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*

[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?

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

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

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

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

[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.

[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?

[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 pedestrian appeared to be completely oblivious.

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

[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.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

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

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

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

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

I remember that ramp, and often wondered why the crosswalks were at-grade. Glad you're okay and no one was injured.

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

I remember that. I was once in the most minor of car accidents, and the shaky was indeed impressive...

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

That's good. At least it should all go smoothly, and he wasn't a jerk about it.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Talk about smoothly: I called CSAA, they took down details, and within an hour I had a phone call from Hertz saying "just let us know when to pick you up at the body shop" and a call from the body shop saying "when would you like to come in?" I'm impressed.

The other driver and I shook hands and said that at least we were very likely to have nothing worse happen to either of us all week. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Isn't it amazing? I hope that guy could read my information! (Not sure it matters hugely, though; we're both insured with CSAA, so they now know exactly what happened with whom.)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the best thing out of this whole deal. It's basically no more than a minor annoyance, because nobody is hurt.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Glad you are ok.