I'm sick and tired of people not taking responsibility for their actions!!!!

Swede958

Founding Member
Dec 17, 2001
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Austin, TX
Warning- Swedish Size Rant

I am sick and tired of people not taking responsibility for their actions!! On Saturday I was coming home from dropping off some oil at work and traveling in the left lane of a 3 lane road. I come within a half/quarter block of the light to turn to my house and from out of nowhere this young girl and her mom jump in front of me and I T-bone them in the rear driver door.
Circumstances:
1. Middle and right lanes backed up, I could not see any hole for anyone to get out.
2. THe driver was 15 years old with her mother in the car. Very inexperienced in a high traffic area.
3. Supposedly they got waved forward and drove across the equivalent of 3 lanes of traffic without being able to see oncoming cars.
4. I was about 30-40' away going 35mph (limit is 45)
5. Skid marks my tires left when I breaked were about 20ft. long
6. She was in an 89 Benz boat, and even after hitting her in my 94 spirit my car was drivable with no leaks. So I couldn't have hit her extremely hard.
7. Even the officer who wrote the report claimed that I had the right of way.
8. First thing the mom says when she gets out of the car is "I was driving", not Are You Ok, she just tried to protect her daughter so that they wouldn't be in trouble.

Now, after all that I talked to my insurance company and find out that they are filing claim saying that i was speeding, even though nothing in the police report says anything about me speeding, but does claim that they failed to yeild. I'm jus so mad right now that they aren't willing to take responsibility for their part of the accident I could scream. I've been in an accident before that was my fault- and I took responsibility for it. Why can't these people!>!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

ENd Swedish Rant

THe Swede
 
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You're home free if they were cited for failure to yeild. My peev is parents letting there kids stay up late, then come into school the next day chewing the teachers ass for their kid failing the test.
 
I would be happier if she was actually cited, but the police report says nothing- just gives failure to yeild on her part for the cause of the accident. I'm gonna call their insurance agent after my history class and give him the real account of the accident...

The Swede
 
Yeah, that sux dude, but if the Police wrote you being in the right of way, and the mechanics of the wreck are as you explained, with them moving into a forward lane of travel causing a T type collision , your as safe as a newborn kitten.
 
Well, got some updates on the car situation...

I took the car into my insurance company's upraisal place today- looks like the car is worth about $2350, and the damages are about $2700. State Farm- other people's insurance- left a message on my cell phone saying that they wanted to total the car...

Now, just for kicks I called a salvage yard near my house. They want $60 for each fender, $100 for the hood, $50 each of the the headlight housings, and $150 for the radiator core support. I forgot to ask about the bumper or steering wheel (airbag)... but I'd say we could get everything for maybe like $700 or so...

I'm not sure where to go from here. The car runs fine- and we had the tranny rebuilt about 2000 mi. ago, maintainence is all up on it, should we keep it, take the money and repair it ourselves? Or just scrap it and take the money as return? Just looking for some advice

Thanks,
The Swede
 
you should be able to buy the car back from the ins company for salvage value, which is very low. i would buy it back and fix it if i was you. You could always just turn around and sell the car after you fix it... you will be money ahead no matter what you do, i would think.

- Jason
 
Be careful. Frame damage may not be seen when first checking the damage. When someone (no license and no insurance) hit my Camaro I had the insurance body shop check it out. $6K plus in damages! It was just the left front corner that got crumpled, but they showed me where the frame had buckled under the battery tray.
 
Same thing happened to my daughter in her brand new (2 months) Firebird a few years ago. Police call it a "courtesy" wreck because people waved the offending car through a hole but he couldn't see oncoming. I have had people wave me through holes the same way then get offended when I won't go. No matter who is waving you in, don't go where you can't see.

Your speed is irrelevant - the failure to yield is the cause of the wreck (and it damn sure wasn't an "accident"!!)

Then a year later she was rear-ended because she stopped at a stopsign. Sheesh!!! Driver told the cop "I didn't think she was going to stop!"
 
Actually, the people who waved her through could be held liable. Did they stay as witnesses? I was on a jury where that was discussed. From then on, I don't leave a hole for anyone and never wave any one on. Even at a 4-way stop whne I am unsure who got there first.
 
65conv50 said:
Same thing happened to my daughter in her brand new (2 months) Firebird a few years ago. Police call it a "courtesy" wreck because people waved the offending car through a hole but he couldn't see oncoming. I have had people wave me through holes the same way then get offended when I won't go. No matter who is waving you in, don't go where you can't see.

Your speed is irrelevant - the failure to yield is the cause of the wreck (and it damn sure wasn't an "accident"!!)

Then a year later she was rear-ended because she stopped at a stopsign. Sheesh!!! Driver told the cop "I didn't think she was going to stop!"

You're absolutely right, never wave anyone through an intersection! I'll just sit there until they move. As for stopping, that is a big problem. I think most people interpert it as Slow To Offensive Position :nonono: .
 
2nd Mustang said:
You're absolutely right, never wave anyone through an intersection! I'll just sit there until they move. As for stopping, that is a big problem. I think most people interpert it as Slow To Offensive Position :nonono: .

I did a count a while back. Almost 90% of people will run a stopsign if nothing is coming. And they are even worse on "turn right on red" which requires a complete stop first (by law and common sense). Most folks just breeze through, many don't even slow..

I've driven in 42 states, and most are the same.

