Complaint Review: the co-operators

November 19, 2009

Mark Wawara, MP Langley, B.C.
Mary Polak, MLA, Langley B.C.
Re: Cooperators Insurance Company, Blue Cross, B.C. Life, Pacific Community Resources Society

Dear Sir and Madame,
This letter is regarding my current and long outstanding situation with the above mentioned insurance companies and my employer and the refusal of my long term disability claim.
My name is Dennis Bxxxxx and I am finally writing to you for help in this matter as I dont know where else to turn, and know what has happened to me is grossly unfair and should be corrected.
I will give you an outline of my background and history regarding my complaint which will hopefully be enough so I will not to be shuffled off as a groundless and frivolous whiner, which I have never, nor will ever be. I have been treated wrongly by a large corporation, as I am sure many have been, and hope to bring some additional light to a practice that I am sure you and the general Canadian public are aware of. I firmly believe this is a situation that needs to be dealt with not only for me but for the general public.
I am 56 years old now, and was a single parent to my 3 children since my youngest was in diapers. I complete over 6 years of post secondary study while parenting and working full time. This was in addition to 2 and a half years of previous University training. My point is I am not an un-educated individual although I feel that way and worse on a daily basis now.  I worked very hard to get to where I was in my new career as a combination alcohol and drug counselor/employment counselor and educator. I was at the peak of my career having created, designed and delivered over 4 programs for adults and youth in the communities I lived in. All were funded by various levels of Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments. One such program is still being funded by the Federal Government after over 10 years. I was very proud of what I had accomplished and given to all of my clients, their families, and the communities they lived in. I also have volunteered at the Vancouver Crisis centre and as a certified level 2 coach, coached teams in various lower mainland communities for over 12 years.  I graduated from Notre Dame High School and have pretty much been working since I was 14 years old.
I will also mention that during the time I raised my children I also had an ongoing Supreme Court of Canada case launched in Victoria for child custody by the childrens mother to deal with. I took my children away from their mother because she was an alcoholic and a drug addict and was not looking after the kids. She was on legal aid the entire time. I had to pay dearly for my legal counsel. I was awarded the children every time. I was never awarded any child support despite the means to pay. This process of appeals continued for over 10 years. This has nothing to do with my current situation, but since Im writing I just thought I would mention it to get it off my chest. This should not be allowed to happen either. But as a Supreme Court of Canada judge told me one day in court, Mr. Barry, you were born the wrong gender.  Enough said.
On November 11, 2005 I left for a long awaited vacation and visit with long time friends in Thailand for 5 weeks. About a week later I was in a serious motorcycle accident in the mountains in northern Thailand. I hit a temporary bridge that was hastily built after the worst rains in 100 years there at close to 80 kmh. The helmet I was wearing was shattered and I suffered the first of 5 serious head injuries in the coming year. I also cracked my rotator cuff and ribs, and broke my hand along with neck and other injuries.
About a week or so after I was released from hospital I was drugged and robbed and ran over while walking home in Chiang Mai. I came to about 12-14 hrs later half on the road and sidewalk. I had tire marks on my clothing. More cracked ribs, the other shoulder injured as well as my knee and of course my head. I developed a serious infection in my shoulder and knee and came within a day or so from having them amputated as gangrene had set in.
I was not out of the hospital after another, Im not sure how many days or weeks again, and I was attacked by a very drunk Australian. At the time I had one of my arms in a sling and was using a cane to walk. I had just been released less than 1 hour before the assault. I was kicked and punched numerous times in the head and had most of one of my ears bitten off. I had 2 plastic surgeries and spent 22 days in hospital. I remember that for some reason. Somewhere along the line I contracted hep C.
The Thai police told me I had to stay in the country to testify against the Australian. When they found him after a hunt throughout Thailand as he was on the run, he was convicted and I could come home. It was now around March, 2006.
I arrived home the day after my birthday and had a massive heart attack. The main artery feeding my heart was 100% blocked. I still dont have a very clear memory of any of these events so far, and for the 2 months after my heart attack I have absolutely no memory. My daughter took me into her home and looked after me for those months. One of my dogs died there.
In August of 2006 I went to visit my friend and his wife who were in Osoyoos visiting from Thailand and was hit by a truck while riding a bicycle. I broke one of my shoulders again, and was unconscious again for an hour or so as I hit a cement wall with my head. I wasnt wearing a helmet. I have what they call a triple axis separation of my left shoulder and am still trying to get an operation to get it fixed as I am still in constant pain from it and other injuries. You can imagine how my head is at this point. I was not able to pursue and ICBC claim although I think I did report it.
