Eight months ago, I launched an appeal before the Tribunal administrative du Québec (TAQ). Lurched is a more appropriate verb than launched. Whatever word is used, the legal ball had started rolling. A rolling ball generates files. Lots of them. More than I can manage.

Poor management became evident when I searched the insurer’s document package for some test results. I was positive the tests had been submitted and I could not understand why they failed to show in the document record. Then I discovered the files had been sent to my lawyer in Montréal. All four documents were intended for the insurer but, as I was unable to afford further legal services, the files went into limbo. I completely forgot about them.

In addition to these four missing documents, I face a growing pile of TAQ exhibits. The typical exhibit is a scientific research paper describing an aspect of mTBI injury. But there was no master plan associated with these exhibit submissions. I simply mailed them in. The outcome is a set of documents in total confusion. I am confused. I do not know what has been submitted. To pull order from chaos, I intend to write a summary review. But the creation of this review document requires I actually know what I am doing. I need to understand my line of argument and how each exhibit fits into the final legal jigsaw puzzle.

If this sounds totally confusing, then welcome to club. I have been tip-toeing around the problem for the past month and have been uncertain how to solve it. It has become clear I must do something.

A First Step

I went out and bought high capacity sheet protectors, a box of hanging file folders, some three ring index pages, and some file folder information tabs. I have 3 ring binders left over from various projects. The goal is to place each exhibit in a sheet protector, collate the exhibits by date of submission, and then group them in chronological sequence in the binder. The binder can be carried to the hearing and should give me immediate access to any exhibit.

A Prior First Step

A second problem immediately arose. I am awash in paper incidental to the TAQ case but which is not intended as an exhibit. For example, I have copies of all of my Québec health insurance receipts, copies of receipts from Dr. H, and copies of the cancelled checks given in payment. There is no home for any of this material so it simply clutters up the place and gets in the way. Suddenly it became important. When I decided to submit an exhibit detailing the total hours of therapeutic interaction with Dr. H, and Dr. D, I needed to collect all the receipts and related data. The same for Dr. N, Dr. T, and Dr. X. Without being fully aware of it, I was submerged in a flood of information, almost all of it in physical form. I experience great difficulty in dealing with physical ephemera. The lack of a formal filing system left me drowning in the flood.

A Quick Solution

Before the injury, I managed a self-directed RRSP. The information associated with this activity had been filed in portable plastic file boxes. After the injury, I found it impossible to continue with self-directed investing and went to 100% cash. The associated records were now redundant. I migrated all the RRSP paper into a handy shoebox then used the liberated space to create a file system designed to capture all the paper that was not part of a TAQ exhibit. This was a major effort but it went a long way to getting the mass of paper more, or less, under control.

Files Still Out of Control

Once a partial solution was in place, it became apparent more work was required. Two additional classes of document need to be classified and ordered. The first class consists of original documents submitted to the insurer, or to a related 3rd party. My practice was to retain the originals and place them inside a manila envelope. The type of content, and the date of submission, was written on the exterior. Since I have had to refer to these originals at various times, the manila packages have distributed themselves throughout my many piles of paper. I need to collect all the manila packages, sort them chronologically, or by recipient, and then store them in an easy access file.

The second class of problem documents are exhibit print outs. Most of the exhibits are scientific papers harvested from the web. These are a major problem. They are very difficult to comprehend. It can take multiple readings before I understand the basics of what is being presented.

I tend to be overly optimistic. A PDF found on the web appears to speak to my specific case issues. So I download it and any associated publications. Then I print the PDFs. Then I carry the print outs to the copy shop and make a minimum of two duplicates. Then I carry everything back home. Then I read the documents. It is at this point that I realize that the precious document which appeared to provide detailed supporting evidence which speaks exactly to the nature of my injury is really discussing sheep shearing in New Zealand. An interesting topic to be sure, but one of little interest to TAQ.

I do not want to harsh on me too much (I do enough of this in the real world. No need to do it in print). Part of the problem is a reading and comprehension problem. I am not as sharp as I once was. Part of the problem is that I clutch at any thin reed which appears to have relevance. This has a positive aspect in that I am willing to work hard to seek out evidence which supports my case, and it has a negative aspect in that I tend to over-reach. Learning also plays a significant role. After much trial and error, I have learned that I am no longer a quick learner. I am getting better. But I often fail to fully understand a document on first reading. It is necessary to subject each document to multiple readings to confirm my understanding. With some papers this is impossible to achieve. I need to shelve these publications as it is impossible for me to fully comprehend them.

The upshot of this convoluted, and highly inefficient process, is that the living room remains awash in documents which may, or may not, have relevance, which may, or may not, have already been submitted to TAQ, which may, or may not, support the argument I am attempting to make, which may, or may not, have been fully understood by me. I need to get this massive backwash of paper under control. I am not yet sure how to do it.

My first thought is to index everything that has been submitted. Then order these documents so as to gain easy access to each one in order to compile the argument summary. Once I achieve this outcome, I can then verify which potential exhibits are duplicates, or close duplicates, of existing exhibits. The summary document, once prepared, will demonstrate logical faults and significant gaps in my line of argument, As problems are identified, I can work to “fill in the gaps” with further research.

It is been interesting writing this document. As I write it (and it has consumed most of the day) I can feel my world spinning out of control as I attempt tasks well outside my present comfort zone. I appear able to use text as a means to self discipline, and as a method of imparting discipline to my surroundings. I derive much comfort from the fact this text is going to end up as a blog post. After three years of posting, I have developed an “old shoe” relationship with the blog. It gives me confidence. It helps me order events and sort everything out.