COMMUNITY
A PRIMER ON BULGARIA Bulgaria, nestled in the Balkan region
“The only way to really protect yourself is to buy those two coverages and increase the coverage on yourself,” he said. “There are so many people out there who don’t have enough coverage to take care of a catastrophic injury.” The driver who parked in the fast lane had her driver’s license revoked for three years because it was her first offense, according to court records. Her insurance company has agreed to a $25,000 payment, but Enriquez, under the advice of her lawyer, has not accepted it yet. It’s just as well. Even if she did, it would cover 0.7% of her medical bills. And things only get worse from there. One of the drivers Enriquez careened into head-on sued Enriquez. “She had a broken shoulder and had to get surgery,” Enriquez said of the driver who sued her. “If the settlement would have come through, she was going to sue me for every penny of it.”
it was $15,000 per person with a $30,000 maximum. “The state minimums are pretty low,” Hutzler said. Both Enriquez and Hutzler had similar messages to share about insurance. “I would tell anybody,” said Enriquez, who now has more medical debt than she will ever be able to repay, “don’t go cheap on insurance.” Hutzler agreed. “Really, the thing is to protect
ALL ABOUT DISABILITY Supplemental Security Income is a federal
WHAT TO DO AFTER AN AUTO CRASH? If you ever find yourself in an accident,
of southeastern Europe, is a nation steeped in history and a cultural blend of Greek, Slavic, Ottoman and Persian influences. With a landscape that ranges from the Balkan Mountains in the west to the Black Sea coastline in the east, the nation offers diverse natural beauty. The capital city of Sofia, which was established 2,500 years ago, showcases a blend of ancient ruins and modern architecture. Bulgaria is known for its rose oil production, folk traditions and warm hospitality, making it an intriguing destination for travelers. Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007.
program in the U.S. providing financial assistance to aged, blind or disabled people with limited income and resources. It aims to help recipients meet their basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. SSI eligibility is based on financial and disability criteria, requiring applicants to have a qualifying disability that significantly limits their ability to earn income. The program is administered by the Social Security Administration and serves as a crucial safety net for vulnerable people. The process to apply for disability benefits can be lengthy and complex, and it’s advisable to seek assistance from a disability advocate or attorney to navigate the process and increase the chances of a successful outcome. Most must apply multiple times to get a positive result.
I have watched my daughter go from being an outgoing person and full of life to being depressed and unhappy.” PHIL STOTHART
Phoenix personal injury attorney Jason Hutzler recommends drivers “contact the police, create a record and have them come out to the scene. If you have any doubt about needing medical attention, go to the hospital. The next thing
I would recommend they do is to seek out an attorney who can advise them on what they would need to do going forward.”
yourself more so than expecting someone else to protect you,” Hutzler said. “You don’t have to keep uninsured motorists or underinsured motorist coverage, so most people don’t.” However, Hutzler said those coverages should not be overlooked.
With so many injuries resulting from this crash and so few dollars available from insurance, Enriquez said she understands why the other driver is suing. “She’s in the same situation I’m in. She has injuries to take care of just like I do. Neither one of us did anything wrong, but we’re both suffering because of that other driver.” Collateral damage Prior to the crash, if anyone needed anything, Enriquez was there to help. “She always puts everyone’s needs above her own,” Carrie said. “She was the most independent, most caring, selfless individual you’d ever meet.” Carrie said Enriquez was everyone’s rock. “She was always working two jobs,” Carrie said. “She’s going to get it done no matter what. Whatever was needed, she was going to make it happen.” For Enriquez, the role reversal of going from the caregiver to care recipient has been more than difficult, said Tammy Stothart, Enriquez’s sister. “Difficult would be the understatement of the century,” Stothart said. “She doesn’t know how to be who she is now. She feels like a prisoner in a stranger’s body.” For Enriquez, the road to recovery has taken more steps backward than forward. Perhaps the most damaging aspect was the removal of nearly 2 feet of intestines that later caused her to develop Low Anterior Resection Syndrome and Crohn’s disease, which along with her past ileostomy has rendered the most basic day-to-day functions nearly impossible. Cas States, Enriquez’s mother and a retired nurse, explained further. “She suffers from chronic diarrhea with urgency, along with severe abdominal cramping,” States said in a written statement to InMaricopa .
literally nothing. She has lost everything — her ability to work, her home (twice since the accident), control over her own body…She has lost who she once was. “Kat doesn’t know who she is supposed to be anymore and truly believes she will never be happy again,” Stothart said. After surviving the hellscape recovery during the pandemic, Enriquez went to live with her mother in Bulgaria in 2021. Enriquez is a British citizen and is entitled to medical coverage from the British healthcare system, which offers its services to its citizens living in Bulgaria. “I went to Bulgaria in the middle of 2021 to go to my mom because there’s no mental healthcare available to me here,” Enriquez said. “I was diagnosed with PTSD and an adjustment disorder from the whole thing, so I went home to be with family and get help with my mental and emotional recovery.” Coming home, it appeared Enriquez might have turned a corner. “I went to get my certification reinstated as a pharmacy technician,” Enriquez said. “It took me one weekend to get a job. I was so proud of myself.” Enriquez soon returned to the Grand Can- yon State and moved in with her son, Johnny, who was 20 and living in Mesa at the time. However, a few months later, Enriquez noticed her health was declining. “I started losing weight again,” she said. The diagnosis this time was LARS. It’s a condition common amongst people who have had large portions of their intestines removed. The symptoms include chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding and stomach pain. The condition also has an adverse effect on absorption of food, causing victims to lose copious amounts of weight and slowly waste away.
