Just a bit ridiculous...my car wreck today.

coppercoins

This should leave no question where I got to spend my evening...



Three times now in two years I've been rear-ended at the same intersection a half mile from my house, but this is the first time I actually saw an ambulance from the inside over it.

All three times it was someone turning to the right in a right turn lane not watching where they were going, plowing into my stopped car.

Relevance here? I had numerous coins and over $200K worth of National Banknotes in boxes in the back seat because I was headed to the post office to mail all of it away to their owners. Luckily my wife was there (completely uninjured) and got the boxes back home without incident.

The fireman holding my neck brace on from the back seat was sitting right next to them....and didn't know what he was sitting next to. Heh--cool.

People: Make ABSOLUTELY sure you do that double check in front of you before plowing into the gas pedal to turn right into traffic...somebody might still be sitting there waiting for the traffic to pass - like me. I'm tired of being rear ended, this being my fourth (once was across the city) in four years. Not only that, but I've seen another half dozen I wasn't involved in that happened the exact same way...people punching on the gas looking behind them.

Added: Although in quite a bit of pain over the whole thing, I am not seriously injured. Pain killers will help me sleep this evening, and the doc said the pain should go away after a week or so. The car didn't make it out so well...the entire bumper assembly will need replacing.

robertpr

Sue them for a good amount of money, hopefully enough to keep them from behind the wheel of another car. People like that need to be taken off of the street and pay for their stupidity.

I wish you a SPEEDY and full recovery!!

mtnman

Glad you weren't injured any worse than you were. Bet you will be really sore tomorrow.

coppercoins

<< <i>Sue them for a good amount of money, hopefully enough to keep them from behind the wheel of another car. People like that need to be taken off of the street and pay for their stupidity.

I wish you a SPEEDY and full recovery!! >>



Heh...actually I never really thought of that. My main thought was, "how stupid can people be to not be watching in front of them when they are driving..." That and, "I hope she (my wife) gets those boxes back home safely and doesn't let anyone know what's in them." The whole way to the hospital in the ambulance I was thinking about that more so than my injured neck. Luckily she did the right thing...she came straight home and sat here.

The Springfield police were the first on the scene. The officer came to the car and asked how I was and told me not to move. I actually thought about telling him there and then to make sure those boxes and my wife made it back to the house safely.

I'm so happy (and lucky) it was just a really good muscle strain, no breaks. If it had caused any permanent problems I'd probably go into sue mode.

kranky

That sucks but I'm glad it wasn't worse than it was.

Hold off on signing a release until you are sure everything is healed. (But with your prior experiences, you probably already knew that).

coppercoins

Umm...Kranky...your package was one of the ones in the car. I still haven't remailed it. I was going to do that today but was a bit preoccupied on the way to the PO.

As for priors, all the others were love taps - not even enough to damage the car. I didn't even bother with police in any of them. This one was a full-blown crash.

tmot99

Glad to hear you are ok. Expect in the next 2-3 days the pain will increase. I'm guessing that you haven't experienced the worst yet. Glad to hear your packages made it home safely.

LincolnCentMan

At least it was your car that needs the new bumper. It's a lot more difficult to replace your bumper. Sorry to here about the pain.

David

kranky

Geez, don't worry about that package. Take care of yourself.

ozzysdad

Sorry to hear it, C.D., I have a cousin there who is an attorney if you need one, Not to mention, I forgot to tell you I have family there near you in Rogersville, Other cousin is a U.S. Marshall. Glad your going to make it, I think from now on, I'd take the long way home.......

JRocco

Hey Chuck, don't forget to get my MS67 Red 1958 DDO-001 in the mail to me before the pain meds wear off. Only kidding of course and Thank God you and the Mrs. are OK. Take your meds and listen to the MD's so you get better sooner. Talk to you soon my friend-John

coinguy89

Glad to hear that you guys are okay though. Sorry about the car. I know how you feel. I've just started driving and already im experiencing the dumb drivers or those who don't pay attention. I hope it doesn't happen to you again. Four isn't exactally good luck.

