30 years ago a young father walked into my office and told me of his family’s tragedy. His young son had been almost killed when run over by a truck. The boy had survived the accident, but had broken his neck and been left a quadriplegic in a power chair. His high spinal cord injuries made him one of Canada’s most-injured, but still living people at the time. He was completely paralyzed and only able to express himself with the assistance of sip and puff technology. Despite this, the boy was a fighter and I was moved by his struggle and his family’s need to give him a quality of life.
I was 30 years old and had been a criminal defense lawyer for five years, spending every day in Court fighting for the liberty of my clients. I might have told the father that I was not prepared to help him with his plight, having no experience with personal injury cases, but the mountain that this family was about to climb triggered in me a need to help them on their journey to justice. I sensed early on that this young boy was in for the fight of his life and that the path was entirely uphill. The family trusted me to take on their boy’s fight and I brought in a senior personal injury lawyer to help me ensure the boy’s future would be as bright as we could make it.
I quickly learned of the unfair playing field that exists between an injured person and the insurance industry when seeking justice. As the years went on, and as the extent of the boy’s injuries and challenges became clear, the insurance company and lawyers representing the truck driver did everything in their power to try and stall the case off as long as possible. They did this in the hope that the boy would not survive. The boy defied all doctor’s expectations and did make it through. His strength and bravery spurred us on to demand that the life left to him would be as comfortable as possible for both he and his family. After every legal twist and turn, and after every effort, we ensured that he would receive the maximum compensation possible.
As the boy grew, he showed incredible determination and drive and was able to live, with a few modifications and the tireless support of his family and care providers, just like other children. He went on to have a life and graduated from high school using only his sip and puff machine. His simply being alive was an inspiration to anyone who ever had the fortune of knowing him. He certainly changed my life.
For the past 30 years we have been committed to fighting for the rights of injured people and their families in their fight with the insurance industry. Along the way my son Jonas Cacchioni joined me, and together we have gone on to help more than a thousand injured people in their quests to get their lives back.
Mark Cacchioni