Comeback kid -- Pediatrics, Christmas, Metra

I had the opportunity to meet Rachel Barton and was very unimpressed. She played at a dinner @ the Sears Tower about 10 years ago. We were informed that no one was allowed to talk to her.(Per her contract to play.)

A couple of us rode the elevator @ Sears and I attempted to say hello; when someone whispered to me not to do so because she was a snotty person who didn't want to speak to anyone.

Besides, has anyone validated the claim that she had a difficult upbringing and ultimately became the sole bread winner.(I don't find that very credible.)

I recall the accident also.
At that time I had no idea she hers had been such a difficult childhood.

I am glad she is at minimum a wife and able to persue her chosen profession.

I think all of you who condemed her for the rift with her family need to stop. You have no idea of of the complexities, sensitivites, the anxiety or what was said or done to whom during her childhood.
Further, have any of YOU lived having a father who couldn't provide as witnessed by utilites constantly being turned off for non payment?

Yea but for the grace of God go I.

One can never fathom the depth of karma

I am sorry her parents and siblings missed seeing her walk down the aisle and uniting with her husband. But all families in America are not harmonious, loving or as you all know; in tact.

Instead of dissin' her, send she and her family a prayer for their future healing and happiness.

Time can pass by quickly.

nmrk
nmrk
nmrk

Was impressed with the mother's devotion to her child. I would consider her actions as selfless devotion to attend to her daughter's needs 24/7 for months on end.

Very well written article.

Citizen_2 wrote:

I had the opportunity to meet Rachel Barton and was very unimpressed. She played at a dinner @ the Sears Tower about 10 years ago. We were informed that no one was allowed to talk to her.(Per her contract to play.)
A couple of us rode the elevator @ Sears and I attempted to say hello; when someone whispered to me not to do so because she was a snotty person who didn't want to speak to anyone.

That does not surprise me, saw her perform at the Old Town School with Fiddlers 3 and she hogged the limelight, they all played a tune together and she acted like they were her backers, not her equals.

Thank you Howard Reich for such good research and writing. Just last week, an ad on WFMT for one of her concerts had me wondering if Rachel's career hadn't been given a boost by the accident. Afterall, what made her different than other hardworking and talented youth when her accident happened?

Thanks for setting the record straight about all her pre-accident accomplishments. Thanks for telling me that lost limbs can mean a decades long ordeal of operations and pain. Thanks to Rachel for sharing the ups and downs of your daily life.

Agreed, the funny part about the whole Sears Tower performance, was that no one really knew or cared who she was. So when she was leaving, no one paid her any mind and got back to business.(I confirmed with the organizer of her contract stating that no one was to talk to her......oh well....)

I don't really care for her but as a human being, I hope she gets better from her injuries.(However, I would never pay to see her play.)

more than classical wrote:

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That does not surprise me, saw her perform at the Old Town School with Fiddlers 3 and she hogged the limelight, they all played a tune together and she acted like they were her backers, not her equals.

All these mean-spirited posts attacking her personality -- Who knew the classical music world was so catty?

She testified on her own behalf at the trial. The jury thought she was a sympathetic enough person, obviously. I think at least one juror said when it was over, they wanted to hug her.

Citizen 2, you mentioned it was 10 years ago. That was before the lawsuit went to court. Is it possible the contract merely stipulated people weren't supposed to talk to her about the accident (and that it wasn't a global proscription on speaking with her at all)? I can totally understand that (not wanting to jeopardize the lawsuit and not wanting to relive an experience that was that much fresher in everyone's mind).

It's amazing to see the different paths that this thread has taken throughout the day. So many personal, narcissistic, off and on topic comments and arguments--which illustrate how each and every one of us reads into the article what we want to see, or what we can only see--which is, basically, ourselves. RB is a gifted musician who has survived an incomprehensible accident. Her response is neither right or wrong...it just is. She is partially responsible...not completely. Which one of us knows exactly what we would have done in the same circumstance? Anyone who claims to know is lying to themselves, and to those who read this thread. No one can ever know unless they have walked in her shoes, and none of us has done that. Of course, we can guess, but it will never be known unless we have had to endure what she has gone through for the past 13 years.