ElectricEye

I have headaches almost everyday thanks to an uninsured driver who totalled the car I was a passenger in, winter 2001. My new GM will arrive in Feb. 2005 (special order) to replace the one an uninsured motorist struck last August, 2004. I am considering installing driver and passenger side baseball bats to deal with any potential uninsured motorists in the future.

robertpr

<< <i>I'm so happy (and lucky) it was just a really good muscle strain, no breaks. If it had caused any permanent problems I'd probably go into sue mode. >>



How do you know it hasn't caused any permanent problems? Do it now, before someone else gets killed instead of a pulled muscle.

It really pisses me off that people can get behind the wheel of a car and put their own and other's lives and property at risk because they're not capable of operating the vehicle.

coppercoins

<< <i>I have headaches almost everyday thanks to an uninsured driver who totalled the car I was a passenger in, winter 2001. My new GM will arrive in Feb. 2005 (special order) to replace the one an uninsured motorist struck last August, 2004. I am considering installing driver and passenger side baseball bats to deal with any potential uninsured motorists in the future. >>



Although not a complete cure, Missouri law requires insurance papers before getting a license, getting a car registered, paying personal property taxes, etc. It's almost the state passport, can't do much without proof of insurance. Getting stopped for speeding, etc. and not being able to prove insurance is a $500 penalty for which one must go to court. Uninsured motorists here should be rather rare, I don't know of any. Even the .15 BAT drunkard I helped treat at the scene a couple of years ago had current insurance on his junker '84 Olds.

It's a good thing, considering all the idiots we have here who drive forward while looking behind them. God knows I've had my share of them smack my tailpipe.

Re: the pain....they gave me a shot of good stuff (in the butt) at the ER, so far it's abated most of the pain but has done nothing for the stiffness. I imagine the pain will return by morning....and a good morning for that - my 9th wedding anniversary and the family Christmas get-together are both tomorrow.

Now that I think back on things, it was probably best under the circumstances that only me and my wife know what sat in the back seat. The less people know the better we all are. My wife is a smart lady, so my reminder to her was a "just to make sure" thing. She would have done the right thing regardless.

Now...if it had been more serious and we both ended up in the hospital, who knows what would have happened? Who do you tell and what do you tell them?

Umm, hey you with the stethoscope...I have a couple hundred thousand in rare coins and paper money in the back seat...make sure it stays safe, eh?

coppercoins

<< <i>

<< <i>I'm so happy (and lucky) it was just a really good muscle strain, no breaks. If it had caused any permanent problems I'd probably go into sue mode. >>



How do you know it hasn't caused any permanent problems? Do it now, before someone else gets killed instead of a pulled muscle.

It really pisses me off that people can get behind the wheel of a car and put their own and other's lives and property at risk because they're not capable of operating the vehicle. >>



I believe there is a cap on lawsuits for MVC injury here, something like $10K. I would expect the insurance to settle for no less anyway.

And, BTW, I expect the problems at some level, even if minor, will be quite long lived. I doubt everything will be back to normal in a week.

ER

Sorry to hear about your mishap, CD.

Neptune

glad you are "kind of" OK. I would seriously find another route home.

DesertRat

Hope tomorrow is not too painful. Always hurts the worse afterwards

My 17 yr old niece rear-ended someone today, the car in front of her went to blow through a yellow and changed his mind at the last and slammed on the brakes, she did too and slid into him. Nobody hurt but it is gonna kill her insurance rates.

mgoodm3

Glad to hear that you're OK.

Sphinx357

<< <i>Glad to hear that you're OK. >>

ElectricEye

<< <i>Although not a complete cure, Missouri law requires insurance papers before getting a license, getting a car registered, paying personal property taxes, etc. It's almost the state passport, can't do much without proof of insurance. >>



The People's Republic of California allows people to get "insurance" (often next door to the DMV) certificates that are valid for only a matter of weeks, enough time to register a car. The driver who hit me in August had one of these fly by night insurance certificates (printed on plain paper) but the ins. compnay denied any coverage as he was driving a vehicle not specifically named in the contract. They aren't worth the paper they are printed on and are nothing more than legal loopholes issued to gain renewals on vehicles by uninsured motorists. My insurance company picked up the tab and explained the legal loophole to me after I received a denial letter from his insurance company.

