lacking most…confidence. And yes I will take that, but looking for cheerleaders, definitely not. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/65 "2013-11-29T21:21:11Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So basically, you’re not here to ask for advice on how to(or whether to) proceed-You’re just here looking for cheerleaders? Don’t be obtuse. He is looking to win people over to his way of thinking on this. Able-bodied people (especially those on the other side of the continent, babbling on the internet) generally have little sympathy for this kind of thing so I think he has a point that if he can make his case here he can make it anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/66 "2013-11-29T21:40:14Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > Absolutely, but like I said before, I don’t live in what ifs. That is not what happened, it’s not reality, my circumstances, in reality, are far different. My point isn’t that you should live in what ifs, it’s that your current predicament is no worse - or even different - than if everything was done right. > [@JFLuvly](#): > > Yes, you are correct. > > I would like to point out that they only did themselves a favour, not me, by backdating the coverage. I would still have had my LTD in place which is about the same as what I have with WCB. The original reason for cutting off my LTD was because of a lack of medical proof. This is pretty typical for LTD companies, when switching to a permanent disability after a year, as I explained earlier. Like I pointed out the WCB put me at a 75% disability, they don’t just do that without medical proof. The criteria for a permanent disability with my LTD is less than required by the WCB, so I would have easily had that put back in place. They knew this and that’s why they went to the overpayment issue, which never would have happened if the WCB was not backdated. It’s been 8 years and the LTD still hasn’t accepted your permanent disability claim. You’re currently litigating the issue to try to get them to pay. It’s more than a little obtuse to say you’d still have your LTD, if the employer hadn’t managed to get your WC benefits for you. If the employer didn’t do that, you’d have a LTD case nearly a decade later and no money. How would you have gotten by these past 8 years waiting for the LTD policy without the worker’s comp? On a different note - My father was permanently disabled. He had a degenerative neurological disorder he inherited from his mother. He couldn’t work after age 40 and by the time he was 50 he was too sick to get any enjoyment out of life. When he died at 59, I don’t think he ever was able to accept his rotten lot in life. It’s sad and unfair that he lost so much and died so young. It’s sad all the opportunity and promise fizzled out. Having talked to you, I’m glad he at least didn’t have anybody to blame. I can’t imagine the process of accepting that your high income career is permanently ruined by a meaningless accident - but it sounds like after 8 years you’re still obsessing about clerical errors that had no impact on your life at all. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/67 "2013-11-29T21:51:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Don’t be obtuse. He is looking to win people over to his way of thinking on this. Able-bodied people (especially those on the other side of the continent, babbling on the internet) generally have little sympathy for this kind of thing so I think he has a point that if he can make his case here he can make it anywhere. What’s your point? I don’t disagree, the toughest and most informed crowd in my world would be here. Is there a problem with that? The whole internet is out there and I chose to start here for those exact reasons. I’m not looking for pity or anything that resembles it, I’m looking for input. As for able bodied people not having much sympathy, that is fine, but if the tables were turned they would have a far greater understanding. This is one of the problems with this type of thing, most people don’t have experience in it and don’t have a good grasp on how the system works. I was one of them and believe me it was a real eye opener. A prime example of this was when I said that I called My LTD and discussed the WCB payments coming in. They deny me saying this. When I received my file from them before our discovery hearing, they had three contact sheets filled out. I called and spoke to them at least 50 times over the course of six years and according to them I only spoke to them three times. At one point I said to my my case manager…“I want you to write this down, I am begging you to help me resolve this issue, the stress it’s causing me is too much and I need your help”. There is no record of that call. The problem was, every time I called I dialed a 1-800 number and I have no access to these phone records. I have to go before a judge and get a court order to have them released, otherwise I have no proof that I called them. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/68 "2013-11-29T22:01:51Z")
> [@](#): > > My point isn’t that you should live in what ifs, it’s that your current predicament is no worse - or even different - than if everything was done right. Yes, but everything was not done right, and I am the one suffering. I have said I would have had to accept it if it was above board, but it wasn’t. > [@](#): > > It’s been 8 years and the LTD still hasn’t accepted your permanent disability claim. You’re currently litigating the issue to try to get them to pay. It’s more than a little obtuse to say you’d still have your LTD, if the employer hadn’t managed to get your WC benefits for you. If the employer didn’t do that, you’d have a LTD case nearly a decade later and no money. How would you have gotten by these past 8 years waiting for the LTD policy without the worker’s comp? They are not fighting the permanent disability, they are fighting the overpayment. They say i disqualified myself by violating the terms of the agreement. It is there best argument, even my lawyer thinks that at the very least they will have to buy me out. They don’t care if they pay me now, they will fight to the end, which will be a court date, then probably make an offer to buy me out. The last thing they want is a president set in court. I would say that at the very most my claim would have been reinstated within three months of them cutting me off, I would not of had to fight for 8 years. > [@](#): > > Having talked to you, I’m glad he at least didn’t have anybody to blame. I can’t imagine the process of accepting that your high income career is permanently ruined by a meaningless accident - but it sounds like after 8 years you’re still obsessing about clerical errors that had no impact on your life at all. This was far from a meaningless accident and way more than a simple clerical error. I have no idea why you think it had no impact on my life. