| Headache |
[Jan. 21st, 2003|11:36 am] |
I got a letter from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority yesterday, telling me they were disallowing my claim for compensation for the injuries I suffered when I was attacked three years ago.
That's fine by me.
Three years ago I was attacked on a train and left with 17 stitches (and five scars) in my head. Some time later, two of the gang were jailed. The only loose end was the compensation I was entitled to - a minimum of ?1,500, possibly more.
I had two years from the date of the attack to get the claim forms in. I couldn't do it. At first I delayed on the pretence of letting the court case finish. That ate up a lot of the time. After that, I couldn't think of an excuse so I just ignored them. Finally, a day or two before the deadline, I sent them in. I figured it was a shame to waste free money. (Or, if not exactly 'free' money, money I'd already paid for in blood.)
They wrote back saying they needed photos of the scars, taken and signed on the back by an independent photographer, and I went back into denial mode. I've lost count of how many reminder letters they sent me, they really worked hard to give me that money but I ignored them all. Just before Christmas a workmate at the Royal Mail who's a keen amateur photographer happened to bring a camera in and I thought 'what the hell' and asked him to take some pictures, but there wasn't enough light. He lent me the camera so I could do the job myself, he said he'd develop them and sign them, thus meeting the independent witness rule.
I put the camera in the corner of my room and ignored it. I returned it today, with my genuine and grateful thanks. Part of me regrets missing the money, but I have money (at the moment). What I now also have, now that the CICA has finally given up on me, is closure.
That's worth more than cash. |
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