@Cardaddy. From my perspective and knowing how bad that accident could've been in comparison to what actually happened I thank God for the little damages we survived through. I could've killed her and her passenger, along with myself if I had reacted 1 sec. later. That accident happened on the freeway and her car was at a complete stop while I was traveling between 45-50mph. Think about how bad that could've been.
A dumb carfax report and anykind of fuss over a minimal amount of money is peanuts compared to being responsible for someone's death in a true to life automobile accident. That's why I'm thankful to God for allowing me and the other occupants involved to see another day.
And I allowed her to call the cops, take a couple dozen photos of every last bit of my car, my drivers license, my face, everything even though it was way overboard what she was doing. I didn't try to intimidate or prevent her from doing what she wanted to do at all.
Even the cop mentioned that he was surprised at how civil the situation was and how I did a rare thing by even still being there. It took the police nearly an hour to show up. Worst day possible.
Well... it's good knowing that you have a perspective that it could have been VERY bad.
Although from what it sounds like, you're saying it was serious.. "
could've killed her and her passenger, along with myself if I had reacted 1 sec. later." and with that... everyone's lives could have changed forever more. Yours, theirs, or perhaps both of the families having lost their loved ones.
Imagine how that could have turned out, with a family facing the loss of a loved one, and no insurance to protect them.... from what could easily have cost them everything, including the roof over their heads?
Insurance is just something that is instinctive, inherent, immanent, even hard-wired into vehicle ownership. It's also something that I've paid out the ying-yang for since I was 16, and continue to over 40 years later. I'd like to think there is a better way, but truthfully there isn't.
I too thank the good Lord that I've survived, and been brought home safe. It's not always our fault, but we have to protect ourselves,
and our families even when others are having a bad day.
I've seen, ALL TO CLOSELY far too many horrific accident scenes, as well as the aftermath it takes on those involved. Having owned a towing business for 18 years, (
retired the last 12) I've been up close and personal with far too much of it, and have seen far too many body parts (
and body tissue) left in vehicles after just a moment in time went wrong.
I've been much too involved with FAR TOO MANY insurance companies for my own good through the years as well. Was even the insurance committee chairman for the state towing and recovery association once upon a time.
I don't really think you "
allowed" her to call the police,
and all the rest she did. (
Although taking your photo was a bit much... and more than you had a legal responsibility to do.)
She was doing the best she could, under the circumstances. I'm sure upon hearing you didn't have insurance she was fairly upset. (
As would anyone be in her position.) Perhaps she didn't realize the saving grace that nobody was hurt. After all... people do tend to get a bit scatter brained at the scene. I agree with you though that a vehicle is the LEAST of our worries at such a time. That however doesn't negate the need to protect that asset, or perhaps just overlook it for the time being. (
Knowing that coverage was coming, just not that day, at that moment in time.) It is those moments in time that that pesky insurance premium takes quite a bit of the worry away however.
The rest however, license number, vehicle photos, address, phone numbers, exchanging driver information et al. All that is required by law. Not doing so, can be
up to a 6 month license suspension. (
It's 30 days here, minimum.) Funny though, that even though the law requires drivers to exchange information, including license number, contact number(s), and insurance information (
and is punishable as a misdemeanor on first offense) that when the police shows up,
you will hardly EVER get a cop to let you copy the other drivers information off of his report. You can tell the cop you need it, but he'll just ignore you every time.
I mean... :doh: he already has it all, right there.
You don't even have to waste his time anymore writing it all down... just take a photo and be done with it. Anyhow... drivers
ARE REQUIRED to exchange information, period.
If there is one thing that smart phones are good at these days however that would be that they are a FANTASTIC tool for gathering the proper information, as well as submitting claims, on the spot even, including GPS data and photos (
with most carriers having apps). Although, truth be told... they CAUSE more accidents than anything else that has been introduced into the drivers care over the last decade with drivers getting distracted and such.
The fact that you stayed "on scene" waiting on the police shows that you realize you were a part of the accident, and legally required to, (
that's a good thing).
Also shows that you didn't intend to run away from that obligation. (
Again... that's a GOOD thing!) :xyxthumbs:
I had an accident one time, in a GMC 6500, with a 19.5' rollback on it, hit a lady sitting still. Didn't total her car out, but scared me a LOT more than it did her. Thing is, I'd just picked the truck up from the shop, they'd done injector, and injector pump work on it. I didn't make it a mile down the road and it was cutting out on top of a major interchange we call spaghetti junction, some 80 plus feet up in the AIR!
So I jumped off the expressway, took a left on the bridge, and it stalled out, causing me to lose my brakes!!!!! The lady was sitting at a red light and I couldn't get stopped, it was hit her or go into incoming traffic. I got it almost stopped, slammed it in first, popped the E-brake, but was still going about 10mph when I hit her (
and I had my car on the bed) weighing in at around 20,000 pounds loaded! Scared the living CHIT outta' me!
Then when I got out and went running up to see if she was OK, she had her 3 grandchildren in the back seat. OMG... I literally fell down on the road and started praying then and there. We had a prayer meeting I'm telling ya'.
She was OK, the kids were OK, but all I could imagine was hurting someone's children. Then the thought of losing a massive court case, costing a small fortune hit me between the eyes. Guess that prayer meeting helped, because she said it was all good, we stayed in touch, and my insurance took care of her perfectly.
OTOH... the dealership that was SUPPOSED to fix my truck got a BIG bill from me! They had to eat the initial repair cost, as well as pay for a new bumper for my truck.
Imagine had I not been insured that day?
That's what I suppose I'm getting at. Just that lil' thing where you didn't have insurance that buggered things a bit that day. It could have been sooooooo much worse. :dunno:
I'll never, EVER drive anything that isn't covered, and covered WELL. Heck, I keep full coverage, 300K on all my cars... even my 99 Caddy (
that was my Dad's) that I don't drive 100 miles a year. Could drop it, as well as not put a tag on it, but when I *want* to drive it, I need to know that I've got enough coverage to pay for anything that I hit (
God forbid... and I've not hit anything since that day in the big GMC back at least 17 years ago), plus... I can replace it for what it's worth.
OTOH... don't get me started on "minimum coverage" and the agencies that sell that whole can of worms. Strange how states can require you to have insurance, but NOT require you to have ENOUGH insurance. Which... means you need coverage to pay for not just your own vehicle, but enough to cover the FULL cost of most vehicles you'll crash into these days. I mean, $25,000 property damage doesn't cover squat these days, (and you can get LESS) so what is someone to do when they get plowed into by a big pickup or SUV and they are driving a fairly new vehicle that was $40,000+ new?
They're stuck paying the difference, that's what.
Yup... that also drives up insurance premiums.
j/k
