Joanna Auerbach
207 Luddington St. Apt #3
Syracuse, NY 13206
E-mail joanna1@a-znet.com
Tel 315-463-9920
July 6, 2004
I am desperately seeking help in resolving a hopeless situation. My life and future have been kept in a perilous situation with a great deal of suffering for the past six and a half years -- both physically and emotionally.
I am 56 years old women from Syracuse, NY. In March of 1998 I was severely injured in a car accident caused by the negligent and aggressive driver of an 18 wheel tractor-trailer. The accident took place on highway 81 in Syracuse, and my car was repeatedly hit by the tractor-trailer over a distance of a half mile.
I was near-death following the accident. People called for an ambulance, but police on the scene of the accident failed to stop motorists who were at the scene to take eye-witness accounts.
I filled a civil lawsuit in Onondaga County Supreme Court against the truck driver and the owner of the vehicle, The Ryder Corporation. They are represented by one of the largest law firms in Syracuse, Hancock & Estabrook. This powerful firm has used its clout and manipulation of the judicial system to bring me to my knees, with the hope that I will either die, have a complete nervous breakdown or give up fighting and make a small settlement. Their tactics include: forcing rules of the suit, not providing demanded information by my attorney, drawing-out the court calendar on simple motions for several years, and holding my case on hold for 8 months by pressing false criminal charges against me to District Attorneys
In the meantime I have been left a disabled person suffering with chronic pain resulting from spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and internal injuries. My personal injury policy money, and life’s savings have been exhausted and I have been forced to stop vital medications for chronic migraine headaches, vomiting, persistent nausea, muscle spasms, extreme fatigue, and from internal injuries to my esophagus, stomach, and lungs caused by the seat belt at the time of accident. After the accident (due to my poor health), I lost my job, my personal relationship ended, and I have been not able to perform many daily life activities. Even with Medicare and supplemental insurance I am unable to afford treatment.
My lawyer, a small private practitioner specializing in accident related injury hired all necessary experts, and we have built a case to support our claim for a substantial multi-million dollar settlement that can provide me with the resources for medical treatments and adequate living for the remainder of my life. To bolster our case, my attorney also associated with a litigation lawyer, to help us fight the biggest law firm in our region. Unfortunately our efforts are being silenced by the strong-arm and manipulative tactics of this well funded corporate firm.
During several years of stall tactics with my case by the Defense, I had suffered from major depression, caused by the stress and difficulties imposed by my injuries.
To make matters worse for me, the Defense has now move Court to have me determined as unfit to represent myself and to have the Court appoint a Guardian Ad Litem which would strip me of my rights to decide what would be a reasonable settlement. I suspect that they wanted to get rid of me and settle my case before the present sitting Judge leaves for retirement this August.
I am fully capable of adequately defending my rights. None of doctors that I had seen for many years made this decision. I have been deposed on three occasions, and had a meeting with the judge, and there were no indications that I am not capable. It is obvious to me now that my own lawyer is intimidated, and he isn’t willing to protect me anymore. The Defense team has connections to our local judicial system and other sectors of the case that my attorney does not, as a sole practitioner -- and he has basically given up the fight.
Rather than remain silent, my dire situation has energized me to speak out to decry the injustice of our judicial system that would leave a poor woman to suffer as I have. Being at the mercy of an intimidating, cut-throat, high priced law firm isn’t a new story by any means, but I can no longer remain silent.
I would very much like to ask for your assistance in any fashion that could bring my story to light, and to assist us in having a fair outcome to our fight.
In a time where corporate corruption is front page news, the stories that are not being told are about peoples lives that are being ruined every day by corporate corruption of this type.
This is a classic David and Goliath story, which with your intervention could have having a happy ending for the little guy that would really delight your audience and hit a ‘home run’ for basic human rights and a just judicial system in our country.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration of my story.
Sincerely,
Joanna AuerbachPS. I have a lot of documents to provide for investigation.
Would you be interested to attending the upcoming court motion on July 30, where the Defense will try to have me determined unfit to represent myself? It should be interesting considering that I am capable, and none of professionals that currently treat me would agree.
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