Like this
The woman who hit my truck on the 15th’s insurance company finally returned my calls on Wednesday. They have a statement from her wherein she says she was fully established in the lane and that I was driving down the shoulder when I hit her.
No officer on scene. No witnesses stopped. So, instead of believing what the physical evidence shows, they have decided to believe a story only slightly less ridiculous than “Aliens did it!”
I filed my accident report, but they are still considering it my word against hers and refusing to speak with me. Oddly, they are not asking me to pay for her damages.
My insurance company is quite happy to pay out to get my truck fixed and stick me with my $500 deductible (and probably raise my rates for being so nice to do that).
Feeling really stupid for trusting a woman my mother’s age to not shit on me and letting her get on her way to the airport and not making her wait for a police officer.
Now, if my week had gone more like this,
I’d still feel stupid, but for different and more understandable reasons.
Damn, sorry to hear about that. Way back when I had a similar experience that convinced me to always call the cops. It helps cut down on ridiculous claims of damage and personal injury. I’ve even had my insurance company (State Farm) get an uninsured motorist to cover my deductible. You just can’t trust anyone these days.
Sorry to hear about that.
The rule of thumb after an accident, is to say “sure you can leave. I’m not stopping you.” Photograph her car, get the movie of her driving away, then call the police and report a hit and run.
Oh hell! Does this happen to EVERYBODY?
Years ago (don’t ask) I was sitting behind a line of cars at at stoplight in Beaverton, Oregon, when I noticed in my rear-view mirror that some dude in a Ford pickup was looming close and fast … and looking off to the side. No WAY he could stop before rear-ending me!
I had no way out, so I stood on the break pedal (at least I could keep from rear-ending the cars ahead of me) and locked my elbows against the steering wheel.
Sure enough, the guy hit the brakes about 6′ before he creamed my rear bumper, and I got that old ‘whiplash feeling’.
So the cops came and took pictures, and the ambulance came and took me to the emergency room, and the tow truck came and took my (totalled) Mazda pick-up away.
What happened? According to the burnt rubber marks on the highway, the guy’s insurance company claimed that I was MOVING and the tread marks showed that I had hit the brakes … the dork behind me couldn’t tell that I was in a line of stopped cars. The car in front of me wasn’t hurt too bad, because my pickup had absorbed the bulk of the inertia. And the guy’s insurance company ended up not paying me a penny. No witnesses that I know .. hell, I was in the hospital, I was in no position to canvas the neighborhood and the police had nothing to say.
So the insurance company totaled the truck (which belonged to my parents, I had borrowed it). I found a guy to re-twist the frame and replace the rear bumper, so at least my parents were spared the expense. And thankfully, I ended up with nothing more than a sore neck … they let me go home (via taxi) after taking a lot of xrays.
Cost to me? Several hundred dollars in hospital bills and repair bills. Cost to the dork behind me? His insurance company settled for about 50% of the actual damage, and the rest went to my insurance company.
I was totally blameless, and my driving record didn’t show that.
Robert Heinlein said it best: “TANJ”
(There Ain’t No Justice)
First We Kill The Lawyers
Jerry the Geek: When you are injured in an accident, ALWAYS get an attorney. Both insurance companies want to sweep it all under the rug.
Phil: get a dash cam. They are really cheap. Learn from Russians, who assume everyone lies after an auto accident: http://tinyurl.com/amazon-dash-cams