I returned to my home in Chilliwack after this and tried to take care of myself. This did not work out. I was taken advantage of, extorted and beaten again by November of that year, 2006. During this latest beating I was punched and kicked unconscious almost losing half of my upper lip. During a period of 6 weeks my motor home was broken into and ransacked, my home was broken into 4 separate times, and finally my motor home was stolen and trashed. You see I was not, nor have I ever been and never ever will be the same Dennis Barry. All I was trying to do was help people still, and because of my conditions, was taken advantage of, used and abused. Too much trauma to my body and mind.
My younger sister came and rescued me and took me home to her house in Surrey. She had just been diagnosed with cancer and I lived with her and my young nephew and niece until she died a year later. I was not able to help her as I would have been able to, wanted to, had I been healthy. So sad. My other dog died.
My mother died around 6 months later and never stopped worrying about me and my little sister. Feeling like an additional failure now.  I wasnt able to be there for either of them like I should have.
After my sister died my family thought it would be a good idea for me to go and live my oldest son in Victoria. Nobody really knew what to do with me. Its now around February of 2008. I moved again, and again it turned into a disaster. My deep and dark depression, inability to go out or get things done, my hygiene, uncharacteristic behaviors, forgetfulness.  took their toll on my relationships there as well. I just talked to my youngest son last week on his birthday. I have had no contact with him for over a year.
My problem is that I have no idea what has happened and why regarding my long term disability claim. It is too complicated for me to figure out, but I know I should not be in this situation. During some time frame they say I was supposed to have filed some papers with the Cooperators, the long term insurance company. I did file them as I was finally told about them by my employer Pacific Community Resources Society, formerly called Nisha.
After reading all the documentation I have regarding my disability and claim it is apparent to me that I have been penalized unjustly.
I was cut off my short term disability Accidently by a company called B.C. Life half way through my claim. They wrote me a letter to this effect. I had to do a lot to get re-instated. It ran out in October of 2006. A letter from the Cooperators said I would have been eligible for long term In May of 2006.  A letter to Pacific Community Resources Society from Blue Cross on July 4 of 2006 stated my short term was terminated July 14, 2006. On July 20 ,2006 Blue Cross sent the benefits administrator at Pacific Community Resources a letter stating my benefits were terminated July 15,2006, and to have me complete forms for long term disability and return them to my company and then my company would forward them to the Cooperators.  My daughter in an email in August of 2006 asked my company benefits administrator for info regarding my long term.  I had to apply for welfare in November of 2006. I next had to apply for CPP and then Provincial disability. Keep in mind I am trying to put my house and papers together after being broken into 4 times, being terrorized and beaten, and really not capable of functioning at all during this period.
Sound confusing. Well how do you think it was for me (And still is) given my conditions and my state of mind.  My question is this: Why did not Blue Cross, B.C. Life, the Cooperators, and Pacific Community Resources Society not get together and look after me?   How did the copy of my employers claim for me mysteriously not get there the first time it was sent in late March of 2007? I mailed my copy the first week of March, 2007.
I apologize if this is sounding crazy.  My head just goes round and round and I cant think anymore. But what I do know is that I should have been looked after way better considering all I was going through and still am going through, and will be going through for the rest of my life. I get furious every time I see that Cooperators TV commercial that has a little boy who is watching his dad play hockey ask, If my dad gets hurt, will you look after us? to a Cooperators rep..  What about me?
I got help from AIM, the Association for Injured Motorcyclists, who got me in touch with the Disabilities Association people on Broadway to help me fill out the form for CPP and Provincial Disability. I have seen the brain injury people, and disability association in Victoria. The AIM lawyer filed papers in New Westminster last October, I served them October 27, 2009, the last day for service. I dont know what to do next, but feel they need to be held accountable.  Why should the Canadian government have to pay me when the company I worked for paid for insurance for people like me. The AIM lawyer who originally helped me for free can no longer help me.
I dont know what to do. You know, I dont really care anymore about much anyhow. I have lost everything I have worked for my whole life. I exist on $1,022 a month. More than some I know, but not a lot. More importantly I have lost me, my family, my friends and my self worth.  I dont have a clue where my life is going, where to live, I cant remember things, I lose stuff everywhere, I get taken advantage of, I make compulsive decisions, I dont have much of a sense of time. Worse is I feel like an embarrassment and burden to my family, who have lost so much lately. Im totally lost.
Can someone help me please.
Very Sincerely,
Dennis Bxxxx