Car Accident! − 11 January, 2008

So yesterday morning I was involved in a car accident. I was on my morning commute, stopped, sitting in traffic when all of a sudden – wham! A Little Debbie delivery truck rear-ended me, making my minivan leap forward and hit the Chevy Malibu in front of me.
I called the cops, who arrived in about 10 minutes, and he directed us to pull into a side street so he could collect our information and details on how the accident happened. I apologized to the poor lady I hit – despite the fact that it was not my fault – I had my foot on the brake the whole time, but my van still bucked forward from the impact. Her car had no damage except for a couple of paint scratches – even my plastic “I love my Malinois” license plate on the front bumper was cracked but intact.
Then I saw the back of my van. The truck’s bumper crunched my bumper and the whole bottom part of my rear door. The door cannot be opened, however the “rear door open” warning light and beeper on my dashboard are activated, so obviously the lock mechanism has been compromised. The car is drivable, and thankfully my German Shepherd Dog, Kiri, was in her crate at the time. She got thrown to the front of the crate and is a little bruised, but OK.
I had my seatbelt on, so that jarred me – it seems that every vertebrae from my waist up feels jarred. My neck hurts when I turn it like I slept funny and my back is sore. It’s not so bad to warrant an ambulance or ER visit, but it certainly hurts. I will likely be even more sore tonight. It always seems injuries hurt more later.
So, to be on the safe side, after calling my insurance company, I called my doctor. I already have some serious physical issues, so I don’t want to risk anything. I even placed a call to an accident injury attorney to make sure I am protected. I have seen too many people rely on insurance, and months after, they are still in pain from a strain or other sort of injury that they should’ve addressed at the time of the accident. I don’t want to be one of those people who regrets not covering all their bases.
The guy who hit me apparently just did not give himself enough time to stop. I felt kind of bad for him – I have no idea if his job is at risk for his mistake. I know I am frustrated with the inconvenience – having to take time out of my already busy schedule to make phone calls, schedule and make appointments, etc. I am sure the company’s commercial insurance will cover everything, but even then it’s inconvenient – I will have to go to pick up a rental and drop off my car for repairs, go to the doctor, attorney, etc. I do hope there is some sort of additional compensation for all this – I will be docked pay for time off and I should not be punished for something that was not my fault.
I used to scoff at those people who called the “ambulance chaser” attorneys, and now I can see why they did…

Posted on January 11, 2008. and has been viewed 113 times.