The car crash...is just the beginning.

[Casey Jones]

Okay...I'll put this out. I'm in a world of hurt.

I was in a car crash, far from home. A Vaxxident - an elderly, fully-vaccinated driver "lost control" and swerved her car into the opposing lane of traffic, at 35mph. In the opposing lane, was me. Me, my pickup, my RV travel-trailer.

I was going 30 mph. Combined force of impact, 65mph. The Fully Protected driver got the worst of it - the Chevy Cruz was destroyed, and her even-older passenger died of his injuries. Which, as you know, complicates things.

My own truck and trailer are a grey area. Airbag popped off. Unlike the driver of the Pelosimobile, I walked away...my neck torqued from the airbag, but otherwise, okay. The weight of the trailer, twisted up the rear frame member of the truck as it ran in in the crash. A motorcycle in the load bed, broke free, and damaged the header board of the bed - and is damaged, also.

But, no glass was broken. The doors still opened - I emptied the truck at the impound lot, easily. It's badly banged but I'm not sure it'll be totalled.

Now I have no vehicle.

ALSO...the financial types here will cringe...I have a note on the truck.

NOT a big note. I owe $3000 on the truck. I did that, a couple of years ago, for the low interest - better than selling k-rands, I thought.

Now I have payments due. Now, the insurance company is slow-walking things.

So are the investigating authorities.

I have talked, after the fact, with the state trooper. He stressed, after investigation and witnesses, I am NOT considered at fault. But I have no report; I have no liaison with the two insurance companies (different company for the RV trailer) AND PAYMENTS ARE DUE.

AND...I cannot get a lawyer. Since I cannot (honestly) claim an injury, no ambulance chasers want to talk to me. ALL the expenses of an interrupted trip...the hotel room, the rental car, the lost equipment I couldn't carry back...not interested. My insurance doesn't cover a rental. I can't find a WAY to go after the other party's insurance company.

My agent can't help me here, as it's legal advice.

First, how would you advise finding a lawyer? Or is it worth it? I figure the costs are $12,000 lost money. That's not a big money on contingency; but it's not small potatoes for a retiree, either. The local bar association is useless. I called two online law firms, again, useless. They wanted to coach me on faking a medical injury.

Second, how do I get out of paying the monthly on the payment? The INSURANCE COMPANY is now liable. The truck is destroyed. I now have to buy another...at the VERY least, I have to save my monthly income to make another buy. The insurance is to pay off the balance; and if they don't pay, it's not JUST my problem. I can't see paying for a rig that's gone and when responsibility is now some other party's.

Finally, INSURANCE PAYMENT. Due in two months. If I let the policy lapse - because I have no driveable vehicle - they will have NO incentive, absent a shyster-lawyer to FORCE them (and I can't hire a shyster, now) to make it square. But payment for the insurance, is $400.

Any suggestion as to how to get good advice, and maybe a damned lawyer who really wants to help his client?

 

[Ttazzman]

...communication...

talk to a lawyer first

talk to note holder

talk to YOUR insurance company, that is who you have a contract with

lawyers will talk to you at YOUR expense on a per hr basis ..... or you can imply you might have injuries to get in the door for advice, with a death involved i would spend the few $ for a visit

i dont know what you insurance policy is but since there is a death involved im sure the insurance company will want to make sure your not at fault and thus them being on the liability hook,

things move slow these days ....you need legal advice given all these issues are comming up quickly and things are moving so slow

 

[BeefJerky]

Sounds like your setting yourself up to be railroaded.

You should already be seeking treatment for your injuries at your attorney's recommended neck and back clinic while your attorney looks out for your interests and gets you made whole. Today's world doesn't work on "honesty" or whatever you think you're doing.

I doubt you'll listen though and we'll hear about how the system is screwing you over for months to come. Good luck.

 

[Casey Jones]

I don't know how smart remarks benefit anyone.

I also don't know how my faking injuries do anything but set myself up to be exposed later as a scammer.

If I have to fake whiplash to get LEGITIMATE payment on property that WAS insured...well, we have deeper problems than my not going to a fake doc to get a fake exam for a fake injury.

 

[Casey Jones]

Wish I could talk to a lawyer. Been to the law firm that did my will; through the county bar association and their AI Lawyer Referral service. No one meets my criteria, according to their forms. Only whiplash victims need apply...although they do help DUI arrestees.

 

[Casey Jones]

...communication...

talk to a lawyer first

talk to note holder

talk to YOUR insurance company, that is who you have a contract with

lawyers will talk to you at YOUR expense on a per hr basis ..... or you can imply you might have injuries to get in the door for advice, with a death involved i would spend the few $ for a visit

i dont know what you insurance policy is but since there is a death involved im sure the insurance company will want to make sure your not at fault and thus them being on the liability hook,

things move slow these days ....you need legal advice given all these issues are comming up quickly and things are moving so slow

I did contact such a lawyer.