As stated before, RB is a very gifted violinist. She has problems, as we all do. No one, including Rachel, will never know if she would have been the next Perlman. Personally,(as a professional musician), I never thought so, but who am I to say? She has the fire and brilliance, but something was and is still lacking to my ears. Call it depth, or maturity, but I want to hear something more. It's neither right nor wrong, and only my opinion. Others will disagree, and that's my point.

Which one of us would trade our ability to walk, endure 40+ surgeries, live with pain, inconvenience, etc. for any amount of money? Those who claim that she has collected the large amount of $ and assume that she's living the good life can rest assured that she is not. Yes, she has reaped the benefits of our lawsuit society, and perhaps it's not fair, but which one of you wouldn't have done the same? Sure, perhaps she should have been more aware of her surroundings on that fateful day by not rushing off the train, but which one of us has always functioned consistently on a highly conscious level? The line forms to the right...

Let me reiterate--RB is living life as best she can. She is not perfect, she probably was not going to be the next Perlman, she had a difficult upbringing, and the article that appeared in the Tribune was undoubtedly incomplete as it was only her angle on the story. So what else is new in the world?

Let it go, let her be, and let's move on.

I don't really know. It might be the case. Either way, it just felt awkward not to be able to say hello to someone. It was a corporate function. I mean, come on, a bunch of finance people of whom most were there for a finance event.(The performance was nothing more than a half time/break thing.)

Oh well, I still hope she gets better.

KPOM wrote:

Citizen 2, you mentioned it was 10 years ago. That was before the lawsuit went to court. Is it possible the contract merely stipulated people weren't supposed to talk to her about the accident (and that it wasn't a global proscription on speaking with her at all)? I can totally understand that (not wanting to jeopardize the lawsuit and not wanting to relive an experience that was that much fresher in everyone's mind).

God almighty....I am frequently stunned by the ignornace, bitterness, and lack of empathy of human beings on a daily basis....

But reading some of these comments is truly beyond belief.

I could write 7 pages about what morons you are....but whats the use? You are too stupid to understand it.

Let me just say this...in words you will understand.

Go fuck yourselves!

Rachel....fight!

You're the voice of reason, Linda. :-)

Linda wrote:

So many personal, narcissistic, off and on topic comments and arguments--which illustrate how each and every one of us reads into the article what we want to see, or what we can only see--which is, basically, ourselves. RB is a gifted musician who has survived an incomprehensible accident. Her response is neither right or wrong...it just is. She is partially responsible...not completely. Which one of us knows exactly what we would have done in the same circumstance? Anyone who claims to know is lying to themselves... Yes, she has reaped the benefits of our lawsuit society, and perhaps it's not fair, but which one of you wouldn't have done the same?

Well said, Linda. To Mitch and all the resentful holier-than-thou others who are personally attacking her: Have you ever rushed out of a train or an elevator as the doors were closing, in a moment of absent-mindedness?(Or have you run a yellow light that turned red just as you crossed the intersection?) If your shoulder was strapped to a bag containing a million dollars and that bag was caught in a train's doors, would you have the presence of mind to let go of the bag immediately?
And if you do not (the jury found that Barton was 4.5% at fault; meaning the great majority of people would not have let go immediately; have you ever been at least 4.5% at fault for an injury?), then after your catastrophic injury, would YOU have turned down the chance to fight Metra and the representation offered by apparently extremely talented P.I. lawyers (lots of them were clamoring for her as a client)? Would you have turned down the multi-million judgment? Unless you can honestly answer "yes" to these questions, then you (and I'm looking at you, Mitch and those like you)are a HYPOCRITE of the first order.
Yes, the liability system is deeply flawed, illogical and arbitrary when other people suffer horrendous injuries (and die) every day, yet they get $0 because there is no deep pocket to pursue. But this situation is not Rachel Barton's fault. She did what anyone else here would have done. Any hostility about the unfairness of the current state of things should be directed where it's due, at the system. But that's too abstract, too complicated -- any possible constructive arguments and solutions are too hard to build and argue -- for certain envious, simple little minds to get around, so it's just easier to vent on Barton. Aren't scapegoats a wonderful thing?
Here's a clip of Barton playing Sarasate's Gypsy Airs. Don't tell me she's not a huge talent who jury of her peers and won the lottery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch...