TonedPeaceNut

If it had caused any permanent problems I'd probably go into sue mode.

Get an MRI of your neck. As someone else posted -- the worse is yet to come. Only an MRI will tell you whether there's any permanent damage or not. Muscle stiffness, soreness and headaches will be normal for at least a couple of days - week. If you have any other problems, ie., radiating pain, numbness in the shoulders, upper extremities, facial numbness ect -- there's probably a disc problem and these won't usually go away with time, unless you herniated the disk and if you did, then you'll have even more problems later in life.

Then find the best orth and neuro you can and go into sue mode.


TPN

jonesy

Get well soon.

Conder101

Before you go into sue mode, consider what the person you are sueing has. An uninsured motorist probably has little in the way of seizable assets. So you go to courst and win say a $250,000 judgement. He has nothing so he just ignores the judgement. You will usually find that there is no way you can actually get the judgement out of him, usually the courts will not help you collect, but you still owe your lawyer his 80,000 fee (roughly 1/3rd the judgment). So you have tied up time in court, now owe an $80,000 legal bill (lawyer fees are based on the judgement, not what you're able to collect), and get nothing. Sounds like you are $80,000 worse off than before you went into sue mode.

coppercoins

At the very most I would be bringing the insurance company to court. The lady who hit us appears to be on the poorer versus richer side. She is insured by Shelter, I hope that's a decent company. I don't know, everyone else who has hit me until now was insured by Farmers or Geico. Geesh, my luck...or lack of it. I personally an insured by State Farm, have been since I was a kid.

As for permanent damage, my statement earlier was a mistake. I don't know that this hasn't caused permanent problems. What I was thinking about at the time was paralysis, severe deformation, etc. As it appears on the outside, I was completely unaffected by the wreck. I am quite sore this morning, and have had about four discomforted hours of sleep, and feel quite nauseated. Wonderful anniversary. Anyhow, I will be contacting medical staff if not completely better by Christmas Day. Consults, test, examinations, whatever it takes. I now know what it feels like to be a complete victim. I feel like death warmed over and did absolutely nothing to be this way.

Believe me, at the very least the lady's insurance will cover every nickel of the medical bills and will cover having the car fixed to like-new condition. We could easily be looking at suffering as well.

Oh...and as for finding a different way out of the neighborhood - there are certain things I have to do and need to get to where that intersection is the only way through. There are other things for which that intersection is a choice. Where it's a choice I will definitely avoid it. I do also intend on calling the local news agencies to let them know that yesterday was the third time I have been rear-ended at THAT intersection and see if they'll mention something en-masse to the idiots over the news. Something like "dangerous intersection," or "watch ahead of you when you're driving." Something to grab people's attention for at least a few days.

Boom

CD, I'm glad you're still with us. This is a very sobering reminder of how suddenly and sometimes permanently a life can be altered. Now, as for a regular MD saying you'll be better in a week tell him to put his money where his mouth is and to stop patronizing you. You're gonna hurt more today but I tell you here and now, the 3rd day will be the worst. That day is the portent of what is to be.

You say this was a full blown rear ender of a CRASH. People take the word Whiplash way too lightly. By the 3rd day your neck and shoulder will hurt like hell and you're going to have seering, burning headaches. You'll notice numbness in your arms (radiculitis) and slowly buy surely you'll start losing strength in them and notice that you drop things much more than ever before. Get used to sleeping in a recliner as eventually waking from sleep from a prone position will be very displeasing.

Having Pain wake you every day and headaches the second your eyes open sure gets old. You want a CT scan of your brain, an MRI and eventually you'll find you're short tempered due to this Pain that never goes away brought on needlessly because someone was driving like an idiot. You do as the other member ( forgot the Name) said. As soon as it is made, you want a copy of the accident report and then go out and find the nastiest lawyer you can find. I'm sorry this happened to you. I wouldn't wish this on anyone but you just do as ole B00M tells you, ya hear. You're gonna need testing and imagery and before it's over you will need an attorney.