I should add, it happened out of state, in Washington. That means, I have to engage counsel who's a member of the Washington State Bar.

I'm not that far from Spokane - the other end of the state from where this all occurred, but within the state. Locally, oddly, there are no tort attorneys who are members of the WA bar.

I have talked to one law firm out of Spokane. They were REAL interested in injuries, even advising me, in couched terms, how to fake it, but until I claimed it, they weren't interested. I guess honest discussion of fiduciary malfeasance by an insurance company, is not something that interests today's lawyers.

 

[searcher]

Casey..............

Sorry to hear about the accident and I'm glad you're ok.

Ttazzman gave you some good advice. Probably better than anything I could suggest.

Hope everything works out for you.

 

[CiscoKid]

Sorry to hear about your accident. I truly hope your neck and back are okay - sometimes those injuries take a while to present themselves. From the damages you describe, your truck is totaled. Wish you the best of luck getting this all straightened out.

 

[nickndfl]

Make the payment and hire a billboard attorney.

 

[Viking]

Let us know if there’s anything we can do for you.

 

[Unca Walt]

Sorry to hear about your accident. I truly hope your neck and back are okay - sometimes those injuries take a while to present themselves. From the damages you describe, your truck is totaled. Wish you the best of luck getting this all straightened out.

This is a good point. CJ- You may not be "faking" injuries six months from now. But you will be up the proverbial creek in six months if you do not spring for a neck checkup. When I got run over on my big red motorcycle, I found out a coupla months later I had gotten a broken neck; they hadda put a piece of my hip in it.

Don't be glib, brother. Work for YOU, not the insurance company. Call the local paper. Explain your predicament to their rep.

And then move yo' ass to Floriduh and cut the booshit.

 

[BeefJerky]

I did contact such a lawyer.

I should add, it happened out of state, in Washington. That means, I have to engage counsel who's a member of the Washington State Bar.

I'm not that far from Spokane - the other end of the state from where this all occurred, but within the state. Locally, oddly, there are no tort attorneys who are members of the WA bar.

I have talked to one law firm out of Spokane. They were REAL interested in injuries, even advising me, in couched terms, how to fake it, but until I claimed it, they weren't interested. I guess honest discussion of fiduciary malfeasance by an insurance company, is not something that interests today's lawyers.

So it begins.....RIP

 

[Ttazzman]

i have never met a lawyer that wouldn't take my money..... had several say the case wasnt worth litigating but they still sent me a bill ......yep you probably wont get a lawyer to take your case based on them only being paid out of a settlement if they see no gain from it

 

[rblong2us]

Hey Casey , I just replied to this on the dead people thread .
crazy world when you have done nothing wrong and end up in a world of hurt
i always thought the whole point of insurance was to get you through these kind of events.
wtf has it come to when you, the injured party, have to fight to get redress ?

 

[Ttazzman]

it just isnt this tough.....never had insurance not pay if liable,.....maybe not all i wanted......fwiw in our state there is a state insurance commission thats purpose is to deal with insurance that is not responding or playing fair, the threat of contacting them here usually gets quick responses from insurance co's, but contacting them usually puts things into a arbitration scenario, i dont know if they have a "advisement only" service

 

[Voodoo]

Man, I hope I didn't jinx it but I did say people coming at you are waay more dangerous.

You will likely get money out of the insurance companies. But you have notify your insurance company, who often times is the party to go after the other person's insurance company, because otherwise they will owe the money.

I would Certainly get a lawyer to look things over. Not an ambulance chaser but getting a checkup is probably a must as well.

Definitely do not stop just paying the note. They could just repo the truck and complicate things.

 

[pmbug]

My brother had a bad accident years ago. He didn't think he was injured in the short term following the accident, but he had back/neck problems for years afterwards with many trips to a chiropractor to get by.

You said your neck was torqued. An air bag was deployed. You absolutely need to get a good medical evaluation for potential issues arising from this. This kind of thing can present long term problems for you down the road and that's no joke.

The other party is at fault. Your ins. co. isn't going to do much. The other party's ins. co. will slow play you unless you get a bulldog in your corner.

 

[offcourse2]

Find an indepedent claims adjuster and talk to the state insurance comissioners office. If she was at fault your rental car is her responsibility.

 

[Casey Jones]

Well, at least they're alive.

I've had the appraiser give me a figure. The adjuster is the one to pay off the small note, before he can cut me payment on the rest.

I'm getting real good at sensing when people in various positions are gagged by regulators. But, now, I'm getting through some doubletalk. It appears the way to make this work faster is to file a loss claim directly against the other party's insurance policy.

I'll know more on that tomorrow. Another series of hour-long phone calls...

