f'ing lawyers

I drove over 50 miles today to get to a settlement conference for an injury case from 2003. Just soft tissue, nothing major going on. And actually, I only drove part way this morning, because I my dad lives halfway and I stayed there last night. (completely unrelated, but I got to see my cat, who has been living with my dad for 4 months because my f'ing condo is still trying to be sold).

The place wasn't open when I got there at 7:55 am for an 8 am conference (why would a government office open at 8 like most of the rest of the world?). But luckily our defense attorney arrived soon after me, and we found a rickety old security guy. He scanned my bag, but didn't seem to understand my planner. He thought it was a box in my bag, and kept asking me to tell him what it is. Uh, a planner, with a calendar in it, and pockets for notes and stuff?

Once we got in we were in a waiting room that smelled like diapers. The old security guy did offer us coffee, with the caveat that he didn't have any creamer. We waited around while the 6 staffers there also sat around, because they weren't open yet, and one of them tried to reach the judge.

Once we got started, I quicky became PISSED. The f'ing plaintiff attorney was completely unprepared. He also looks like a cartoon--shorter than me, probably 400 pounds with one of those bellies that goes out from his pelvis or something. I don't know how he buys pants. Also his head was massive, yet also childlike. Well, he has nothing with him to prove his claim. He wants $30,000 from us, with a claim that his client was discharged from the Navy reserves because of her soft tissue, temporary back injury, but he has no records from the Navy, or her regular employer, or her doctor, documenting any disability. Also, his client has said previously that she started tatooing to deal with her back pain. huh? She also said that was better than cutting herself, like some people do. See what we're dealing with here?

Needess to say, the conference was cut short, because he brought nothing with him to substantiate his claim. The kicker? We were done in time for me to enjoy the 50 mile commute back home with rush hour still in full swing. Awesome.