I hope for a speedy recovery but from what you've said and what I know, sincerely, I don't see it happening. At about what speed would you estimate the other driver was moving at the point of impact and did you see it coming at all? At the very least this person is 100% liable (at fault) here. There is no shared liability. You did nothing wrong. Just thank God you and the Mrs are alive. BTW, you mentioned that she's OK....I doubt it. Think about it. I'll keep you in my prayers.

Neptune

3 points -

I let my friend drive my VW bug when I was a teen, and she flipped it. My back and neck hurt for awhile but I healed fine ........ I thought. Today - 37 yrs. later, I have horrible neck pain and constant headaches. Whether this is the cause, or not, I do not know. Never even thought about that until just now while reading this thread. Just thought I would mention it.

Some insurance companies offer uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage - I have it. It's possible you may have it on your policy?

Last point. We have Progressive - a good company - as far as I am concerned, and they let me print my insurance coverage "card"/info from their website ....... on plain paper. I know, because I have done this before when I needed to get plates, and couldn't locate the original.

Sorry your pre-holiday days spent like this. Maybe a 4th point would be to contact DPS and any other law enforcement regarding traffic in your area. This place evidently is in need of some heavy Feng Shui changes. Some places are 'poison arrows' to some people. When I mentioned avoiding this place, I was not kidding at all.

Just out of curiosity - has each accident been more and more severe - or not? What about time of day - sunlight? darkness? other factors?

Take care and may as well relax a bit - since you don't have a choice.

Boom

Yes Neptune, I tell you without any doubt that THAT day is causing you pain today.

CD, I have the same insurance company that you do. Call your agen, or check your policy. I have med pay that regardless whether the other driver is insured or not, my insurance company picks up like the first $5000 so I can at least go to the Hospital

and get checked out or even stay if necessary. Expect to hear from her agent soon. He may even try to settle. He is NOT your friend. He works for the other insurance company and will try to pay you off as soon as possible. DON'T DO IT! Another thing, if

you're not in the Hospital, call your doctor and start screaming for pain killers and muscle relaxers NOW for your tension in your neck and shoulders. Conventional MD's are not sympathetic to pain. If they don't see blood and guts and broken bones, you're OK....WRONG!

MPeter

Somebody tell me why this pity story is on a coin forum? This sounds to me like a poor attempt for this guy to brag that he had a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of coins in his car. I read through the posts and question the story just a bit. You were on your way to the Post Office with several hundred thousand dollars worth of coins late on a Friday afternoon during Christmas season? .....and picking up the same amount in a sealed vault! You then were rear ended at the same intersection that you've been in three other accidents before......all of which were females and one was an uninsured drunkard which you helped treat at the scene. It was a full-blown crash, your wife was uninjured and you didn't lose consciousness, but you were close. The fireman put a neck brace on you and rushed you to the hospital where you got a shot in the butt for the pain. During this whole time, your wife got home safely with the coins and sat there with them instead of going to the hospital with her near unconscious husband with a possible broken neck, because at the time you didn't know how serious it was. It's just a good muscle strain, you're in quite a bit of pain over the whole thing and it sent you to the hospital for a couple of hours. Now you feel like calling the news and letting them know that you had all these accidents at the same intersection so they can warn other people about it. I looked at your hospital bracelet which they pretty much put on you when you first arrive. (Why a photo of it anyway, were you feeling a bit guilty and thought an image might make your story a bit more believeable?) If your wife went home and sat with the coins, how did you get home? Your bracelet has a time of around 5:00pm, you were close to unconsciousness and in a great deal of pain and spent a couple hours in the hospital, yet you were already posting your story for all to read around 7:15pm. Sorry, that just doesn't make any sense to me. I won't even question sitting in front of a computer (worst thing possible after a neck injury) right after getting home from the hospital. Now before everyone blasts me, it's a car accident story on a coin forum, so he opened himself up for something like this. If you don't want to hear it, don't post it here!

MPeter

I almost forgot, have fun on your Wedding Anniversary and Christmas party that both happen to be today!

