Former Pastry Chef, Dean J. Kropp deboned the No-Fault Car Insurance System in the State of New York hoping to help future victims escape the torture he endured.
A Bone to Pick: Chef Dean's Rights for Rehabilitation by Kropp, Dean [Paperback]
After an accident several years ago, Dean Kropp couldn't work in his business as a caterer to the stars due to his injuries.
Fortunately he had insurance. They would take care of him, right? Wrong.
Navigating the ins and outs of laws that vary from state to state, fighting insurance companies working diligently to deny claims, and the labyrinth of paperwork and rules for government aid are exhausting . . . when you are healthy.
Try it while healing from an accident, "or two, or three,"
Are you prepared if life takes a nosedive after an illness or injury? Do you have a clear understanding of your vehicle insurance? Do you know your rights if you are hurt in a no-fault accident? Would you be able to make a comeback after being out of work for seven years?
Many of us avoid thinking about these questions. Often, when bad things happen, we are not prepared.
Dean's story will give you a better idea of what you may be up against if you are injured -- and how you can protect yourself. *Author: Kropp, Dean *Binding Type: Paperback *Number of Pages: 220 *Publication Date: 2008/09/01 *Language: English *Dimensions: 8.50 x 5.50 x 0.50 inches
Excerpt
"Here you go; careful. Did you lose consciousness?" the doctor asked.
"I don't remember," I said.
"Well, we are concerned about a concussion," Dr. Jones replied.
"You have cervical and lumbar sprains," he added after examining me. "That's classic whiplash. The brainstem cuts into the frontal lobe during the whiplash action. Whiplash and concussion can have very similar symptoms: dizziness, fatigue, nausea. And a big problem is that these symptoms can come and go over a period of time ranging from a few days to a few years."
"Oh," I said. "I thought you had to be out cold for hours to get a concussion."
Dr. Jones explained that that wasn't the case. "It only takes a few seconds for the damage to occur," he said. "Then it's a long road to healing. You'll have to follow up with your primary care doctor tomorrow."
I assured him I'd do that, and he gave me some pain medication.
"You'll probably feel pretty bad over the next few days," he warned.
I thanked him, and Lisa drove us home.
In the car, Lisa asked, "What did the doctor say?"
I told her what Dr. Jones had said.
Lisa was stunned. "A concussion, whiplash -- great, just what we need."
I finally got up the next morning -- Sunday, August 6 -- around 11:00 am. I called my GEICO insurance eight hundred number and got an adjuster on the phone. Her name was Diane.
"Hi, my name is Dean Kropp," I said. "My wife and I were rear-ended last night."
"Are you ok?" Diane asked.
I answered, "I don't know."
Diane said, "You don't know! I don't understand that. I am going to send you no-fault forms to fill out and send back to me. Do it as soon as possible."
These song lyrics and art are tales, tides and twinkling lights - tunes telling stories of warmth and sun, city and sand, paths that lead, and the coins we can keep in the Karma Bank. Spirit's been bypassed for sorrow, dreaming of a better tomorrow .
