just shoot me now

[radfringe]

coming home from work, about 1/2 mile from my house on our tiny country road - a truck come barreling down the MIDDLE of the road, I swerved to the right, slammed on the brakes

missed the truck, but side slammed into a telephone pole

I'm fine, the right side of the car from front to the back passenger door is smooshed in, sideview mirror flipped back and busted passenger window before it went rolling down the road

excuse me for a moment.....

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

on the good side - the guy driving down the middle of the road was one of our local volunteer firemen, he stopped got on his radio and called the cops.

when our 1 cop arrived, the guy admitted to drifting into the middle of the road, and said that I had swerved to miss hitting him. We know the guy, his sister-in-law lives in the house behind us. No hard feelings, no one hurt, shit happens

car is driveable, so I can get to work tomorrow, vacuumed the glass out, and put a big piece of plastic over the busted out window

did the insurance company notification thingy - have to call a body shop tomorrow to make arrangements for estimate, repairs etc. the body shop handles the the whole thing.

I have to come up with $500 deductible which I will get back at some point when the insurances companies are done fighting.

[jgraz]

1. Hey, just be thankful you're OK

I know, not a lot of help right now. But I lost two loved ones to a car wreck last year. Things could be worse.

[Guaranteed]

7. "Things could be worse."

Exactly my thought.

Glad the OP is alright, and it even sounds like things should work out fine in the end.

[Solly Mack]

2. Glad you're OK!!!

[karlrschneider]

3. Hey, at least you're okay! But you do NOT have to pay the deductible

since you weren't at fault! Don't let them hornswaggle you over this! :D

[Elspeth]

24. I second Karlschneider on this one

You don't have to pay the deductible. They should be able to get reimbursed through the other driver's insurance company.

[Rick Myers]

25. Exactly... Glad you are ok... But...

You CAN make his ins company take the lead. Do not pay the deductable. If he told the police he was drifting, just call his ins co and file a claim. I had this happen to me last year. I called my company, then called theirs and they handled the whole thing.

[DemBones DemBones]

30. Yeah, and you also only need one estimate, from the

body shop of your choice. They may tell you to get three estimates but a lawyer will tell you different, unless the law's different where you are.

[MissB]

4. Since someone already made an attempt on your life today,

I'll pass on the shooting thing. Glad you're relatively unscathed.

[mmonk]

5. The good thing is you weren't hurt.

[Subdivisions]

6. Thank gosh you're ok! n/t

[Junkdrawer]

8. Glad you're safe...who's your insurance?

:shrug:

[radfringe]

11. nationwide

they were very nice, helpful

We're friends with our insurance agent, she said she would go to bat for me if needed

[Junkdrawer]

15. Ask if there's a shop that will wait for the copay (assuming that's a problem)....

Under the circumstances, what with the other driver admitting fault....

[radfringe]

18. I plan on doing that

I have a call into our regular mechanic, and a few neighbors to see if they know the guy I'm suppose to contact tommorrow.. who knows, in a small town like ours, everyone knows everyone and things can be worked out

[karlrschneider]

27. Any reputable shop will (and I believe is required) to do that.

It might vary by state, though...I'm not certain about that.

[H2O Man]

9. Glad you are okay.

That is by far the most important thing.

[radfringe]

10. just hope this isn't the start of one those

things come in 3's

last march I was laid off from a job I had for 9-years, totaled my car, and then the brakes went on my partner's truck - all within a 2 week period

I did find a new job, bought a car, brakes were easily fixed soon after

so far - this has been a crappy year

[mourningdove92]

12. I am so glad you were not hurt.

Cars are replacable...you are not!

[radfringe]

13. tommorrow's toon may get me flamed

but I'm not exactly in the best of mood... thank god for my humor

[Breeze54]

14. Close call and quick thinking on your part!

Really glad to hear that you are okay physically, besides being shaken up.

Who wouldn't have been?

