Disclaimer
The Movie, Playing the Float, is based in part, on actual events. All names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. However, to provide the most realistic understanding what our lead character, Marco Tirelli, went through in his 7-year battle, we have provided the actual laws, at that time, interpretations as they were presented and facts to the best of our understanding, so that you will have a better understanding to the severity of the broken Workers' Compensation System, has on the injured worker.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
"Playing the Float"
An ordinary man single handedly fights a historic courtroom battle to restore his reputation in the midst of a Workman’s Compensation claim by going against a giant insurance company and its attorneys who bent the rules and the law in an attempt to win.
THE STORY
Inspired by actual events, renowned fashion photographer, Marco Tirelli’s life consisted of beautiful women, exotic travel and celebrity clients. His reputation of honesty, talent and hard work quickly elevates him as a go-to photographer. Suddenly he finds his life turned upside-down when he is injured at work and files a claim with the workers’ compensation board. After Marco files his claim, the insurance carrier, National Sentry Insurance, decides to fight it and sets off a chain of events almost impossible to believe to discredit Marco by accusing him of fraud. They use a common industry delay-tactic called, Playing the Float, which causes Marco’s benefits to be placed on hold while he fights their false accusations. Unable to work and with no income for over a year, Marco finds himself broke and forced into homelessness. But he’s not ready to give up, and fights back with a carefully constructed plan to lure the carrier into a trap to regain his benefits.
THE STRATEGY
National Sentry’s only concern was to avoid the payment of benefits by any means necessary to maintain the statis-quo to company profits. And if this meant fabricating their own truth about Marcos’s claim to what really happened, well that’s a game they were willing to play and well-versed in. National Sentry denies Marco’s claim stating, it never happened, and he made the whole thing up to get money. Sentry takes advantage of the overworked, understaffed and overly abused workman’s comp system while Marco’s claim falls into the abyss.
THE SETUP
This incredible story starts off when Marco has a family crisis which requires him to take a break from his schedule to help his sisters care for his ailing father in upstate NY. To keep busy, Marco uses a skill he learned from his uncle Vito as an electrician and does some part-time work with a local electrical contractor. Mike Primm, the contractor, and a master electrician accidentally turns on a circuit breaker marked, “Do Not Touch” and electrocutes Marco. Rushed to the hospital, Marco sustains a 75% permanent partial disability as a result of Primm’s carelessness. Primm files for the workers’ comp claim and states he caused the accident.
THE RISING ACTION
Daniel Cooper, National Sentry’s claims adjuster, offers an embarrassingly low settlement offer after nearly 1-1/2 years of a countless bombardment of lies to Marco’s character in an effort to end the claim, but it’s refused. Marco is looking to have his name cleared as a fraud. National Sentry then hires the law firm, Russell, Flynn & Schmidt, and assigns the case to a young new attorney, Lucy Ellis, who’s desperate to win her fist case by any means possible and earn the badge of honor within the profession. Lucy who is streetwise and unscrupulous, took four attempts to pass the BAR and now she must prove herself to her bosses and her client. She quickly becomes acquainted with Daniel Cooper and the pair engineer a plot to discredit Marco to their own personal gain.
THE CRISIS
Lucy Ellis, files several frivolous claims right from the beginning, where she lies to a judge, covertly removes evidence from the case records and even fabricates evidence, all in an effort to discredit Marco and establish him as a fraud. These delay tactics leave Marco broke, beaten and homeless living in his car. With the help of his physical therapist from the VA, Laura Addison (Marco’s a Marine Corp Vet), Marco qualifies for disability benefits, which provides the money to help him get back on his feet. Marco takes the opportunity to move to San Diego, California and seeks out advanced treatments at a new state-of-the-art VA facility. Just as Marco believes his case is settled, Lucy and Daniel launch another assault. They fabricate more stories and manipulate the system further. Lucy’s efforts eventually pay off and she wins her case and the three appeals that follow.
THE RESOLUTION
After five years of fighting, most men would be lost and broken, but Marco is angry. His determination to succeed has followed him all his life and it won’t desert him now. He has an idea to regain everything he lost. Fired with a fierce determination, Marco uses social media and creates a blog to tell the truth. It strikes a chord with the public and soon reaches 25,000,000 views. He is nominated for an award, three times, for his powerful and commanding voice. However, this comes to the attention of Sentry, and specifically lands in Lucy’s lap. She instigates surveillance techniques on Marco and is instructed to sue him for defamation. Marco is sued for $2,000,000 but he smiles – it is all part of his plan. Now the evidence that was suppressed and removed from public scrutiny, can be revealed along with the truth of his work comp claim and prove he is not fraud.
This incredible David vs. Goliath story culminates in a gripping courtroom drama that proves anyone can stand up and be a hero if pushed hard enough. So after years of fighting a Goliath insurance company and an out-of-control system, can Marco finally restore his good name and get the compensation for his loss? Can Marco, representing himself, hold his own in court? Will all the time, effort and sacrifice he has gone through once again leave him beaten, broke and alone? This tension and hope filled drama will answer those questions and more as the trial comes to a dramatic and unforgettable conclusion.
Playing the Float will take the audience on a roller coaster ride with the ups and downs of one man’s journey for justice and beyond.