Oh, Karma. Why?

[Bears Discover Fire]

Well, they take arson seriously

Or more likely they don't have a fucking clue.

To be fair, the LAFD is not the LAPD. The freakin' LAPD didn't know what I was talking about when I called them about the fire.

LAFD first responders are actually pretty competent and were a reassuring presence during my assault; they're the ones who gave me the ambulance ride to the hospital and kept a creepy guy away from me while I was in the lobby awaiting ER admittance.

The Fire department is one city service I can't complain about, yet.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Bears, i am sending you lots of positive vibes and {{{squishy hugs}}}.

Like CD said, i hope the news station picks up on the story. Just be ready to have your life interrupted by the media if they do. I've been there. It isn't pleasant, but it may be the only way to get some satisfaction for yourself. Good luck honey!!

Ah, she's tough as nails- she can take it. 'sides, I'd rather see Bears's lovely face plastered on the TV instead of Lohan or Kardashian.

Huh. The LAFD actually returned my call today and forwarded my info to their arson investigation team.

Fascinating.

Awesome.

 

[Alpha Romeo]

So, have you recovered from the injuries yet? Any lasting disabilities?

I can walk long distances, but running, dancing, skiing, standing on tiptoes, heavy lifting that may strain the foot etc is completely out of the question, as are most shoes that aren't reinforced cross-trainers. My range of motion remains limited, and my toes no longer bend properly to get into dress shoes. I also have permanent bruising and disfiguration on the foot in question.

I am mobile again, though, which is great. Lots of physical therapy to get there, but I can get around in my cross trainers with minimal pain at this point, unless I overdo it and walk too far in one stretch.

I don't understand why the lawyer didn't think this was a good case. Perhaps you need a new one. If you like, I have a few friends who are lawyers out there...happy to look them up for you?

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

So, have you recovered from the injuries yet? Any lasting disabilities?

I can walk long distances, but running, dancing, skiing, standing on tiptoes, heavy lifting that may strain the foot etc is completely out of the question, as are most shoes that aren't reinforced cross-trainers. My range of motion remains limited, and my toes no longer bend properly to get into dress shoes. I also have permanent bruising and disfiguration on the foot in question.

I am mobile again, though, which is great. Lots of physical therapy to get there, but I can get around in my cross trainers with minimal pain at this point, unless I overdo it and walk too far in one stretch.

I don't understand why the lawyer didn't think this was a good case. Perhaps you need a new one. If you like, I have a few friends who are lawyers out there...happy to look them up for you?

The lawyer felt that suing the apartment complex was impossible because of poor precedent. He also believed that my assailant did not have enough money to make him worth pursuing; he was confident we would win but feared we'd be unable to collect. He didn't think I had enough money to reimburse him if we were unable to collect. He demanded 10K up front to simply investigate my assailant's financial situation, which I didn't have.

I got the same unwillingness from every other lawyer I've subsequently called. They won't even discuss going after LAPD, the City Attorney or District Attorney's offices with me.

This was the point where I realized I should have gone into some high paying professional career instead of art school. I'm disenfranchised because my pockets aren't deep enough to buy justice.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I've been meaning to reply to this thread for a few days but it's hard to know what to say. It's a shitty situation with no easy or clear answers.

I hope you manage to get justice, Bears, but it sounds like a pipe dream at this point.

It's also awful that your family has abandoned you, though things like that seem to happen a lot. You go through a traumatic event and the people around you try to be supportive at first. After a few months, though, the novelty has worn off and they're wondering why you haven't just gotten over it, unable to realize that it's something you'll carry with you for the rest of your life.

Just do what you can to get on with your life as much as possible. I think it's good that you're trying to move on; you should stick with that. Let us know if anything turns up regarding your Favorite Felon.

 

[Australis]

The lawyer felt that suing the apartment complex was impossible because of poor precedent. He also believed that my assailant did not have enough money to make him worth pursuing; he was confident we would win but feared we'd be unable to collect. He didn't think I had enough money to reimburse him if we were unable to collect. He demanded 10K up front to simply investigate my assailant's financial situation, which I didn't have.

I got the same unwillingness from every other lawyer I've subsequently called. They won't even discuss going after LAPD, the City Attorney or District Attorney's offices with me.

Andf then lawyers wonder why the general impression of them is scum sucking bottom feeders and ambulance chasers.

I can't think of the exact term, but you see them on TV shows all the time - the type of lawyer (public defender?) who takes on cases on principle, for the greater good of the community. Many of these cases aren't glamorous but they are essential. Or maybe as a pro bono case?

Maybe I just watch too much US TV.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Where the hell is Matt Murdock when we really need him?

 

[Spot's Meow]

It sounds like you need to move the hell out of LA. That place seems to have sucked the life out of you. If I were you I would move out of state at this point, someplace with a more affordable cost of living. Maybe apply for out of state jobs and see where they take me. The only people I know who've been successful getting new jobs in this economy are those willing to relocate.

Anyway, I really hope you get some sense of justice from all of this. Maybe focus on just suing the assailant and forget about the other stuff. Winning a case against the D.A, City Attorney, or LAPD might not be so satisfying because the real issues are systematic and even if you get something out of it, those entities will still be pissing on other people left and right. However, the assailant is just one person who can possibly learn a lesson or at least face justice on an individual level, and that to me would seem more satisfying.

Whatever happens, I hope that you can start fresh and that 10 years from now this will all be a distant memory.