LYNN — Edith Maly, an 82-year-old retired physician, felt hopeless after she was deemed at fault for a car accident by a judge.
Maly has been driving for more than 60 years and said that before this, she had never been in an accident in her life.
Approximately two months ago, she was driving on Ocean Street when she and a 24 year-old male stopped at a four-way intersection. Although Maly said she looked in all directions and carefully proceeded, the two cars collided. She said there were no injuries as a result of the accident.
However, Maly, who qualifies as low-income, was facing six years of surcharges on her car insurance for being 100% at fault.
“Deep down, I knew I’m not guilty,” Maly said. “I said, ‘No, I’m a fighter. I will fight.’”
Feeling anxious about repaying the surcharges, Maly went to the Lynn Council on Aging and was encouraged to appeal the decision by Elder Services Department Program Manager Tania Freedman.
“If you don’t appeal, you don’t have any chance,” Maly said Freedman told her. “At least if you appeal, you have a chance.”
But Maly did not just have to face her fear of going before a judge again, but another obstacle as well. The appeal hearing was on Zoom and she was unfamiliar with how to navigate virtual platforms.
So, Freedman offered Maly a spot in the Council on Aging’s digital-literacy program to help her learn how to use Zoom before her appeal date.
The digital-literacy program, which is widely used by older adults in the community and is garnering a waiting list, according to Director of Elder Services Meegan Simpson-Best, has successfully taught people at the Senior Center how to use technology.
Maly said on the day of her hearing, she went to the Senior Center and Linay Peña, the center’s technology assistant, helped show her what buttons to press to open the Zoom meeting. Peña showed her support by giving her the thumbs-up behind the computer as Maly recalled the accident to the judge.
“She gave me a boost of encouragement,” Maly said.
After resting her case, Maly was told to wait up to three weeks for a decision.
Three weeks later, Maly received a letter in the mail informing her that she had successfully appealed the decision and would not face the six years of surcharges on her insurance.
Maly said working with Simpson-Best, Freedman, and Peña helped restore her self-esteem and made her feel good about herself.
“It’s not about the money, (or) the win,” Maly said.
Maly said she feels it is important for older adults to know that services such as the Council on Aging exist, because ageism can often make them feel shrugged off by society and allow them to feel as if they are no longer capable of advocating for themselves. She praised the Senior Center for making her feel welcomed and supported during a stressful legal situation.
She said there are many seniors in Lynn who could end up in a similar position to the one she found herself in.
“If you have an intelligent brain, you can talk, you have your health, your marbles, you are still a human being,” Maly said.
Freedman said she is proud of Maly for advocating for herself and the seniors in the community.
“We, Director (Simpson-) Best and I, are most proud of the seniors that come here because they know what’s at stake,” Freedman said. “They have lived to tell about it, and they’re still in the game. They’re not invisible.”
“Edith had the strength inside of herself. Yes, we just gave her some support. She had the strength. She’s a very smart, intelligent, articulate woman,” Simpson-Best said.
Simpson-Best credited Maly’s resourcefulness and ability to find what she needed by coming to the Senior Center and seeking help.
“Our mission is for seniors to feel safe, welcome, heard, and supported. And that’s just what happened with Edith,” Simpson-Best said.
