My Accident – Part 5

“You’re Not Suing Them, You’re Making a Claim On Their Insurance”

My last day in hospital. A nurse came in to say she was going to miss me. And I smiled at her thinking ‘have we met?’ Said we’d look out for each other when next in Waitrose and have a coffee together. Waitrose – hah! Little did I know then that those days would be long gone.

My friend Charlotte arrived to take me home and as I was trying to walk to the car park, had to stop and bend over every 10 seconds because I felt faint. Maybe the doctor had a point, not ready to go home. But ah well, on my way now.

I got home to an empty house, Sophie would return the next day. And damn I was scared about so many things. The stairs, being alone, the sledgehammer feeling and sloshing fluid in my head. The pain was off the scale. Could hardly stand up, constant dizziness. My wonderful friend Justine brought Bailey home and totally expected him to bounce all over me. But he looked really scared and wouldn’t come near me at first. That was a bit sad.

[I went to Teignmouth to see a friend last Friday, only for the day, but he was proper off when me when I got back. Funny!]

Later that night I let him out for his last wee and stood on the doorstep waiting. L walked by doing the same with her dog and was surprised to see me. “Oh, you’re home” said with much haughtiness and annoyance. “How are you?” “Yes I came home earlier. I feel like I’ve got a sledgehammer stuck in my head”. “Oh” she said with a disgusted look and walked off. What the actual hell? I nearly die due to a hole in YOUR carpet which you knew about and you’re being haughty with me? How does that work?!

I should’ve stayed in hospital, but I didn’t and life started to get very scary. Friends would visit & bring shopping and take me to many medical appointments (thank you Imogene, Hannah, Linda, Marie & Jo), ring me for hours and I’d have no memory of it whatsoever. If I wasn’t crying or having an anxiety attack I was constantly repeating myself. Didn’t know I was repeating myself but it was sending Sophie insane (“YOU JUST SAID THAT!”), bless her.

My life was full of hospital appointments and stress trying to get Sophie to school.  Pre-accident I drove her, only a 10 minute drive along windy country road but about an hour to walk and no public transport. I rang the Council but couldn’t get any help as I was employed. Her friend’s mum Marie was a Godsend and took her to school as often as she could and my friend Hannah brought her home one or two nights a week but there were always times I’d have to ask other friends to help. but most of them were at work. Sometimes I’d have to pay for a taxi at £15 a time. 10 minute journey. Daylight robbery.

I’d been home a couple of weeks when LD rang to say we needed a meeting. I’d never had a staff meeting in 8 years. I can’t remember it but the gist was she was extremely pissed off with me, totally matter of fact, no concern for me whatsoever, just wanted more doctor notes. This wasn’t right, that wasn’t right etc. I told her doc had prescribed anti-depressants but she gave not one shit. Should’ve taken a friend with me. I do that a lot now.

Every friend and family member told me to see a lawyer. So I did. I tried to explain the situation as best as I could. As I was leaving I said “I don’t know if I can do this, I can’t sue them!” Because I still had a shred of decency and cared for L, even if they didn’t have the same care for me. “You’re not suing them, you’re making a claim on their insurance!” she said.  I had 7 days to decide and by day 3 she’d already rang Charlotte & Julie and taken witness statements. I rang her in bits

“I can’t do this! It will be my word against theirs!”
“You have to, you’ll never work again! You need more operations, I can get you private healthcare!”  Absolute lies. She’d later say I’d misheard her and she meant using experts for reports would be from private healthcare. Well of course they bloody would, I’d have to pay for them.

While this was going on I was getting phone calls from L’s son who I’d always got on really well with. He had his own issues with L and LD. He would ring telling me to calm down and breathe (because I was always in tears). When the letter from my lawyer arrived he sent me one text “May I respectfully ask you do not discuss your claim with mum”. And I replied “Of course not. If there is no insurance then I won’t be making a claim”.  MEANING: I couldn’t possibly sue your mum personally.  Well guess what. That text was used against me – look, she’s making a fraudulent insurance claim. What?! Yes, her and her ex husband are in cahoots, we’ve never heard of the friends Julie & Charlotte (even though Charlotte would previously step in and do the dog walking and shopping for L when I was ill – for no payment, through kindness!) they’ve all made it up together.

Trust me when I say if I’d known L was lying about her prior knowledge of carpet holes then damn right I would’ve spoken to her about it. The lies! How could you sleep at night?! The last thing the previous housekeeper said to me, as she was given one hour to pack up her things and get out, was “watch yourself – she’ll throw you under the bus to save herself” and didn’t she ever. It still hurts.

And then began 6 months of hell having to live there, right next door to her. Her daughter and her friends all completely blanking me (fierce looks), suffering anxiety like never before, panic attacks multiple times a week, trying to recover, before eventually losing job and home. Because I fell down their stairs. Was treated like a criminal that had murdered and eaten their firstborn.

To be continued….