Hit by misfortune: Broken dreams

Dubai: August 8 was supposed to be a good day for Lory Calago. His baby daughter had just turned one month old, and his boss had approved a promotion and a salary increment. As he was leaving Jebel Ali Free Zone to break the news to his wife, Calago met with an accident. He says a speeding car hit him, leaving him with a foot injury that would eventually lead to a permanent disability.

Two weeks into his hospital stay, Lory and his wife Marian, a receptionist, decided that justice was called for. "The police told us that as the victim of an accident I should file a case against the Jordanian man who hit me," says Lory. "The next day we were at the Jebel Ali police station."

By that point Lorry had six metal screws inserted into his left ankle, rendering him unable to walk without the aid of a crutch. Over the next two months, while the pain grew worse, the money ran out. The couple's joint salary of Dh5,000 a month has dwindled to less than half. "We are months behind on our Dubai Electricity and Water Authority bills, our house rent… Lory hasn't been paid for the two months he's been unable to work; I have to constantly take unpaid leave from my work to look after Lory and go to the court... he has another operation coming up on Sunday, for which we don't even have the Dh2,000 registration fee."

Deep in debt since the accident, it was up to Marian to take on the responsibility of supporting the family. Every Sunday Marian went to the Prosecution in Al Twar to follow up on Lory's case. Every time she was promised that she had nothing to fear. "We were told that as the victims we were entitled to a cash settlement from the driver who hit my husband. It's his fault that my husband will never again be able to walk normally, that our lives have been shattered so drastically, that my little girl has nothing to play with, that we don't even have the money to pay for an operation that is absolutely essential if Lory ever hopes to recover," says Marian.

As luck would have it, the couple lost the case. A verdict announced on October 11 declared the driver innocent and Lory the guilty party. "They said I threw myself in front of that man's car. I almost wanted to laugh out loud at that statement. I should never have been hit because of another man's carelessness; I shouldn't have to sit at home jobless and moneyless. And, most importantly, I should never have lost a case I was told I was guaranteed to win," he says with a sigh of resignation.

To make matters worse, Lory and Marian weren't informed about the judgment. "It was by accident that we found out what the verdict was," says Marian.

"The prosecution has told us to file an appeal. We would need a professional lawyer to represent us, which we can't afford. Any money we got would first go towards Sunday's life-saving operation for Lory."

With almost Dh50,000 needed in aid, the couple sits in despair at their little studio. "If Lory doesn't get his operation, he may never be able to walk properly again. We just want justice. That man ruined our lives and we just want someone to make it all right again."

— If you wish to help Lory write to editor@xpress4me.com