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mobilus
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 171 Clay County, TX
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2007-12-08          149097

Hey, I'm glad to be here, because as the pains from the collision decide which ones want to stay longer, I can be happy that I'm not dead after the fight with the tractor/trailer rig.

I have always avoided staying alongside a big rig longer than absolutely necessary...advice given to me by my dad, a short-haul truck driver. Wed, 28 Nov at 6:36, a semi came into my lane and clipped the rear of the car I was driving. The car spun around the front of the truck, then impacted again and again (I remember 4 distinct hits)down the side of the truck and then the trailer. The last thing I saw was the left rear trailer tires...I was knocked out and came to as people were trying to get into the car. One of them was my wife. She had been following a couple hundred yards back, and though she didn't see the first impact, she did see me spinning and hitting the left side of the rig. Scared her something fierce.

I was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Those back boards and neck restraints are in themselves modern torture devices. Three hours later, they finally took them off of me. I didn't break a single bone, nor did I have a single scratch on me. But, I was bruised a lot, mostly to internal organs. Lost four days work. Now, I'm still mighty fatigued and my back, neck and arms are hurtiing a lot.

But I'm alive, by the grace of God, and the help of that seatbelt. Wear yours!



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candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1932 North Dakota
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2007-12-08          149100

Mobilus,

Thank you for writing in. I'm very happy to hear that you're alive, and mostly well. You're a very lucky man.

I feel very bad for your wife, having to watch that incident take place. That had to be very difficult for her. I hope everyone is recovering well.

If you need a new pair of Fruit of the Looms for Christmas, let me know. hehehe.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. You already have a lot to be thankful for, my friend.

Joel ....

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kleinchris
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 269 Westminster, Texas
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2007-12-09          149106

Mobilus, glad your okay. We dont live that far apart for Texas- where was you accident? ....

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bialecki
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 60 Southern Connecticut
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2007-12-09          149113

Thank God you lived to talk about it! Hope your recovery is a quick one. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2007-12-09          149121

Yes, Thank God indeed. Nothing like a close call to give people a little perspective on what is and is not important in this short life. ....

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bialecki
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 60 Southern Connecticut
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2007-12-09          149129

Upon closer analysis of the car side, it looks like the tractor trailer's tire was running along the entire length of your car. What was the make of your vehicle?

Hope you also hold the trucker accountable, otherwise he will continue on the same old way. Need to hit him in the wallet! ....

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mobilus
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 171 Clay County, TX
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2007-12-09          149138

Thank you all. I was in Wichita Falls, TX. The main road out of town to the southeast is a three lane that splits into two two-lane US highways, 281S and 287S. 281S splits off to left and loops back under 287. I was in that center lane (of what would become the right lane of 281S).

When my son wrecked his Ford Probe by pulling into an intersection with oncoming traffic (T-boned, kid OK), I found a '92 Plymouth Sundance for $50 froma a friend, but the tranny was toast and the motor smoked. So I found another motor and tranny in a '95 Dodge Spirit, and had my son help swap it out. Then he prepped it for paint and had a friend paint it. He learned something from the undertaking...but then I pick it up from the shop and get smeared on the way to give it to him.

We're still working on the legal situation.

....

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crunch
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 271 Niagara County, NY
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2007-12-09          149140

Mobilus, glad you are still with us! Stay safe! ....

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
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2007-12-10          149146

I used to work for an auto insurance comapany when I got out of college. On an old car like that they would only give you total loss value which will be just about salvage value. I always told the claimant that I could give them more for $$ for the bodily injury piece but not for the car. Nobody likes to hear that of course.

If you have receipts for repairs that could help, but it won't get you anywhere close to fair market value of the repaired car.

If you get an attorney it usually goes one third for his fee, but then he will want you to go for many doctor visits for proof of pain and suffering.

A side swipe is also a bit of a gray area as to who actually was out of line. I know your wife saw it but in court she would be a somewaht biased wittness. If you have any other witnnesses or if the Trucker admitted fault at the scene you are golden.

The guy with a recently repaired old car was always the hardest case to settle, and was almost always better served when the claimant got an attorney.

Dennis ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-12-10          149147

Glad you are safe. Yes, it is easy to get caught up in unimportant things and miss the real important items. God does bless us each more than we realize or deserve so often. ....

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mobilus
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 171 Clay County, TX
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2007-12-10          149198

Thanks again, fellas.

I found out today that the guy had legitimate insurance coverage...so we'll deal with the property loss first.

Oh, the police report states that the skid marks substantiate my story...I am pursuing the personal injury angle as well. If the guy hadn't changed his story, i.e. telling me that he was sorry, and then telling the cop that I was at fault, I might not be so willing to sue. Besides the recovery, pain and etc, there's principle involved with my decision as well. Better not go much further, but I'm sure you guys understand.

Thanks for all your well-wishes. I told my wife that if this bunch of guys on here actually lived in the same area, all the wives would really have their hands full...ha! T-R-O-U-B-L-E, she says. I think she'd be right, but there's no doubt there'd always be help when needed. Y'all are good folks! ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-12-11          149218

I am not a lawyer nor a claims adjuster...that said...they will look at medical bills for all testing you have to come to some idea of how badly you were injuried. They like to use 3 times those for injury type payments. So if you hurt, be sure you have it checked out. A lack of test is not your friend. You may have to repay your health insurance company for such when the insuranced company settles with you. Keep good records...work missed and such. Keep records of your conversations with them also. Hey, tape them. They are taping you. ....

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