“Her life revolves around a bathroom. She has no appetite but is also afraid to eat. As a result, she’s lost a significant amount of weight and is now emaciated. “I have watched my daughter go from being an outgoing person and full of life to being depressed and unhappy.” The toll has far surpassed physical pain, Stothart said. “She was always so strong mentally and emotionally,” Stothart said. “She has never been this way before, ever. It scares me to see her so despondent.” Stothart said she feels in many ways her sister has become another person altogether. “She is so anxious and scared all the time, scared she has lost her friends because of what has happened to her,” Stothart said. A square in a circle Enriquez was born in the U.K. before moving to Virginia with her family at age 13. The family later moved to Arizona. Talking to her these days, there’s no trace of an English accent. When she arrived in America, the other kids picked on her for it. As a result, she forced away the accent and grew a thick skin. Growing up, Enriquez was taught self- reliance above all. “I was raised to take care of myself and to not ask for money, so this whole thing has been so humiliating,” she said. Prior to the accident, Enriquez was in control of her life. Unfortunately, not anymore. “She can’t seem to navigate in a world where she can’t work to support herself and buy the normal things we all need to just live, let alone what she needs medically,” Stothart said. Stothart said the physical injuries metastasized into so much more. “This accident has left her broken and with
The money wasn’t likely to pay all the expenses for the crash. Enriquez said the hospital expenses immediately after the wreck were $3.2 million and estimates her medical bills have totaled at least $5 million over the last four years. For the Enriquez family, finances had always been tight. Before the wreck, the family had reduced their car insurance down to liability coverage, meaning that in the case of an accident, only the other driver’s damages would be covered. The family also had to cut back by canceling a supplemental insurance plan through Aflac, which would have paid for out-of-pocket expenses due to injuries. “I had it,” Enriquez said. “It was $20 a month or something like that. Now, it really doesn’t seem like it was much money at all.” Unfortunately, Jason Hutzler, a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix, said situations like the one Enriquez’s are all too common. “In drunk driving cases where there are significant injuries, there’s usually not enough insurance,” Hutzler said. “Let’s just say it’s more common than not. If I had to guess, probably 6 out of 10 cases, there’s not enough money to cover damages.” Hutzler said it’s hard to gauge the amount of coverage you need but noted it should be more than the state minimums. “This state has decided to focus on affordability as opposed to making sure people are protected,” Hutzler said. For personal injuries, the state’s minimum liability coverage is $25,000 per person with a maximum of $50,000 for one accident. Recently, the bar was even lower — before 2020,
DRIVING TO IMPROVE STATE ROUTE 347 As Katrine Enriquez’ crash demonstrates, SR 347 is a danger to Maricopans and everyone else who drives on it. Arizona Department of Transportation last year reported 967 crashes on SR 347 for a five-year period ending June 30, 2022. An average of 193 crashes occurred each year. Most of the collisions didn’t result in injury but 21 ended in serious injuries and another 15 were fatal. For Rep. Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande), vice chair of the Arizona House transportation board, Enriquez’s story is a microcosm of so many who have been adversely affected by one of the state’s most dangerous highways.
“It’s the reason why I’m running for office,” Martinez said. “If Interstate 10 and [SR] 347 were both widened, I don’t know that I would be running. I lost my father to a car crash due to horrible roads. And I’ve seen so many other families affected.” During budget negotiations at the end of this year’s legislative session, money to construct the overpass at Riggs Road, a major component of improving SR 347, was kicked down the road until 2028. Former Arizona state Rep. Bret Roberts (R-Maricopa) secured $35 million in state funds for the overpass before he moved to South Carolina in 2021. When Roberts left, Martinez was tapped
Martinez said she has been working to ensure the Riggs Road overpass doesn’t slip through the cracks of ADOT’s bureaucracy. She’s particularly upset ADOT took two years to begin the planning and architectural phase of the overpass. “That’s unacceptable,” she said. “And you know why that happened? Nobody was watching.” Martinez said she will make sure ADOT knows she’s watching. “I literally have to oversee them,” she said. “I’m going to oversee this agency to make sure it gets done. I’m going to require that ADOT give me quarterly updates on the Riggs Road overpass. Hopefully, at the beginning of next session, inflation is down and the surplus is so that we can bring that project forward.”
as his replacement and won reelection the following year.
InMaricopa.com | August 2024
August 2024 | InMaricopa.com
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