CarsonCityGold

As an insurance agent with one of the big 3 here in Texas, I just love reading this post. I certainly hope that your injuries turn out to be minor and definately not long term. Please keep in mind that in most states there are "limits" of liability, monetarilly, (referring to the other parties policy in this case) that apply to a policy. In Texas the state minimun limits are termed 20/40/15. In English, the policy would pay up to $20K bodily injury per person, $40K bodily injury per incident (you hurt more than 1 person), and $15K property damage. Doesn't take much of an accident to exceed the limits if someone is carrying state minimums. If you exceed the other parties limits then you start collecting on your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (if you have it). In the state of Texas the average at any given time that 1 out of 4 is driving without coverage. I see them everyday. They come in to my office, pay the minimun down payment, get their insurance card and I never see them again. The laws need to have some teeth in them!! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!! - Later, CCG

100proof1957

Chuck,

The real pain may not manifest itself for 10 days or so if you have a neck injury.

See if your insurance or theres for that matter will cover an MRI.

I lived in severe pain for months from a herniated disc in my neck.

coppercoins

1. The impact was between 15 and 20 MPH judging the damage on the car and the sound of the impact.

2. That my wife isn't apparently injured is a good thing to say the least. Why....who knows?

3. The drunkard thing was a completely different thing in a completely different place. Only relevance was that he did have insurance. Mpeter, you need to learn how to read.

4. I have a high back chair at the computer, and it hurt to lay down. I could sit and pick my nose, but I'd rather do something productive.

5. It may be mere concidence that all of the drivers that rear ended me were female....but it's a fact.

6. I don't think I need to brag about having valuables in my car when they aren't mine and I clearly stated that.

7. I believe Mpeter to be a troll.

8. I mentioned the entire story for two reasons:

a. Some of the packages I needed to mail were forum members' packages.
b. I wanted to know what should have been done with the valuables if the story had been slightly different.

So yes, the thread is coin related.

9. I don't believe this is a pity story either. I didn't ask people to give well wishes, that was their choice. Obviously someone (Mpeter) is feeling a bit jealous. Well, Mrpeter, I wish you a speedy recovery too.

10. Exactly why my wife didn't come to the hospital with me is quite clear when you hear the full story and can comprehend English. We were hit a half mile from the house. She went home and called a friend who lives right next to my son's school. He picked up the kid and called my mother who volunteered to go to the hospital to be with me. My wife had just been jolted by a wreck. She didn't need to be driving.

11. And so what if I nearly lost consciousness? Is that something to blame me for?

12. I believe Mpeter to be a troll. Did I already say that?

13. Self employed people often have to work through holidays. What in the hell is wrong with going to the post office on Friday afternoon??

14. Actually the fireman didn't rush me to the hospital. Nobody did. An ambulance came and drove me at normal speed to the hospital (without lights and sirens).

15. I never had any accidents. They were wrecks. If people paid attention to what they were doing at the wheel, none of them would have happened. That's the point in talking to the news agency about it. We have five stations that cater to 200,000 people. They have time for stories about siding on houses, why not traffic safety?

16. The photo of the bracelet wasn't out of guilt. I don't know where that comes from.

17. The wreck was around 4:20 or 4:30. It took fifteen minutes for the ambulance to get there and another ten to fifteen to drive me to the hospital. It was obvious from the start that it wasn't life threatening so there was no huge rush.

18. I was and still am in pain. I can bear it. I am not going to lie down completely incapacitated when the lower three fourths of my body feel fine, and did from the start. Once I found out that my neck wasn't seriously injured I sat up and got off the gurney. Anyone who knows anything about neck injuries knows they can be among the most serious of all injuries. I didn't want to take chances by acting tough. I let the others do their jobs to check me out. Once I checked okay, I got up. No miracle. Dope does wonderful things.

19. It's not a "car accident story" - there was no accident in the first place, and I made it abundantly clear that I was asking about the valuables and what I should have done with them if the crash was more serious. It didn't come out clearly, so I stated it in another thread more clearly. Dope does wonderful things.

