My third auto insurance claim

[cjsmith]

In just about twenty years I've had three auto insurance claims. The third one is this morning.

Nobody's hurt, not even the pedestrian who marched out across the on-ramp, but my rear bumper is all folded in, and the guy behind me is going to need a new bumper and hood.

It's not a new car any more.

Comments

[racerxmachina.livejournal.com]

Shit! The pedestrian needs an ass-kicking, even if he didn't get hit by a car.

Join me in my sucky insurance dance of woe! Woe!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

The pedestrian does need a serious dose of clue. There is a crosswalk -- it's the ramp from Mary northbound to Central eastbound -- which means California needs a dose of clue as well, but common sense would have avoided this whole thing.

[airporter.livejournal.com]

Glad you're just shaken, not hurt, and hoping the pedestrian's now scared witless. He should be.

Since it's a rear-ender, be sure to schedule an appointment with your MD for soft-tissue assessment as soon as you can. It may only be a small injury and take days to show up, but you could head it off by treating the affected muscles with ice and massage as a preventative.

*hugs*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

The pedestrian appeared to be completely oblivious.

I may go drop in at my favorite chiro/massage guy. Insurance will cover it. :-)

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I'm glad everyone is OK.

At least it's only your bumper. That can be fixed easily and the car will still look nice.

Since he rear-ended you, doesn't that make it his fault by definition?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes, at least in California, it's his fault by definition. I'm fortunate, too, that he and I are both insured through CSAA; there's less fuss and wrangling that way.

He was very apologetic. Frankly, I could have done the same damn thing, and I told him so. It could happen to anybody in a situation like that. Things like this are why we have insurance.

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

And did the pedestrian even stop to see about the accident, or did they just keep going?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Wandered off, oblivious. She was old, and she may also have been "differently realitied".

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Glad you are safe and have quick instincts! Hugs about the shaky...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Shaky is impressive when it hits. I could barely write down my name and phone number.

[ladycelia.livejournal.com]

Damn. Pedestrian was an idiot! Glad you're okay. Definitely see a doctor. Cars can be fixed. Let me know if you need a good body shop--I know a good one.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I think I've got one (body shop, that is). And CSAA is totally taking care of me: they've faxed my info to the body shop already, they've called Hertz to let them know to go pick me up at the body shop at my convenience, etc. I'm impressed.

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're okay.

In MA, the guy who rear ended you would be at fault, (even though its the pedestrian who was the idiot) what's the rule of thumb there? Are you taking the blame?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Here it's like MA: whoever rear-ends is automatically at fault. We do breed for stupidity, though: unlike MA, here pedestrians are never wrong. It really makes a difference.

[deyo.livejournal.com]

Fault's a funny thing, and I hope the state (or the insurer, who in my opinion has way too much say in the matter) decides that you don't have any.

I'm glad you were thinking quickly enough to avoid hitting the pedestrian, too. Aside from not wanting to see anyone get hurt, It's also good that you won't have that particular image branded on your amygdala.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

The adjuster said I wasn't at fault. We'll see if that holds, but since it was a rear-ender, it's going to be as close to cut-and-dried as it gets.

I was several cars back from the ped. I'm glad nobody has that image branded in their brains for the rest of their lives, but I also wish there were some way to teach pedestrians to wake up short of killing them.

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad no one was hurt! Yikes!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Me too. The other driver and I were shaky as anything, but at least we were both unhurt, and as best I could tell the pedestrian never knew anything was wrong.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Glad you are ok.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yeah, this is pretty minor, all things considered. I have two friends who are in a hotel right now because their whole apartment is a waterfall, two other friends who don't know whether their beloved pet has an ear infection or an aggressive tumor, and multiple friends who are facing the decline or even the death of family members. I'm having a pretty good day when I think of it like that.

[kimatha.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're ok!

I do love your car accident icon. Sucks that you have to get into a car accident to use it!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I love that icon too! It's from a card saying "Condolences on the death of your car." :-) I created the icon when my little 1989 Corolla died.

[recordersmith.livejournal.com]

Meep! Glad you're OK!

This is my day for friends in car accidents--another friend (whom you dont know, and she's OK, just a minor head injury) hit a moose last night. Eep.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yowtch! Hitting a moose is pretty bad; I'm glad she's OK.

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

Ouch. I'm sorry to hear about the bad morning. I'm happy nobody is hurt, but it is still a sucky way to start the day. (*hugs*)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It's a Monday all right!

[jb98.livejournal.com]

I'm joining the chorus of "Glad you're OK".

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :-) And (three or four cars ahead of me) I'm glad the pedestrian was OK, too. :-)

[lkeele.livejournal.com]

So glad no one was hurt.

*hugs* Car wrecks suck.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Not even any aches this morning, thank goodness.

The rental car is huge.

[tendyl.livejournal.com]

Yikes - I'm glad you're not hurt.


My second thought is 'Wow...very stupid and very lucky pedestrian.'

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

VERY stupid and VERY lucky. I'm filled with wonder, sometimes, that some people survive in the world.

[suzimoses.livejournal.com]

Yikes!

I'm very glad nobody was hurt. I'm sorry you've still got to go through all the hassle.

*hugs*
suzi

[mbumby.livejournal.com]

*ouch* -- VERY glad you're okay. And I guess glad the idiot is too -- even if it would have been her own fault that's still karma points nobody needs.