I was in an accident. A large heavy piece of debris fell off my thirty-floor condo-apartment building and struck me. I was sitting near the building on a bench. The debris clipped my glasses, breaking them. It slammed with great force into my collar bone. It bounced off and slammed into my knee, bounced off again and slammed onto the pavement with such a deafening boom people came running.

I was disoriented. I assessed that i could move my limbs. My only thought was to get my dog to safety. I hastened off as quickly as i could. I came home and called 911. I saw the paramedics and was assessed as to no broken bones and i signed an electronic document refusing further medical attention. The police came and i made a report. I submitted a claim to my condo insurance, which of course did not apply, as the incident was outside my condo-apartment.

It happened on Monday, June 2, 2025 at 4:15pm. My dog was with me. If she had been hit, she'd be dead. If the debris was ten centimeters to the left, i'd be dead. The life-threatening nature of the incident has caused me post-traumatic shock which seems to be getting worse.

The debris was a one meter square board weighing about three kilos. It fell thru the water channel slot between the balcony retaining wall and the balcony floor of a condo-apartment on the eighteenth floor. The owner had propped it there while he was cleaning. He uses it to cut plants on. There were high winds that day and he had gone inside. A plant was knocked over and shifted the board so that it fell thru the slot, bounced off lower balcony railings as it tumbled down and struck me with tremendous force. There is security cam footage of it striking me.

I am angry that this owner, who i confronted, has not apologized. He has not said he is sorry. He has made no gesture of contrition like sending flowers. He has not offered me any gift of homemade food. He continues to plant and clean on his balcony and has texted me he is doing so, when he knows having a balcony full of furniture and decorations and plants and being active out there is a hazard. It's traumatizing for me to hear about.

He seems to be unaware and unapologetic that his actions have caused me pain. I have shown him my lurid bruises. He merely went on and on about he doesn't have any money or condo insurance. He is an individual who has been rude and ignorant to me in the past and yet he was calling me 'friend' and saying i 'light up the building' and calling me by the short form nickname of my real name. He also stopped several times to collect himself while i confronted him, making as tho he was close to tears. It all seemed very phony and disingenuous and manipulative.

He seems to think the condo corporation should be the one providing me with a personal support worker while i recover, as i have limited mobility with my right collarbone injury. He doesn't seem to accept that it was his own negligence that caused the accident and that it is HE who should take ownership and responsibility and foot the bill for a personal support worker.

Initially i was reluctant to pursue an insurance claim against him and thought i would turn the other cheek. But his lack of contrition and his continued hazardous activity on his balcony and his assertion that it is the condo who is responsible for providing me assistance during my physical recovery are making me reconsider. I have seen a personal injury lawyer and he says an insurance claim award would be less than ten grand. It's likely that one grand would go to 'disbursements' (paperwork costs), and the lawyer would take 30%, so i would only see about six grand at the most.

The physical injuries are troublesome, but it's really the post-traumatic shock that is affecting my functioning. I decided i couldn't live here in the building anymore due to the trauma of exiting and entering the building and the flashbacks of the accident. I launched the sale of my home and liquidated my retirement fund in preparation for buying a new place. It was very foolish and now that i've come to my senses a bit, i hope to reverse the decision as tax on withdrawal from my retirement fund is punishing. I won't sell my home as now is not the time to be making big decisions and taking on extra stress. Selling a home and buying another one is an enormous stress lasting about four months. As hideous as it is staying here, it is LESS stressful than moving.

I am extremely emotional, paranoid, losing things including my purse, can't find things that are right in front of me (it's like i can't see), irritable, easily frustrated, short-tempered, and my insomnia is now so intense my eyes are red with veins. I know it's just post-traumatic shock, but it's been six days. How long will it go on?

Should i pursue an insurance claim? I've been documenting my bruises with daily photos on my phone, but it's really the post-traumatic shock that's the problem, and it's hard to quantify that. If this darn guy would just say he's sorry and send me flowers, i would probably let it go. But with him continuing the hazardous behavior on his balcony and his awareness that i need the assistance of a personal support worker and his attempt to shift responsibility to the condo corporation, and his general refusal to take ownership of his negligence, i am inclined to pursue a claim against him.

He lives in an enormous million-dollar condo and cries poor, that he'll have to sell his home if i pursue a claim. That's nonsense. A guy who has a million-dollar home could get a loan for ten grand easy. I can't base my decision on his ability to pay anyways. He SAYS he doesn't have insurance. My lawyer has cautioned me that he may not be telling the truth. We are required by law to have condo insurance. There are no repercussions if you don't tho. We are not compelled to show proof of insurance. Condo insurance is only fifty bucks a month for me.

If he doesn't have condo insurance, that's on him. It's extremely foolish not to have it. I can't be responsible for his bad financial decisions. The fact is, if the guy owns a million-dollar condo, he's got deep pockets.

Sorry for the long post, i'm trying to collect my thought here, as much for myself, as for sharing. Thanks if you made it this far, and any feedback would be welcome.