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/69 "2013-11-29T22:16:04Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > This was far from a meaningless accident and way more than a simple clerical error. > > I have no idea why you think it had no impact on my life. I certainly don’t think it had no impact on your life. It clearly had a huge detrimental impact on your life. I mean the accident itself was meaningless. If it was caused by the employer’s negligence you could crusade against their greed. If it happened while you were drunk you could hate yourself for being drunk. (I don’t think you’re a drunk - I was making an example) But based on everything you said, and as is generally the case with accidents, this was a horrible chance occurrence that happened for no reason at all and it’s drastically changed your life for the worse. I understand you think the policy shenanigans were more than a clerical error. You are clearly very invested in the whole issue and have a lot to say about it. But if the error has caused any financial hardship for you, you haven’t told us yet. Can you explain in financial terms how you’d have any more money if the wc policy was in place at the time of the accident, instead of retroactively? You’d be earning $30,000 either way and life would still be really unfair and difficult. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/70 "2013-11-29T22:16:35Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > What’s your point? I don’t disagree, the toughest and most informed crowd in my world would be here. Is there a problem with that? The whole internet is out there and I chose to start here for those exact reasons. I’m not looking for pity or anything that resembles it, I’m looking for input. I know. I thought **Czarcasm** grossly mischaracterized and I was actually defending your point there. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/71 "2013-11-29T22:34:14Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > I would like to point out that they only did themselves a favour, not me, by backdating the coverage. I would still have had my LTD in place which is about the same as what I have with WCB. So if they hadn’t backdated the coverage, and you sued and lost, what would your situation be? Being right is not a guaranteed win. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/72 "2013-11-29T22:49:17Z")
> [@](#): > > I know. I thought Czarcasm grossly mischaracterized and I was actually defending your point there. Sorry, I misunderstood. > [@](#): > > So if they hadn’t backdated the coverage, and you sued and lost, what would your situation be? > > Being right is not a guaranteed win. You’re right, but at least I tried, I have no idea what I would do then. That being said I really don’t think I would lose. It’s the law that they automatically accept full liability, kind of like rear ending someone in a car accident, at least here, you are automatically in the wrong. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/73 "2013-11-29T22:56:10Z")
> [@](#): > > I understand you think the policy shenanigans were more than a clerical error. You are clearly very invested in the whole issue and have a lot to say about it. But if the error has caused any financial hardship for you, you haven’t told us yet. Well it’s kind of my point. If I was awarded lost wages in a court, it would be actual lost wages, not a percentage of a number that was far less than what I was actually making. Perhaps sue is not the right term, but it’s generally what I mean. Not having WCB coverage would entitle me to recover my losses through them, they would be liable. I don;'t know if you have seen an actuarial report before or not, but future lost wages a based on potential increases in pay, cost of living increases and the like. It’s not just you made this much last year so you get that amount times 27 years, here’s your money, have a nice day. So in that respect I feel it has caused me financial hardship. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/74 "2013-11-29T23:08:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Can you explain in financial terms how you’d have any more money if the wc policy was in place at the time of the accident, instead of retroactively? You’d be earning $30,000 either way and life would still be really unfair and difficult. I’m not disputing that, to me it’s a non issue because of the fact that none of those things were in place when I was injured. You are right, my life would suck just as bad now, the only difference being is that there would be nothing I could do about it. Yes I screwed up, yes I’ve wasted a shitload of time, but it was mostly because I was scared to death. I wanted nothing more than to keep the home I bought and was very proud of. Every time I thought about doing this I would get completely panicked and back off because I thought if I rocked the boat too much they would figure out a way to cut off my income and I would have nothing and wind up losing the very things I was trying so hard to protect. The difference now is that I am no longer living in my home, the bank repossessed it, my credit is screwed and I don’t even have a telephone anymore. What else have I got to lose at this point? Nothing. So why not try to do what I fantasied about doing for years, but was too much of a pussy to take the step and do. All the things I was afraid of losing are gone now anyway, there’s nothing left for them to take from me. It’s not even a gamble anymore, it’s a Hail Mary pass that I have no idea where it’s going to land. Nothing ventured, nothing gained I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/75 "2013-11-29T23:34:41Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > That being said I really don’t think I would lose. It’s the law that they automatically accept full liability, kind of like rear ending someone in a car accident, at least here, you are automatically in the wrong. Being right and winning and then collecting are two different things. You mentioned earlier that your wife only collected about seven cents on the dollar on the vast sum of money she lost in an accident (I’m not sure how she lost cash in an accident and only got back seven cents on the dollar, but whatever). In this certain situation, I was one million percent right, had all the proofs, experts and verification by independent sources. I earned the money and I believe the expression is “the books were cooked” on work I did as a teenager. My money was stolen, and it added up to an astonishing amount. I couldn’t prosecute at this point, but I could sue those involved. I was right right right right right a million times right. And the defendants had very little money left and the likelihood of them filing for bankruptcy and transferring their assets (fraudulently or not) was very high. So I had to decide if I wanted to devote more time and resources to this and possibly walk away with nothing no matter how right I was, or make the best deal possible for the best possible outcome for me under these less than ideal circumstances. I made the deal. To me, seven cents on the dollar was better than zero cents on the dollar. I had to take my emotions out of it and use my head. What you aren’t seeing is that nothing is a sure thing and the ideal circumstances you have set up in your head and your stubbornness aren’t quite meshing with the reality of your situation. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/76 "2013-11-29T23:48:19Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > Well it’s kind of my point. If I was awarded lost wages in a court, it would be actual lost wages, not a percentage of a number that was far less than what I was actually making. Why are you so certain you’d prevail in a personal injury lawsuit, if you were able to get out from under the Worker’s Comp umbrella? You say there was no employer negligence involved in the accident. I can see how it would be likely you might win in a suit forcing them to personally provide the equivalent worker’s comp benefits they deprived you of by lacking coverage… but why would you be awarded your full lost wages? I get that there would be no technical limit on your award, but why do you think you’d win that? What’s the tort? ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/77 "2013-11-29T23:57:22Z")
> [@](#): > > You mentioned earlier that your wife only collected about seven cents on the dollar on the vast sum of money she lost in an accident (I’m not sure how she lost cash in an accident and only got back seven cents on the dollar, but whatever). It was a personal injury case and after nine years and being broke we settled for far less than what the lawyer said the case was worth, pretty straight forward. Once again to save the things we were trying to hold on to, our home and our credit. > [@](#): > > In this certain situation, I was one million percent right, had all the proofs, experts and verification by independent sources. I earned the money and I believe the expression is “the books were cooked” on work I did as a teenager. My money was stolen, and it added up to an astonishing amount. I couldn’t prosecute at this point, but I could sue those involved. I was right right right right right a million times right. And the defendants had very little money left and the likelihood of them filing for bankruptcy and transferring their assets (fraudulently or not) was very high. So I had to decide if I wanted to devote more time and resources to this and possibly walk away with nothing no matter how right I was, or make the best deal possible for the best possible outcome for me under these less than ideal circumstances. I made the deal. To me, seven cents on the dollar was better than zero cents on the dollar. I had to take my emotions out of it and use my head. I understand, but we are comparing apples to oranges here. I highly doubt a large company, trading on a European stock exchange is going to go tits up to save their insurance company some money. > [@](#): > > What you aren’t seeing is that nothing is a sure thing and the ideal circumstances you have set up in your head and your stubbornness aren’t quite meshing with the reality of your situation. I know nothing is a sure thing, but the reality of my situation is I have nothing left to lose. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/78 "2013-11-29T23:59:10Z")
I’m sure your wife and children would be delighted to hear that they’re “nothing” to you, and you’re very likely to lose them if you can’t get a grip on reality and actually move on to a life. Poverty sucks, yeah, but do you want poverty AND no family? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/79 "2013-11-29T23:59:38Z")
I guess I’m having a hard time working up a lot of sympathy for your plight. Your injury didn’t seem to harm you all that much as your reported health complaints are kind of vague. I just don’t really believe your multitude of docs don’t have a diagnosis for you. (Also, I wouldn’t recommend massage for your neck if you really have bulging discs.) My best guess would be diagnoses in the areas of anxiety and depression. You seem to be getting about $30,000 a year for it, though. That’s a pretty good deal. You seem healthy enough to work to me. I mean, I know folks with much bigger health problems than yours who are able to find meaningful and useful work. 30K not a ton of money to be sure, but it is a normal comfortable income for most people. Your wife’s health and work issues are completely unrelated to your situation, and shouldn’t really play a role in this discussion. Whatever you health complaints are now, I can pretty much guarantee they will get worse as you age. You would be wise to move along and start making plans for the future. Get a job in whatever field you feel like you would be interested in or would do well in; go to school, plan ahead, take control of things. I don’t think you employer, or anyone for that matter, is responsible for your loss of life-time income with such vague health complaints. I feel like you may have been treated pretty generously thus far and are in danger of squandering that gift by not taking care of yourself and developing a plan for the future. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020/80 "2013-11-30T00:01:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Why are you so certain you’d prevail in a personal injury lawsuit, if you were able to get out from under the Worker’s Comp umbrella? I don’t think it would be a personal injury lawsuit. > [@](#): > > You say there was no employer negligence involved in the accident. I did not say that > [@](#): > > I can see how it would be likely you might win in a suit forcing them to personally provide the equivalent worker’s comp benefits they deprived you of by lacking coverage… but why would you be awarded your full lost wages? I’m pretty sure that’s not the way it would work in this particular case. > [@](#): > > I get that there would be no technical limit on your award, but why do you think you’d win that? What’s the tort? I’d rather not discuss that here yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-your-life-has-been-stolen/675020.md?page=5)