Nothing worse then being hit by an idiot with no insurance..

Chris · 04-27-2005, 08:42 PM

So, today, driving through downtown KC, we're stopped at a red light. Behind me I hear a "EEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!" brakes screaming.. look in my rear view mirror. Shit. The car right behind me gets rear ended bigtime, smashed flat in the back, airbags deployed, etc. she gets flung into me, which busts my rear bumper, throws me a lane and a half into the sidewalk at 13th & Broadway.

Damnit!

So, I immediately feel terrible, primarily because I was eating when I got hit (well, not really, drinking a milk) so I throw up all over, and sit back while paramedics run to the scene and go through everything. The accident is bad enough that bystanders hang around to relay to the cops what happened (a gigantic perk)

The girl behind me is visibly shaken up, her very nice car is now virtually wiped out. She's livid. I'm still feeling shaky so I hang out with the paramedics while they test me over.. I get out, the police officer asks for my insurance and my drivers licence (no problem). I talk to the girl right behind me to make sure she's OK.

Luckily she is OK, though she's also really shaken up. The girl behind us, we're told, started screaming that she couldn't stop, etc. etc.

Enough bystanders point out she raced through a light to catch it from Orange into a red and that's how she slammed into her. She admitted in the end to basically doing 50/30 going into a light (where we were all stopped).

The officer on the scene immediately rules her at fault, and asks to get statements from us, although he has five bystander statements as well. He tells us "hold on, another officer will be with you"

Great. Another officer comes to us and breaks it down: this is a felony accident. The girl who hit us may have been enjoying the day a bit too much, had a suspended license and... no insurance.

Goddamnit.

Completely pisses me off. I call my insurance company who thankfully tells me that since I was not at fault, they will not hold it against my policy, which is a perk.

The officer tells us that because it is a felony accident (no drivers license, no insurance, possible alcohol) we will be subpeoned to appear in court, and tells us "of course, you'll get a settlement against her.."

Yeah, right. If the girl doesn't have enough to pay insurance, how much money is she going to have to pay up? Can't get blood from a turnip.

Carl Johnson · 04-27-2005, 09:14 PM

Is driving on a suspended license without insurance a felony or was the cop referring to the possibility that alcohol was involved?

Chris · 04-27-2005, 09:30 PM

I think driving without a license and insurance is like a class-C felony; but if she ends up testing for alcohol, it bumps it way up the chart.

Philip_G · 04-27-2005, 09:40 PM

:mad: bastards.
I only carry liability on my cars, so I'd be royally screwed.

Joel...Lane · 04-27-2005, 10:20 PM

Car accidents SUCK! Especially when they're not your fault.

Glad to hear you're okay though. Hey, any accident you can walk away from....

I remember a long time ago we were sitting on a two lane road in stopped traffic cause they were doing construction on a bridge. Well, this cement mixer comes barrelling around the corner from the other direction, can't stop in time and crushes the unlucky car at the end of the line. The car was flattened up to the front seats! Luckily no one was in the back.

I don't do it all the time, but I try to leave at least a car length between me and the car in front of me whenever I'm stopped just in case I need to swerve out of the way quickly.

Did she get arrested?

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Robert_Z · 04-27-2005, 10:29 PM

There is something worse than being hit by an idiot with no insurance, and that is all of us clones being forced by law to buy car insurance whether we want it or not.

We pay month after stinking month, and when we finally file a claim, it is either denied, or we get jacked during the next billing period. Sounds like a no-risk money-making venture for the insurance industry. Their lobbyists must be smooth talkers.

Chris · 04-27-2005, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Did she get arrested?

Yes, she was arrested on the scene.

Julian Reville · 04-28-2005, 07:34 AM

Yes, there are some things that are worse:

Being hit by an guy smart enough to have FAKE insurance and having the cop being DUMB enough to let him go.

That's what happened to me 6 months after I bought my first new car; rear-ended just like you while stopped at a red light.

The cop let the guy go without even a ticket!! Later they discover (through my insurance company) that the guys insurance info was bogus. They (of course) are "still looking for the guy". Right. I'm out a $500 deductible and my brand new car loses $10,000 in street value, so that helps a lot.

John Spencer · 04-28-2005, 08:53 AM

Robert, insurance is a pain, but a necessary one. The only people who can't afford insurance are those who are more of a risk on the road. If you have a good driving record and few to no accidents, insurance is not that expensive. And if you have a company that turns you down (though we know not what for), you can always change companies. That's the great part about being a customer.

I'm glad it's a felony to not have insurance, for just the reasons Chris stated. Although it's not supposed to be lawful for your insurance to go up when you're the victim of an uninsured motorist, it's still quite inconvenient. And if you can't afford even Safe Auto's crap-like liability coverage, you ought not be driving. Driving is a privilege, not a right.