First of all: I am ok. It was 7am and I was on my way to grab a cup of coffee and write a This Week’s Miscellany for today when this happened:
A truck ran a red light and slammed right into me. I was turning, saw him out of the corner of my eye and thought, “Oh God. He. isn’t. stopping.” The policeman predicts the car’s totaled.
Except for a badly bruised left knee and maybe some whiplash I am completely fine and the other driver was fine, too. Thanking the Lord the kids weren’t in the car! Grateful to be safe and sound.
The bummer is that there were no witnesses to see that he ran the light and he claims he didn’t, so that won’t be good for our insurance claim. And we only have (had) one vehicle for our family of five, so we’ll have to figure out SOMETHING soon.
Most likely there’s a used van in our future. We’ll hear back on Monday from our insurance company and figure things out from there.
Not the way I wanted to start the weekend, a pretty huge bummer and expense that we’ll have to figure out somehow. But heavens, I have plenty to be grateful about. Everybody’s OK. And that’s what matters, right?
If you need me, I’ll be snuggled in my bed drinking hot tea til I stop shaking…
Yikes! Thank God you only walked away with a bit of bruising. Praying your car needs get sorted out quickly and easily [also that maybe Mr. Truck gets a bit of a guilty conscience ;)]!
Glad you are safe! Snuggling sounds like a good remedy!
Oh no! Thank goodness you’re all right. But I totally get how frustrating it is when an expense like that comes out of the blue.
I’m all the way up in Missouri, but a friend from work is moving to Japan and they’re selling their van for a very reasonable price. But like I said that’s a long way to drive to get a van. Praying something will come your way soon!
Want to email me the info, Rachel? We won’t hear back from our insurance company til Monday, but then we’ll know more about what we’re working with!
He just sold it! Sorry…And he’s leaving this week so that could have gotten complicated lol.
I think we have a prospective used van, Rachel. No worries!
Thank you Guardian Angels! Praying for you guys as you go through the rigmarole with insurance.
And vans are sexy, dontcha know 😉
Thank God you are OK! Off to the chiropractor for you! One of the first things you should do after an accident to prevent stuff getting worse. It really helped me. I hope it all works out for you insurance-wise.
So glad you’re okay! And SO glad the kids weren’t with you! Hopefully the car seats would have done their job, but it’s scary to see that damage right where my 2 month old sits in my car. We had our car totaled a few years back by someone who ran a red light and it was SO scary. I was shaking the whole day and just thanking God that neither of us were hurt. The guy that hit us was high as a kite and there were several witnesses so that worked in our favor…there weren’t any red light cameras to capture your accident were there?
Thank goodness you are ok! I was in a car accident with kids in October and the whiplash hit me about 12 hours later so be careful! I ended up in physical therapy for almost three months.
Wow. So glad you are okay! I know from experience how jarring this is when it happens. The car that caused my wreck ages ago didn’t. even. stop. despite my vehicle spinning until a rock wall stopped it. I was taking my brother back to college and the state of shock that he was in that day was the worst. Where I live this week, we had two fatal crashes both involving children, so I just thank God, like you are that my children haven’t been in the car with you when youwent through it. Take care of yourself.
So glad everyone is okay!!!
So happy our are all right. Prise the Lord your kids were not in the car!
Oh my! I am trying not to cry! All I saw on FB was “Carrots” and the car and I thought of your family and those three car seats in the back seat. Praise God everyone is okay, and prayers are coming your way for a quick healing for your injuries. Someone hit me a few years ago and beyond having one sore knee, I just remember being so shaken up. Take it easy today and do whatever is needed to calm your mind and cure your body. And kiss those precious babies! Hope the good coming out of this is that you will find an awesome van that will meet all your needs.
So, so, so thankful your littles weren’t in the car. That’s actually one of my biggest fears. Did the light not have a camera???
So thankful that it was not worse, but I agree with what’s been said: take care of yourself. My hubs has been in a run-ins like this, all while being uninsured (healthcare-wise), so he just “toughed it out” and now has TMJ from whiplash effects. Don’t be afraid to go see your doc of choice. We will pray that justice is served re: lying truck driver and that a suitable vehicle presents itself…and that you fully recover physically and emotionally, of course!
Oh, thank God the little ones weren’t with you! So so glad you’re okay. Rest up and take a long hot bath tonight. Everything with the car will work out and I’ll be praying that it’s nice and easy. My husband’s an insurance agent if you need me to glean any of his wisdom for you 🙂
Glad you are okay. Take him to civil court for damages, or at least threaten, tell him you do have some evidence. That may be enough, if nor, be prepared to back your story up. . There are cameras everywhere these days, especially at intersections just for these kind of things, or at roadways, so call the city and ask if the lights or sidewalk lights are recorded or set by timers or about cameras in the area. If you have any personal markers outside the incident or have any personal testimony, WRITE IT DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND DATE IT IMMEDIATELY, have your husband and another witness sign it, as it is your truest form of record. Include any phone calls made, etc. Sometimes that is enough in civil court. Civil court has much different rules than traffic court.
Absolutely! The computers that control the traffic lights will record the time it was green and red. That will support your testimony!
Great advice! I looked into it and even asked the police officer who wrote the report about businesses and traffic cameras we could review footage of, but there was nothing. It seems that it will work out OK, though. It’s likely that we won’t have to pay the deductible and our policies will cover each other’s damages. Not official yet, but it’s looking like it will work out as well as can be expected.
