Auto suckage

[Houdini]

Someone ran into my beloved Bavarian last week. I was in the left lane approaching an intersection, and an old lady in an old Saturn in the far left turning lane changed her mind and jumped out right as I passed. Effed up my driver's side door, end of front fender, and a couple of other places where the fender flares. Right after the impact, I had the presence of mind and reaction to jump about 1/8 of a lane to the right to avoid a complete sideswipe, but now I need a new door shell, new paint along the entire left side, etc.

She told the responding LEO (trooper) that she was in my blind spot and I had changed lanes into her, which is complete BS. The only part of her car that was messed up was her front passenger's corner.

The officer gave me a field sobriety test (he claimed he smelled alcohol on me afterward.) I passed with flying colors, and I did admit to him when asked that I had had 1/2 of 1 can of Miller Light with food 2-3 hours before the accident (I had been stalking alligators in a kayak in a swamp.) He probably smelled swamp water on me anyway.

So now I'm battling her insurance company. I made sure to tell the officer that, immediately after the crash, I pulled over, put on my flashers, approached her car (which was now in the middle of the interesection,) notified them that I was a physician and asked if everyone was OK and/or needed any medical evaluation. The woman said nothing. I asked again. Same thing. I told the officer I found that strange and that she had a recently lit cig in her mouth, leading me to believe she was distracted lighting it at the time of the crash. She also had a young child who was unrestrained (in, I assume, his mother's arms,) about which I also expressed to both the officer and her insurance company that, as a physician, I was concerned.

Should be a slam dunk for me, but it's all in how the officer writes the report. If it's a "no-fault" I'm screwed. Gotta pay the deductable, have my beloved car fixed, and endure a higher premium, which is already sky high as I live in NOLA. I'm hoping her side will claim liability based on my verbal recorded testimony (which was truthful and rather elegant and articulate if I do say so.)

Anyway, yeah, it's car stuff, but it is MAJOR SUCKAGE. I hope her insurance company claims liability, pays for a rental car as well as repairs, the paint etc., matches, and after a week or so my car will be presentable.

-H

[nickel]

I had been stalking alligators in a kayak in a swamp.and Miller Light?
*thoughts of Houdini as Indiana Jones* :gle: :naughty:

oh..ok... car accident. i hope things go your way on this one, because it does sound like she was at fault. you certainly did all the right things.

btw, do you have vinyl gloves (can't be using latex nowadays) in your glove compartment?

[Houdini]

and Miller Light?
*thoughts of Houdini as Indiana Jones* :gle: :naughty:

oh..ok... car accident. i hope things go your way on this one, because it does sound like she was at fault. you certainly did all the right things.

btw, do you have vinyl gloves (can't be using latex nowadays) in your glove compartment?

Heh...nope. Perhaps I should though. And one of those one-way mouth breathers. What would be really cool is to have one of those auto-defibrilators in my trunk.

Heh...I saw a bunch of alligators, but most were small and submerged as I silently approached. The previous day, though, I heard that some were jumping across kayaks and canoes to eat tree frogs. If a gator jumped into my kayak, that would have made the day more interesting. Instead I just ended up with sore muscles, sunburn, and a wrecked Bavarian civic. :(

At any rate, I was in the left lane, she clipped me.

[nickel]

Heh...nope. Perhaps I should though. And one of those one-way mouth breathers. What would be really cool is to have one of those auto-defibrilators in my trunk.

Heh...I saw a bunch of alligators, but most were small and submerged as I silently approached. The previous day, though, I heard that some were jumping across kayaks and canoes to eat tree frogs. If a gator jumped into my kayak, that would have made the day more interesting. Instead I just ended up with sore muscles, sunburn, and a wrecked Bavarian civic. :(

At any rate, I was in the left lane, she clipped me.
you are right. we all got a CPR mask when we were re-certified. i should probably have that along with my gloves.

http://www.cpr-savers.com/picturesweb/IndusCPRproducts/M-573-AMBUT.gif

it's funny every now and then someone riding along with me will get into my glove compartment for something and when they see the gloves they are like ----> :gle:

[clutchy]

major suckage man, what's the deal with people and lying. Someone kinda backed into/bumped my wifes car and didn't leave a note... it's just ridiculous and indicitive of societal degradation... but whatever.

I hope things work out for you. I'd be pretty steamed...

[MJordanash]

Should have had a Bud-Light, then you would have had a few more and never drove at that time :)

[Hiro]

Regardless of how well worded your report is, unfortunately insurance claims will sometimes be biased.

I got into an accident where I was making a left across three lanes of traffic. There were two SUV's in the closest to the center lanes I was crossing and the light had turned red (which sometimes you have to wait for until you can make a left turn). I started my turn and a woman came into the intersection from the third lane I couldn't see at all due to the SUV's (which both were completely stopped, which says enough as to how long I waited to make sure to make my turn).

I even had two witnesses make testimonies to the Officer and the insurance companies...but they ruled in favor of the woman because she said she wasn't speeding and that she went through the intersection while it was green (which doesn't explain two stopped SUV's). So she tried to sue, when the evidence started going against her in court, she backed out and just accepted medical coverage from my insurance company.

[kgsilvas]

Did you get your car in for repairs yet Houdini? Hopefully her insurance company is picking up the tab for your rental while your car is in the shop.

[Houdini]

Still waiting for the verdict from the police report and her insurance company. If they simply claim liability, as the person driving the car wasn't the owner, etc., and b/c it's obvious by the damage to my car that her story was BS, it should go through. I could have gotten it repaired and then prayed for reimbursment from her insurance company or at worst, mine with a $500 deductible. But since the damage is only to the exterior and doesn't affect driving, I've just decided to wait for now.