20. I believe Mpeter to be a troll. Now I'm sure I already said that.

21. I don't have a 21, but I like blackjack.

kieferscoins

Forget Mr. Peter coppercoins. Don't watse your time with him.

Cameron Kiefer

INXS

Neck trauma is funny sometimes the real pain doesnt come on until years later. IMO check with your orthopedic surgeon and see if there is a chance of future problems and then sue accordingly. Glad you and your passenger(s) are alright.

coppercoins

<< <i>Neck trauma is funny sometimes the real pain doesnt come on until years later. IMO check with your orthopedic surgeon and see if there is a chance of future problems and then sue accordingly. Glad you and your passenger(s) are alright. >>



Hi Inxs...I was the passenger. The only one. Thanks.

Boom

I must admit, the first time I read Mr. Peter's post I thought he was being kind of cold hearted but what he says is true. This is posted in completely the wrong forum. I guess CD feels at home here amongst friends and just wanted to share with us what transpired. The insurance agent is right as well. If wrecks transpire on a regular basis at this particular intersection (there are a couple like that here) pretty soon it might be the City, County or State getting sued.

Don't scoff. There is an attorney here that tore the State a new behind because of the way the these metal barriers (that isn't the right word...I can't remember what you call them at the moment) that we all see on the interstate as you go under an overpass are designed, beginning at a low height, gradually inreasing in height, in effect acting like the props they use in Tinsletown when they want a car to do an airborne rollover. Man, I'm sorry if I butchered that but it's been a long night with no sleep.

He proved that this type of barrier, the way it is designed, caused his client to do just that, landing upside down on the roof of the car, thereby killing him. In fact, he did a study and found this design to have been the cause of many similar accidents.

Man, talk about OT! Sorry.

INXS

<< <i>

<< <i>Neck trauma is funny sometimes the real pain doesnt come on until years later. IMO check with your orthopedic surgeon and see if there is a chance of future problems and then sue accordingly. Glad you and your passenger(s) are alright. >>



Hi Inxs...I was the passenger. The only one. Thanks. >>



Meant to say your "pa$$enger$"

66Tbird

Glad to hear your OK. I also was rear ended on May 20 this year. Night of my fathers funeral of all nights. I was hit by an illegal, underage, uninsured, stoned idiot. It totaled my specialty van and injured my girlfriend for life. He got off. They let him go, and back across the border he and his family went. BTW how does someone get into a $120,000 home for $800 and no payments? That's what they did and they had nothing to lose.

DON"T drive a nice car in Phoenix AZ.

Boom

<< <i> how does someone get into a $120,000 home for $800 and no payments? >>



Not touching that, no way, no how! I don't want the Govt running thru here because of the Patriot Act. UH-UH!

roadrunner

Glad to hear you're alright. 4 accidents at the same intersection? I think I would alter something in my daily routine to eliminate the risk altogether.

roadrunner

Scavenger

I had heard that Springfield, Missouri was booming as far as the housing market. I guess the traffic and the housing go hand in hand.

tmot99

MPeter, CD is a well respected member of this forum. In all actuallity, yes this does belong in another forum. However, I, for one am glad that CD let us know what happened and that he is ok. One thing people tend to forget, including the moderators, is that these forums are comprised of a group of friends. Many of us have never met, but we have a friendship between us. One of the things that brings us together as friends is the love of US Coins. Therefore, this thread IS relavent and should be posted.

Even if a thread isn't coin related, doesn't mean that it shouldn't be posted here. If I start a thread stating Merry Christmas to my friends, that should be ok.

Again, CD, glad to hear you and the Mrs. are ok.

eddyemack

Hi Chuck:
The money and coins in the back seat is chump change compared to litigating your case. You'll never be able to drive that way again because of the recurring nightmares. Make sure all your friends see you with that neck brace. I'm just kidding but I know exactly what you mean. Be glad it wasn't worse. But you always can sue !!!!!!!!!!

eddye

GO STEELERS

dan1ecu

I'm glad you're all right, Chuck. That's got to be traumatic to go through all of that.

Dan