Oh my goodness! I’m glad you’re ok and that the kids were at home. Hopefully everything works out positively with your insurance.
I’ll be praying for you! I was second at fault in my one and only accident which totaled my parents’ ancient van, and they still got $1000 from the insurance–more than they would have if it had just died. So I’m hoping you’ll have a better outcome that you expect!
Very glad that you are okay! I can imagine the fright you must have been feeling. My family and I will be praying for your family and for God’s provision for a vehicle soon.
So glad you and yours are ok! You’d be surprised how well trained law enforcement and insurance investigators are able to tell who’s at fault in a crash. And I agree with stophelia there may be businesses around the area that have security camera footage that can back you up if the intersection doesn’t have a red light camera. Praying you guys get back to normal soon!
Oh my goodness! I’m so happy you’re alright. I know those things can be terrifying… 🙁 Praying for you -hoping it all works out with your car…
~ Country Girl’s Daybook, recently posted: A Movie Review of The Book Thief → http://bit.ly/1eSRAS0
Oh gosh. I’m so sorry. That’s very scary. Definitely take care of yourself. if you can afford to have a massage therapist treat your whiplash go for it. It would be very beneficial. Praying for resolution.
So glad to hear you’re ok. Praying for a speedy recovery. That looks like a gas station in the background – those typically have cameras running. Praying everything works out with the car – 5 with no car can be hard. Take care.
So glad to hear you are ok. As for a vehicle, God will provide. Praying for you guys!
My daughter also walked away from a totaled car a few years ago, with “only” whiplash, but has had continued neck and back pain. She is finally starting physical therapy–way overdue, but I’m betting they can help, as they have me after a shoulder dislocation. What I think is great about physical therapy is how they teach you exercises to do on your own, as well as their own manipulations/procedures. God bless.
Unsolicited advice: get to a chiropractor for that whiplash.
Story: a similar thing happened to me at the beginning of December. Wrecked and totaled the car, on the baby’s side with the baby in the car. Super scary and very stressful…but God brought us through it with a nicer, newer car, less debt, and still a little money in savings.
He will provide and it will be fine! 🙂 Rest up!
Oh, Haley! How awful! Glad to hear you’re (physically) alright. Prayers for you!
Oh no! So glad to hear all is well, and the kids were not involved. I have only almost been in an accident with my son and that left me shaking for nearly an hour. Prayers that there are no injuries that flare up, and prayers that you get things figured out in a timely way with insurance/new car/other finances. Your strong faith will get you through.
I am so glad you are safe and sound. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
SO glad to know everyone is fine. God bless.
So sorry about your accident, but so glad you’re ok! I hope God will use this unfortunate experience as an opportunity to get you a van.
Oh dear, the Lord saved you! With His Angels I am sure! Do make sure you don’t have any unseen hurts… it sounds like you have a bit of hurt with knee and whiplash; take care of yourself in this and I hope there is NO lasting hurt very soon! God be with you!
Haley, God always makes something good come out of something bad. Take care of yourself and look for the gifts this car accident will bring. Sending gentle hugs!
Happy to know you are ok! How terrible! Come to Holland, we only drive bikes!
Take a lot of care! And good luck with the insurance company…
Much love to you all,
M
So glad you are safe! Praying for your families needs!
Thank you everyone for all the well wishes! I’m getting checked out today for some upper back/neck pain and then I’ll make an appt with a chiropractor. And we should be hearing back from our insurance co. Emotionally, I’m still a little shaky emotionally, but I’m going to try to drive today and get back in the saddle. Thanks for your prayers!
Thank God you’re okay!!!!!!
So glad you’re okay! We’re a one-car family too, so I know how tough that can be when, you know, 1-1=0. And it’s such a headache to deal with insurance companies. I hope it all goes as smoothly as possible.
If you are having any trouble getting the other driver’s insurance company to pay you for the value of your vehicle or your medical bills, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact an attorney. I’m an attorney, and a lot of people I talk to in minor accidents say they don’t want to cause a fuss by filing a claim… but what they don’t realize is that auto liability insurance is just like health insurance–we pay premiums so that when losses occur, the insurance company will pay them. Sometimes it’s just more work with an insurance carrier. At any rate, if he ran a red light, it is probably not terribly hard to prove that, and his insurance company should pay you the value of your car and pay you for your medical bills (at the very least). Almost all personal injury attorneys will talk to you for free, and it certainly can’t hurt to at least figure out your options. God bless!
Thanks for the great advice, Cameron! We have the same insurance company as the other driver and it’s not official yet, but it sounds like neither of us will have to pay our deductible and we’ll both be covered by the other’s policy. Should hear officially tomorrow!
So glad you are ok! So scary!!!! I see the car is parked at a gas station. Is there anyway you could get the camera footage from the gas station and see if there’s anything on that? Also since your car is totaled, if your car seats were installed in the car at the time of the accident they will all need replacing. Your (or his) insurance should pay for new seats…
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get video from the gas station and there wasn’t a traffic cam. But, our policies are covering each other’s damages (they’re considering neither driver at fault) and medical bills (nothing severe, just chiropractic stuff for my back). So…it’s turned out better than I thought it would. And yes about the car seats! We’re supposed to replace them and then bring our insurance co. the receipts and the old seats. Good reminder, though. We just bought new car seats a couple of months ago and I would have been so sad to have to pay for new ones if insurance hadn’t covered them.