What to do in an accident??

[Mayberry 0]

Now that school is starting back up, this is more of a rant/public service announcement for you parents/relatives of young drivers. Sorry. Here's the story...a couple hours ago my starving college student nephew calls me on my cell phone & says he was just rear ended by someone. After making sure he was ok, I asked the usual questions.

"Did you get the other driver's insurance info?"

"No"

"Their name, driver's license number?"

"No, they didn't speak English."

"Tag number?"

"No"

"Did you call the police, are you & the other person still at the scene?"

"No, I'm calling you from where my girlfriend works."

"WTF??? From WHERE??? WHY DIDN'T YOU GET ALL THIS INFORMATION??? IT WAS THEIR FAULT--THEY REAR ENDED YOU"!!

"I guess I wasn't thinking, I wasn't sure what to do."

AAAAARRRGGGHHH!!! He stopped by to have me take a look @ the damage, just cosmetic damage to the rear bumper but it could have been a whole lot worse. But now he's gonna have to pay to fix it himself or turn it in to his insurance company & run the risk of getting his rates jacked up. So...I guess the point I'm trying to make is to educate the young drivers in your household to know what to do if they're ever in a similar situation or accident. You can bet your ass he knows now!! Also...pick up one of those roadside emergency kits from Costco or Wal-Mart that has flares, first aid kit, etc. put it in the car & make sure they know where it is & what to do with it. AAA has a lot of good info on the subject, I'd do a clicky but I don't have time right now. Anyway, that's it, I'm done. Thanks!!

Don

Here's to friends!

[Racenic 0]

He sounds like a candidate for Jay Leno's Jaywalking

Nick D

The key to Immortality is- first living a life worth remembering”

[wingnut 0]

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I'm trying to make is to educate the young drivers in your household to know what to do if they're ever in a similar situation or accident.

wow times are changing i guess.... wheni got my lisc i had to go through state required (ohio) drivers education and this case is one of the many things they taught you..... heck what are theyteachig now??? it's only been like 8 yeras since i got my lisc.... shtit, now that i type it it does sound like a long time ago...... sure doesn't seem like it...

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"i have no reader's digest version"

[skygod7777 0]

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wow times are changing i guess.... wheni got my lisc i had to go through state required (ohio) drivers education and this case is one of the many things they taught you..... heck what are theyteachig now??? it's only been like 8 yeras since i got my lisc.... shtit, now that i type it it does sound like a long time ago...... sure doesn't seem like it...

it's still that way in ohio, but only if you want you license before you turn 18.

indiana you have to take drivers edu. if you want you license at 16 an a month, other wisw you have to wait until you 16 to get you permit and then keep that for 6 months.

later

[wingnut 0]

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yea i'm 16, bite me, your just jealous

nope not at all....... there was no graduated lisc in ohio wheni got mine ... besides i have a horizontall isc. with yellow onthe top.... i'm mighty happy with what it gets me.. hehehehe...

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"i have no reader's digest version"

[Levin 0]

He should have played dead. Just fall over on the horn or something and try to keep a straight near death face. Insurance companies pay 2.5 - 3.5 x's the cost of medical bills. If the ambulance ride cost $400 then the insurance company would have paid $1000 - $1400 just for the ambulance ride. After paying the ambulance bill that would have left him with $600 -$1000 just for riding in an ambulance. Then there's the ER bill and the chiropracter. Alot of ambulance chasing lawyers have crooked chiropracters on retainer. Easily rack up a few more thousand. May be a little dishonest, but on the other hand it's 4 digits and the first one usually isn't a 1. Had he been able to keep the other driver at the scene and had the person been drinking (may have ben since they took off) the settlement would have been 5 digits and your college student nephew wouldn't be starving anymore. Even though he missed the jackpot, all may not be lost. If your nephew has PIP he may be able to collect $2500 from his own policy.

[Squeak 17]

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yea i'm 16, bite me, your just jealous

nope not at all....... there was no graduated lisc in ohio wheni got mine ... besides i have a horizontall isc. with yellow onthe top.... i'm mighty happy with what it gets me.. hehehehe...

that's his Sig line Wingy
It's not meant to be refering to his licence age

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[mr2mk1g 10]

That attitude is the reason the US has so many problems with it's legal system.

