aut555-I am so sorry. I looked at the "like" at bottom of post instead of poster. I really apologize.I am just trying to be honest, and not get too invested in stuff like this, where people want to debate what you say as fact, splitting hairs. I love this site and their is so much good stuff. I saw this thread and could relate so much to the injustice, but didn't mean any harm for anyone.
I am also sorry for the difficult path you have walked and the 20 yrs lost. I know that you do know what that feels like then. It is not that my story needs to be told here so much as it is hard to explain how unjust the system is without some amount of information as to why one feels that way.
For me, if I knew, if someone had warned me (I think they did), I would have proceeded anyway, which I assume the OP will do as we often seek some information and sift thru it all to find what is right for us. I did what was right for me at the time. If one of my daughters were in the same situation, my advice would be much stronger and different than what I did, particularly after my own experience.
You are right. It is not about justice. I find that most of our systems are broke.(mental health, justice, juvenile, etc ) It is all about who can afford the best attorney in the legal arena. Unless of course the case is hands down, on surveillance video. Before they produced the video in my case which was almost 2 yrs, they sent form after form, what was I wearing, what shoes, did I have anything to drink, how much, where, with who. Who was I with from 6 am till 11 pm when the accident happened.....the next day....the day after.... They wanted to know if I farted that day basically. They are fishing to use anything you say against you. My neurologist wanted me tested for MS during all of this but told me off the record that he wanted to wait because they would blame the fall on MS if I had it, all the while they had the video that showed them at fault. They were the "kind" ones though. They knew they had to settle,it was just for how much, as they knew- it was me who was starved out after nearly 3 yrs. That is how it works, and that is a good scenario for the plaintiff.
Again, I am very sorry. I think I am too tired to be posting. lol