Maybe that volunteer fireman would help you out with the deductible? :shrug:

Here. Have a and try to catch your breath! ;)

[radfringe]

16. help with deductible would be nice

considering I had donated my old totaled car to them for training use with new firemen... lol

I told the guy - don't think I'm gonna donate this car lolol

[Breeze54]

20. LOL! Did he laugh?

See? You did keep your sense of humor! When stuff like that
happens to me and I'm frightened? I get pissed off! (like a sailor!) :P

[radfringe]

23. he laughed

his sister in law called me earlier this evening, even offered the use of her car if we need it

I mentioned the part about NOT donating this car to the fire department. She chuckled and said she told her brother-in-law he didn't have to run people off the road to get cars donated... lolol

[Olney Blue]

17. I'm so sorry about your car- but so happy you weren't hurt.

:hug:

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

19. Thankfully, you are all right.

The rest sucks, of course. But, you are in one piece. :hug:

[slackmaster]

21. Another vote for Glad you're OK - I HATE car crashes!!!

:scared:

[radfringe]

22. I'm off to make myself a supersize kaluha milkshake

couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream, little bit of milk, and an extremely generous amount of kaluha... run it through the blender, get numb and go to sleep...

thanks for your concern and thoughts... DU ROCKS :grouphug: to you all

[Liberal_in_LA]

33. Don't do it! Stay away from the alcohol. :-)

[Breeze54]

41. Drink more and ignore the newbie!

:rofl:

:toast:

Welcome to DU, Liberal_in_LA!

:hi:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

26. Sounds like you live in a one horse town.... I am glad to hear

that you weren't on it!!! No kidding, cars are replaceable you rad most certainly are not.

[Not Me]

28. Glad you are okay!

I was in a bad accident last year, and learned a couple things about the insurance (and medical) industry.

My strong advice to you is to find a reputable collision shop of your choosing and have them repair the car.
After my accident, I let the insurance company 'handle it' and they arranged to have one of their captive shops repair my car. Not only did they do a crap job, and i had to bring it back 4 times...but the real problem is that the insurance company becomes the 'customer' in this relationship not you. So the repair shop is trying to please the insurance company, and that isn't necessarily good for you.

I won't EVER let that happen again.

[radfringe]

40. the collision shop the insurance co. works with

would have been the one I would use anyways - they have an excellent reputation, and the work is guaranteed for the life of the car

[SammyWinstonJack]

29. I often feel that way, but let me give you this,

:hug:

[Swamp Rat]

31. I'm glad you're ok.

:hug:

[Lilith Velkor]

32. Left my gun in my other pants. Please reconsider

The deductible for bullet holes is *murder.*

[DawgHouse]

34. I'm glad you are okay.

And I've NEVER had an accident where the person at fault readily admitted fault so you're lucky there too. So, basically, aside from trying to kill you, it turns out he was a nice guy! :-)

[KoKo]

35. Glad you are alive and posting Rad! That was a close call...

:hug: Don't want to lose a another special DU'er.. :-(

[buzzard]

36. Glad that you are ok I find myself being much more sympathetic towards Americans

by reading this site. No offence intended I really am happy to find so many like minded humans on the other side of the border. I am truly happy that you are Ok .

[HCE SuiGeneris]

37. Glad you are OK... sorry for the bad luck.

Hope it resolved quickly and favorably.

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. A good crash is a crash you walk away from unhurt

therefore that was a good crash

Glad to know everybody is fine

[JeffR]

39. Holy crap, radfringe!

Glad you're OK!

[radfringe]

42. going to stay home from work today

checked out the hours for the collision shop, and they would be closed by the time I would be able to get there after work - plus the sooner I can get in there for estimate, the sooner I can get it fixed

from the looks of the damage, it appears just to need body work, but I'd like it checked out to make sure it's safe to drive until it can be repaired. No obvious damage to the front wheel, but who knows - and I don't want it falling off while I'm on the highway

despite the super-size kahlua shake, I didn't sleep well, and my fibramyalgia flared up a few days ago - so I feel like I've been dragged through a knothole backwards