 

[Casey Jones]

This is a good point. CJ- You may not be "faking" injuries six months from now. But you will be up the proverbial creek in six months if you do not spring for a neck checkup. When I got run over on my big red motorcycle, I found out a coupla months later I had gotten a broken neck; they hadda put a piece of my hip in it.

Don't be glib, brother. Work for YOU, not the insurance company. Call the local paper. Explain your predicament to their rep.

And then move yo' ass to Floriduh and cut the booshit.

I'm going to.

This weekend, I spent a lot of time on the phone...with a hot towel on my neck.

Time to actually start checking into it.

 

[BeefJerky]

Some people have to learn the hard way.

 

[Unca Walt]

Some people have to learn the hard way.

The trick is not that you must avoid injury. It is you must survive injury.

I wuz borned in 1940 (you do the math). Aside from childhood diseases of that time, I managed to grow up to my litany of experience in surviving: I've been shot, stabbed, blown up, run over, poisoned, and insulted.

All of the above (except insulted) required hospitalization. I walk without a limp, and will be chainsawing today.

Casey J. has just picked up on one rule: "Do not avoid hospitals when you get dinged."<-- "Toughing it out" only works in the fargin movies. NOBODY is Keanu Reeves.

 

[pmbug]

... I've been shot, stabbed, blown up, run over, poisoned, and insulted. ...

 

[Casey Jones]

Well, the plot thickens.

A clinical examination and manipulation on the base of my neck...reveals EXTREME pain, right where I had neck surgery six years ago. Had two verterbrae fused.

X-rays have been done; but it being a small-town hospital, I won't get results for several days. But...nothin' but good nooze out of this. Truck gone, RV gone, money gone...in legal limbo, just as we're about to go into CBDC Hell.

 

[BeefJerky]

Do you have an injury attorney yet?

if not, the longer you wait the less you get.

 

[Unca Walt]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
There It Is.

CJ ever since you were Just Passing Thru, you have been a frustrating (to me) procrastinator.

Where is the fargin manuscript?! It ain't like nobody seems to have shown a scintilla of interest...

Where is the REAL effort to get your busted ass checked out medically? MRI? Specialist? DOCUMENTS??

WHAT -- specifically, in the medical profession's conclusion, CJ, is causing your neck pain?

Where is the REAL effort to procure the firm of Archie Bunker's "Seven Savage Jewish Lawyers"?

Pick one as your correct muppet:

"Beaker"


or...

"Animal The Drummer"


Guess which stereotype gets screwed over. Guess which one takes the winner's position.

Tough love from your decades' mentor:

Get your shit together, sojer, the world has taken a good, solid, cheap shot at you. As you sit whimpering:

Ask yourself: "What would the evil sumbitch Unca do?" <-- Also -- you should be contacting the family of the cause of the crash. Let them know you want and need their assistance. Explain the stank you are in because of the unfortunate other driver. They may very well be able to offer assistance with the indurate insurance company(s). Or in other ways.

The path you are on can turn. Or it can go straight on into where you are headed. Your call.

​

 

[Voodoo]

Not all of us are out to get "ours".

However, you have a more than fair claim against these guys who have caused you harm.

If you really wanna test the limits and hold those accountable... get the drivers medical records and see if they indeed were recently jabbed. Add that company to the lawsuit because, ultimately, they likely caused the accident.

 

[Joe King]

Not all of us are out to get "ours".

He is owed whatever it takes to be made "whole". Plus some for pain, suffering and the mere inconvenience of what someone, through their negligent actions, did to him.

That's not getting anything other than what is owed to him, because what happened to him is a major f'ing pain in the ass. He deserves to be well compensated for it.

 

[Casey Jones]

The other driver: I don't have an address, or a license number. Only a verbal on the name.

The po-po report hasn't been filed yet. In Washington, that's not unusual - an appraiser, out of Tacoma, told me that the WSP (state troopers) are about thirty days slow in filing reports.

I now have a Washington State law firm working with me. I'll be seeing the investigator next week. Not before, because I have no wheels, and can't make appointments.

Doc has been seen; Xrays done, another visit in a week.

 

[rblong2us]

I doubt there will be much point in contacting the elderly female driver. She was hospitalised and her passenger ( possibly her partner ) died as a result of injuries recieved in the collision. She is going to be a mental and physical mess. At best she might forward any messages to her legal rep.

I dont know how it all works in the US but here in Blighty if my vehicle was wrecked, a vehicle would be hired ( after agreement with my insurance company ) and the cost would be met by the insurance co, as part of the claim for the written off vehicle.
An offer would be made fairly quickly by my insurance co that would likely be a low ball valuation of the vehicle followed by a couple of weeks of negotiation to agree a figure. The money would be issued and the hired vehicle at that point either returned or I would pay for the continuing hire.

In other words a pretty straight forward situation and I would only have to deal with my insurance co.

Injury and other losses like unable to work, on the other hand takes forever and would need a legal rep or team.