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Ouch!! Accident ME/car

14 years ago

Dropped DH at his cardic walking today, heading for grocery store. Waited for green arrow then went, slow and bam!!Car ran red light and crunch. Now dealing with insurance companies, repairs Yes there was a police report.

Called Onstar, and they took care of everything else. Hope every one else is ok.

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Comments (11)

azzalea
14 years ago
PLEASE call your lawyer. DO NOT try to do your own negociations with the insurance company. It's not worth your time, trouble and aggravation. And be VERY aware of your health for the next few days/weeks.

My DD was rear-ended a few years back--she'd stopped, as required by law, at an intersection to let pedestrians cross and a truck slammed into the back of her car. She was checked out at the ER that night, and there were no problems. Shortly afterwards she developed a herniated disk. The morning after the accident, we turned it over to our lawyer. He handled everything. We didn't have to talk to insurance representatives, nor look at medical bills or anything. And even with his fee, DD came out far ahead of where she would have if she'd dealt with it on her own. It's just NOT worth NOT letting your attorney handle this stuff for you--that's his business.

Hope you're okay! Hang in there, these things happen, and we eventually get through them.
kathleenca
14 years ago
I'm glad you're all right, Marie, though I know all the hassle is upsetting!
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Sorry about your luck, things like this happen. You should feel good about yourself for stepping up to the plate and doing the right thing. But...you wrote. "But I'm scared of getting ripped off by these car body shops who'd take down and repair a car in a way that's more costly than it should end up being." What more needs to be said? Fixing the car right, which means doing what is necessary to restore it to pre-accident condition means the shop does NOT cut corners to save on cost. If there is one thing that needs to be addressed here it is the near impossible demands of making the car right, and trying to do it "cheaper". The other party deserves to have the car repaired correctly. You, doing the right thing have taken the proper steps to see that this is getting done, and you should be commended for that. But then right away starting to fear a rip-off, when you have never seen the shop, or met the people that work there is an attitude that needs some correction. The other party wanted to file a police report, but have taken your word that would not be necessary. Treat the shop they choose with just as much respect. Now as far as the cost. Accidents happen, we all (well all of us that know we need to do the right thing) pay for and have insurance to help us out during these (hopefully) rare events. Get the estimate, and then decide if it's to your advantage to turn it into your insurance. If it is, then do so. If not, then rely on the shop to fix the car correctly, and then pay them for doing so. Then move on. Besides, you never know you just may have found a good body shop that you werent aware of previously. You never know when that information could come in handy for you, or a friend or relative. The bottom line, if my car gets damaged, and I am going to have it repaired by a pro, I know several that I would take it to in a heartbeat. They have the correct tools, the high tech paint booth, and the color paint blending equipment etc. right on site. These guys, everyone of them are easily NOT the cheapest I could go to, but then again doing the job right is what counts. They will do that without question.
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PLEASE listen to me. You HAVE to go to the hospital and get checked out today. You have to document EVERYTHING when it comes to an accident like this. You may have a very serious injury, but if you wait to get it diagnosed, you will be giving up your rights to get your medical bills and future pain paid for by her insurance. And then, after you've been checked over, you need to do 2 more things--be very vigilant of your health/aches over the next weeks. Go immediately to the dr. if you notice anything (some injuries from accidents like this take a little time to show up). And--this morning--call your lawyer, and turn this whole thing over to him. You don't need the hassle of trying to deal with her (and your) insurance companies, AND you'll get far more if a pro does the negociating for you. My dd was rear-ended a few years ago. Went to the hospital that night, had X-rays, checked out okay. Within a few weeks, she developed a herniated disk from the accident. She has a permanent injury now--which will give her problems and pain the rest of her life (she was only 22 at the time). Luckily, we didn't wait to take her to the dr. The best thing we did, though, was to let our lawyer handle everything. He got her car replaced, a rental for her as long as she needed it, her current and future medical bills paid and an award for pain and suffering. You really don't want to have to handle the long and difficult process of getting through those negociations on your own, trust me--it takes years, and if you attempt to do it yourself, you'll almost surely 'give up' and take far less than you deserve.
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glenda_al
14 years ago
Yep, glad you are ok!
lynn_d
14 years ago
Just so you were not hurt! Cars can be fixed a lot easier than you can, Marie, stay safe and be extra kind to yourself for a few days!
Georgysmom
14 years ago
Glad you're okay. Even so, it's such a nuisance and inconvenience.
sleeperblues
14 years ago
Glad you are OK. Good advice from Azzalea.
sherwoodva
14 years ago
Marie, how awful! I am so sorry you were hit. I was once broadsided by a police car (no lights or siren), so I know how it feels. "Listen" to your body for the next few days. Hope you continue to do OK.
bulldinkie
14 years ago
I gave up on Onstar I spent more time,wasted minutes on them getting the right phone number ,she was always wrong then one nite comming home from dialysis I was rearended,not a peep I tried 5 times to call my husbandto tell him I was in an accident she got everyone of numbers wrong till the last call YOURE OUT OF MINUTES..........We were debating if I was gonna renew ..Im done they showed they like to talk but when time comes,the cop was standing there he said boy thats not like they advertise I said no its not stay away.money money..
kris_zone6
14 years ago
Onstar has always been very helpful to me. You can enter the phone numbers and have them stored, then all you do is say the name. Onstar has saved many a life, expecially in the rural areas.
lazypup
14 years ago
DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR BODY OR WAIT A FEW DAYS TO SEE HOW YOU FEEL.

Get to the emergency room immediately and have them check you out. Soft tissue injuries or internal injuries can take days or even months to manifest, but if you delay even a couple days the insurance companies will fight you tooth and nail later. If you have it looked at now, that officially establishes the onset date for any future claim you may have to file.

Ask any lawyer and they will tell you it is much easier to prove a claim, even if you mediacally check out fine right now.

Many insurance policies even have a clause that says you are not covered if the original accident was not seen by a doctor with an specified period of time, which is typically about 48 to 72hrs.
jannie
14 years ago
I learned the hard way that every car accident should be reported to the police. Even a minor looking dent can cost $500 or more to fix.And I wouldn't be so quick to run to a lawyer. Having filed a police report and an insurance claim should be enough in case your injuries are more serious. Do expect some muscle soreness in the next couple days.

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