Oh my God, I would pay half a weeks salary to see a video of this thing rolling down a hill for almost a mile. I know that it’s really a tragic event, and people were hurt. But why, WHY, can’t I stop giggling at the thought?!
Did you get a reach-around?
LouisB, glad to hear you are essentially okay, if not quite sure what year this is. Hope the insurance company makes you whole again. If you want to be a vindicative SOB get a lawyer and subpoena his phone records to see if he was on his phone when he hit you. IMO this is just about as dangerous as drunk driving.
I completely agree. I’m an insurance adjuster and have many horror stories about how people misbehave at accident scenes. LouisB, I’ve followed your posts for several years and you seem to be a gentleman. I’m a little surprised by your reaction. We ALL do stupid stuff from time to time. That could have just as easily been you causing an accident. They’re accidents. That’s why they dont’ call them “on-purposes”. How would you feel if someone behaved like you toward your wife? Probably wouldn’t like it so much, eh? None of us are above reproach so please conduct yourself accordingly.
I’m just baffled that the words “beloved” and “Hyundai Elantra” were used in the same sentence.
The answer to his behavior is right there in your post:
While threats of violence at accidents scenes are not cool, i’m just as inclined to forgive the OP his flash of anger as i am to forgive the inattentive driver of the pickup. Hell, LouisB as good as admitted that what he did was stupid. Get over it.
mhendo, sorry, but I disagree with your comparison. The OP’s “flash of anger” was bad behavior. The inattention of the at-fault driver was a mistake. There’s a huge difference. We all make mistakes. We all don’t have to be assholes, even temporarily. Yes, it sounds like he made nice before it was all over, but the initial reaction to be an asshole is still a mystery to me.
LouisB, I’m sorry if my post offended. No offense was intended, just a proper scolding for you or anyone else that it applies to. It was directed at you as well as anyone else that may react with violence or anger at the scene of an accident. It’s simply not necessary and not going to help anything.
OK, I’m over it.
No need to apologize. You’re perfectly entitled to offer a poor argument.
Never said it wasn’t. The question is whether the bad behavior might have been understandable, given the adrenaline and the stress resulting from being rear-ended at a traffic light. I’ve already said that threats of violence are wrong, and the OP has conceded the same. It’s lucky that things didn’t escalate.
Tell you what. Have a look at the statistics, and tell me how many people die in the United States each year as a result of “inattention” and “mistakes” made by drivers. And then tell me how many of those might have been avoided if people actually paid the requisite amount of attention when guiding a 2-ton hunk of metal around crowded streets, rather than talking on their cellphone or putting on makeup or whatever. Because when people do shit like that, and then crash, it’s not just a “mistake,” it’s being an asshole.
My b-i-l was in what seemed like a minor accident over 15 years ago and told he had whiplash. He was released by the medics. Over the past few years he has had three surgeries trying to help with the debilitating pain.
I recommend a GOOD check-up before you sign off on anything. Sometimes these little things manifest mater on.
At least a heavy duty guy didn’t rear end you after picking you up. Marcie would never have forgiven you.
(bolding mine)
I totally read that as “passionless thorniness” at first and was all kinds of confused.
Do you know a lawyer? If so, call him/her. If not ask around your circle, get a number and call the lawyer. I am not saying sue. I am saying *just talk *to a good decent attorney about this.
You may be over it, but I’m not. The guy put me out of business, basically: The car that he smashed is my means of earning a living; without it, I can’t work. I’ll lose a weeks income at a minimum, in all probability. Besides which, what makes you think you are entitled to give me a ‘proper scolding’ or any other type of scolding? The at-fault driver wasn’t guilty of ‘inattention’, he was guilty of negligence and he was cited for careless or reckless driving–I wasn’t paying that much attention at the time. I reacted with anger simply because I was madder than hell and I still am mad, at least a little bit. Cast the beam out of your own damn eye and leave the mote in mine for me to deal with.
No, he was totally selfish about it, the big hairy brute. Only interested in himself; I hate that in a rear-ender.
Sorry about your car. I’m glad you are ok.
I spent a few hours in an ER Monday night. They took a jillion X-rays of my neck, head, and back besides bending and twisting me in all sorts of ways. The final diagnosis was that there is no structural damage, just a weakening of an aging system*. They gave me a prescription for Tramadol (for the pain in my head and back) and another for Naproxen for inflammation. I was pretty sore Monday night and a lot of the day yesterday but this morning I feel okay. I am a little worried about stuff that might crop up later but after the examination I had, I guess I shouldn’t be.
*I had surgery for oral cancer in this hospital; the surgeon had me scanned and X-rayed pretty intensively so they had my old films to compare the new ones to. I love it when doctors tell me there is nothing wrong with me except getting older. Its like they are saying, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be dead soon and then the pain will stop.’
I was in two car accidents in a short space of time. Really shook me up, made me a bit apprehensive. Got screwed on one of them too, so that didn’t help.
One day I’m driving, about to make a left turn, and I get rear-ended. Barely a hit, but I leapt out of the car and went off on the teenager (I was barely 20 myself) screaming and yelling. I was just so upset, it happened instantaneously. He was extremely apologetic, said he’d pay for any damage, said he was blinded by the sun reflecting off the just-melted ice on the road, said he just didn’t see I was turning. All it took was that one minute of his calmness and I was fine. I started apologizing for my behaviour and explained I’d just been in 2 accidents. We shook hands, checked out the cars, agreed it was hardly a scratch, but still called the police. The cop said he had trouble seeing on that turn too, and we parted on good terms.
So, reactions like that happen. I’m a level-headed person; I don’t fly off the handle like that. Sometimes your emotions take over.