Mitch wrote:

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Actually, it DID happen Rosie, so get your head out of your arse. Five years ago Jay Williams, the first round pick of the Chicago Bulls, selfishly decided to jump on top of a crotch rocket without thinking of the consequences to his family, his friends or the rest of his team. When he accelerated into a light pole he nearly lost his life, his leg was mangled and his basketball career was over. And you know what...he deserved EVERYTHING he got because he acted so foolishly. I don't play favorites here...if you are dumb enough to risk your own life taking chances like that, be prepared to pay the consequences yourself...don't try to call out others for blame.

Uh, Mitch, calm down there, buddy. Last time I checked, my head was solidly on my shoulders.

Yes, I've heard of Jay Williams. I've also heard of Ronnie Fields, who cut his basketball career short when he broke his neck in a car accident at 2am on a school night his senior year of high school the week before the playoffs. Both of these situations were sad, and I don't think anyone deserves to die for their stupidity, but ANYBODY knows that riding on a motorcycle is a terrible risk (and against his contract, I believe).

Any reasonable person would not compare riding a motorcycle (or joyriding in a coach's car at 2am) to stepping off a commuter train on the way to work. I don't think anyone in this forum heads to their suburban office job in the morning thinking they will not come home in one piece.

Then again, based on the comments in this forum, reason left the building quite some time ago.

How can you possibly be injured by a Metra train, other than through your own negligence and stupidity? Apparently, acting like an idiot is only 4.5% your fault. I wouldn't want to go through what this girl has gone through, but it's nobody's fault but her own. It's obvious she's (unintentionally) made a name for herself through this. But I've been able to ride trains for *years* without getting myself caught underneath them. It takes a supreme act of stupidity to find yourself in that situation -- and it's not the train's fault!

Rachel is the biggest inspiration in my life.

Thank you Howard Reich for presenting a picture of real life, with its The ups and downs after a trauma. I had hoped that your article's detailed description of the 40 plus major surgeries that Rachael has endured- and is still enduring- would put an end to the public misperception that Rachael walked away with a windfall recovery. Rachel came away wtih 15 million. Assuming she'll live to 75 years, that amounts to $330,000 a year. I would take 2 functional legs and a pain free life over a $330,000 yearly check. She is extremely limited in her ability to enjoy basic daily life because of her salvaged leg that STILL is in an incredibly mangled state. She is undergoing weekly physical therapy, but perserveres to pursue her passion for music. She is a true profile in courage.

and people still are fighting this. Why can't you just accept the outcome that the jury found to be justified?

I suppose the government has never helped you?

You have never driven on our roads?(Do you think the gas tax pays for the cost of roads?)

OR You have never been to school ?(Hey, I don't have kids and many don't who do pay property tax)

Mean-spirited people, like yourself, are just showing their true colors.

I am so glad so many others have spoken up for Rachel.

Joe Blow wrote:

How can you possibly be injured by a Metra train, other than through your own negligence and stupidity? Apparently, acting like an idiot is only 4.5% your fault. I wouldn't want to go through what this girl has gone through, but it's nobody's fault but her own. It's obvious she's (unintentionally) made a name for herself through this. But I've been able to ride trains for *years* without getting myself caught underneath them. It takes a supreme act of stupidity to find yourself in that situation -- and it's not the train's fault!

What wrote:

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Whay=t does the above statement have to do with race?

Only sweeping negative judgments about anyone who has a different opinion, broad generalizations about their political views without any evidence -- the very attitude that defines intolerance. People are entitled to opinions in this country. Why paint a broad brush stroke on who they must be if they don't share your view? Very narrow minded.

"The jury decided in her favor,...attributing 62.5 percent of the fault to Northwestern Transportation, 33 percent to Metra and 4.5 percent to Barton. "

Aren't juries actually estimating relative net worth, rather than fault? I would love to see how jurors justify this bizarre and twisted logic.