Keep it the hell away from my country. I fight against it every day and it's getting worse.

Fucking money grabbers!

He's entitled to a new bumper and fuck all else - why's that concept difficult to grasp?

You might as well recomend him to go sue his dropzone for $10,000 because they allowed him to jump when he'd packed himself a mal and cost himself a repack.

[Zeemax 0]

which is why i have to pay stupidly high premiums.

Phoenix Fly - High performance wingsuits for skydiving and BASE
Performance Designs - Simply brilliant canopies

[mouth 0]

What happened to being HONEST and showing a little RESPECT? People like you are what makes people like me carry such a high policy just because you are to sorry to get a job, and would rather lie to the insurance company.

>

--
Hot Mama
At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit.

[shropshire 0]

Also, it is a good idea to carry a disposable camera in the car... get all the information, as you suggest, and then photo the scene, people, vehicles etc.. It could help in the event of a dispute.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[shropshire 0]

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He should have Bla...blaa... Blaa.

NO! - Ever heard of fraud?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Levin 0]

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He's entitled to a new bumper and fuck all else - why's that concept difficult to grasp?

trying to grasp that new bumper but I just can't seem to see it for all that FREE $MONEY$!!

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You might as well recomend him to go sue his dropzone for $10,000 because they allowed him to jump when he'd packed himself a mal and cost himself a repack.

if you really fight against frivilous lawsuits everyday then surely you can come up with a better analogy than that. funny though all european drivers should definetly have to sign a waiver. That way they can't sue the highway department when they wreck with just themselves.

[Levin 0]

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which is why i have to pay stupidly high premiums.

1. Slooow downnn
2. Trade in the sports car or 4x4
3. Get a cheaper older car
4. Get your spouse and kids off your policy
5. Shop around
6. Liability only
7. Security device
8. Driver's Ed.

yep them darn lawsuits make everybody's premiums go up. but I doubt everyone's stupidly high premiums are only high because of everyone else's law suits.

[mailin 0]

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Insurance companies pay 2.5 - 3.5 x's the cost of medical bills.

Not always true - depends on the damage to the car. I had $120 damage to an accident earlier this year - yet almost $700 in medical bills.

Yesterday the ins. co. settled with me for $1200 - less than half what I was expecting

Jen

Arianna Frances

[mr2mk1g 10]

In your first post you are condoning, supporting and encouraging theft. Your post is an incitement to commit a criminal offence. That act is in itself a criminal offence. Insurance fraud affects all our policies and screws up the legal system in general. You are an idiot to suggest it. I don’t find it funny in the slightest.

[Levin 0]

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What happened to being HONEST and showing a little RESPECT?

According to Mayberry, honesty and respect left before the cops could show.

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People like you are what makes people like me carry such a high policy just because you are to sorry to get a job, and would rather lie to the insurance company.

I tried to reply to this earlier. I guess I have a slightly different perspective on this than most skydivers. My brother and I have each had 6 wrecks. I was at fault in all of mine except one. My brother was only at fault in one of his. We have a bit of experience with the system both with and without attorneys. The reply I wrote was very long and polite. This was kinda a bad day and had alot going on. So I worked on it off and on thru out the day. Just before I was fixing to post it my computer locked up and I got pissed and smashed it. Again it was bad day. Too bad though. I doubt what I had wrote would have changed your black and white cut and dry opinion but I'm quit sure it would have made you think a bit. I was trying to challenge you to consider that it is not people or I guess "people like me" that cause your premiums to go up. Definetly not because of me. Everytime I have wreck it's my fault. Rather instead it's a screwed up crooked system that is neccessary to us. The sytem caters to the ambulance chasing lawyers. Those lawyers have a system with the insurance companies. They work together very efficiently to ensure that the ambulance chasing attorneys make maximum dollars and the insurance companies loose minimum dollars. Cases are resolved outside of court as rapidly as possible and usually settled for an amount that is in the insurance companies best interest; 2.5 - 3.5 x's the amount of the claim. The Attorneys make up for the smaller out of court settlements by resolving cases as fast as possible and taking 1/3 from the defendent. In court both the defendant and their attorney can win or loose, but outside of court only the attorney wins. The defendant always get screwed. So instead of blaming people for your premiums going on up, blame the attorneys and their ambulance chasing commercials. Even though the system benfits the attorneys it was built for the people, so they can't be blamed.

As for exaggerating to the insurance companies; they lie to you too. Think about it. A claim is an undetermined debt that is owed to you by an insurance company. Do you really trust them to determine in your best interest the amount of that debt for you? No way, it's their money. Without an attorney you will never get what you are entitled. And with an attorney you will likely never get what you are entitled. Insurance companies typically low ball and strong arm those without an attorney for a settlement of around 1.5 x's the amount of the claim. And you will likely go thru a bit of hell trying to get a bit more than that. However with an attorney an adjuster will settle quick and up front for around 3x's the amount of the claim. The attorney keeps the case out of court, quickly settles and then moves to the next claim. How does that benefit the defendant. Doesn't really. It cost the insurance company twice as much, but the attorney gets a 1/3. You get just .5 x's more than what the insurance company initially offered. The defendant always gets screwed. So what's so bad about the defendant playing the system a little. Their getting screwed already by both the lawyer and the ins. company. I guarantee you there is no amount of "exaggerating on a defendant's part that can outweigh the impact ambulance chasing attorneys have on your premiums. The ins. companies freely give all that extra money to attorneys to stay out of court. Then they raise your premiums to compensate for it.

And inregard to high premiums in America, what about the cars?? H2's, $40,000 trucks, V8's and Corvettes. I may be mistakin but I don't believe many other countries have V8's and super expensive cars. Add to that America has the worst drivers (including me). Isn't that a world wide known fact? Americans don't take driving seriously. Or atleast not like they do in Europe. Americans have alot of wrecks. Cars are alot more expensive than a 2 cent claim for a stumped toe. So instead of accusing me for your premiums being high, instead accuse a corrupt system built for the people without it having their best interest at heart. Instead accuse the ambulance chasing lawyers for marketing lawsuits on TV. Blame the insurance companies. Better yet, juct accept the fact that your premiums are high because this is America.

In regard to my first post I didn't completey read the initial poster's post. I read the conversation part and then quickly skimmed over the rest. I missed the it was just a bump wreck. I saw rear-ended and assumed it was a real crash. Present company considered, I admit my first post was a little morally wrong. Sorry if I offended anyone.

[Levin 0]

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depends on the damage to the car

depends on whether you hired an ambulance chasing attorney to represent you.

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Yesterday the ins. co. settled with me for $1200 - less than half what I was expecting

That sounds about right. If you do not have an attorney then an insurance company is going to try and lowball you with a settlement of only 1.5 x's the amount of the claim and they will try and strong arm you to get you to accept it. They probably didn't seem very negotiable did they? Had you had an attorney they would have likely offered 3x's or about $2400. The attorney would have taken 1/3 of it for his fee. That would have left you with $1600. Not much more than what you got without one. The best you could have probably done was bluff. Decline the settlement. Be nice about it. Simply say, I'm sorry, but I really would like to consult an attorney and see what they think before I agree to anything.

[Levin 0]

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In your first post you are condoning, supporting and encouraging theft.

Yah well, BASE jumpers condone, support and encourage trespassing.

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Your post is an incitement to commit a criminal offence.

One of the forums on this site is an incitement to commit a criminal offense. Depending on how you look at it.

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That act is in itself a criminal offence.

bored now. that wasn't advice I offered. It was hindsight

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You are an idiot to suggest it. I don’t find it funny in the slightest.

bummer dude. FWIW, I got a good chuckle out of this.

[mr2mk1g 10]

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Yah well, BASE jumpers condone, support and encourage trespassing

That's not a criminal offence. It's a civil matter only.

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One of the forums on this site is an incitement to commit a criminal offence. Depending on how you look at it.

No - it talks about a sport which sometimes involves a civil wrong.

The worst bit about your posts here is that you continue to defend your suggestion as a good idea. Good for the person committing the fraud perhaps... but not for society in general - but then that's theft for you.

Theft is theft. It doesn't matter who someone steals from, they're still just a thief.