STOP used to stand for Slide Tires On Pavement. (Or when I was in high school "Smooch Till Others Pass"!)
 
Hey Swede, sorry to hear about the wreck.

I just had one about a month ago myself and I am still dealing with the insurace companies. I was on the highway about 12:30am on a Saturday night in my DD (93 Geo prizim) and was coming up over a bridge where the road splits (by downtown Dallas) in the left lane and came upon traffic and had to stop. When I did I was rearended by a 2001 Dodge neon, which spun me around on the highway and into the wall. I looked in my rearview to see if the other car was around and the driver was not stopping. So I jammed my little car in reverse and spun back around and gave chase dragging my muffler the whole way. I was able to get behind her and started flashing my lights and honking my horn but she just kept trying to change lanes and get away (in traffic). During this time I am on the phone with 911 trying to report the accident and the fleeing driver but got the message that all operators were busy and to "please hold." Now granted this was not an injury accident but if it was and I was bleeding out I would have had to hold. Anyway after about a mile of cat & mouse her car started to overheat (steam coming out of the hood) and she exited and her car died. I pulled a safe distance behind her (at this time I didnt know it was a girl all I could see was two people in the car) just as we pulled in the 911 operator came on and I sat in the car and gave the report and the car's info to them. They ask me to stay on the line since the other driver had still not gotten out. After a few minutes the girl and her friend got out so I got out to talk to them. As I walked up to them (still talking with the operator) the girls started saying that they couldnt stay around because they had warrants and needed to go right now. The operator hearing this said I am relaying that information to the officer responding please ask the driver to stay which I did. The operator then hung up with me and the girl's proceded to attempt to leave and I again told them not to go and that the operator heard what they said. Then the driver handed me an insurance card (that was expired) and said take what ever info I needed but they were leaving. So in an attempt to make them stay longer I got a piece of paper and wrote down all the info SLOWLY, then just as I was finishing up she grabbed the ins card and said they were leaving. They jumped in the car and after a couple tries it finally started, they made it about 200 yards or so before it died again. At this point I am just standing next to my car watching as they get out and push the car about another 150-200 yards into an entry of a parking lot and start running off on foot. About 30 minutes later (45 or so form when the accident actually occured). the officer arrived on scene. After explaining what happened, the officer asked where the other car went and I pointed to to the car sitting a little ways away. He then I asked me to pull down by the car so he could block it in incase they came back. After 20 min or so her parents showed up (the car's actual owner) and tried to tell the officer that their daughter coudlnt get signal on her phone so she left to get signal, which was a lie because she had been on the phone talking while I was writting her information down. The officer then told them that I was filing hit & run charges against her and the car would be impounded. About 10 min later she came walking back up to her parents and gave her story to the police. She told him that she hit me and then was hit by a truck in the rear (who also kept going). Now there was damage to the rear of her car but nothing was broke and it coudl have been done months ago and I never saw this ghost truck. To make a long story short the cop filled out his paperwork, towed the car the girl/parents left and I had a buddy come down with some tools so we could push my exhaust up enough to drive it home and at about 2:30am I get home. Sice then her ins company denied to pay the claim and stated that the girl was hit by this ghost truck and driven into me (which contridicts what she told the cop). My insurance company says it was her fault but they wont fight it for me I will have to get an attorney if I want them to pay. One good thing is that I have uninsured motorist on my car and they will take care of it on that and not fault me for it. But I have still went and got a copy of the police report where it states that she hit me then was struck by "vehicle #3." So I may decied to take them to court just for pure principal.

That long story was told to basically tell you that they totaled my Geo (value 2600-depreciation, damage 3700). So they ended up cutting me a check yesterday for 1450 after depreciation, detuctable(250) and buying it back for salvage (175). Also i am selling the car to a girl at work who needs basic transportation for 600. Not bad for a car I only paid 1000 for last year and have done only basic upkeep on. I was planning on getting a new truck anyway so this just helped me along .
BTW - most ins companies will total if the damages exceede 70% of value

so my advice is - take the money, keep the car and never buy a Dodge neon because I totaled one (yes her's was totaled) with a geo prizim and the Geo has little "visible damage" and I have been driving it everyday since the accident with no problems.
 
steelhorse said:
Hey Swede, sorry to hear about the wreck.

I just had one about a month ago myself and I am still dealing with the insurace companies..

(Blah blah, blah bah, blahblahblahblahblahBLAH!)



The REAL reason insurance was giving you grief is because they can't believe a peanut can drive! :lol:


Seriously, though; I feel for you guys..... Years back, a month before 1/2 NoKitten was born, I was driving across Tucson to pick up my wife at the "baby doctor's"; started to make a lane change out of a long line of traffic when the car that had been coming up behind me haulin' a$$ swapped lanes as well :eek: She had been about to rear-end me at (the cops estimated) 75-80MPH (I was going about 30); so I was both trying to get into the fast lane and get out of her way! I'm almost completely in the fast lane (and yes, my turn signal was on) when she caught me right at the driver's rear tire and our little 5-month-old :bang: Tempo is being shoved sideways by a kamikaze Prelude! Fotunately, she was already being tailed by a Deputy Sherrif (the guy that estimated 75-80 in a 50 zone). Her parents' insurance and lawyer came after me for "trying to cut her off"; but Pima County's ticket(s) and witness statements proved otherwise. Before it was over with, the lawyer I got to cover myself actually snagged legal fees and and a little extra for me as well :nice:

I think the part that shot the girl down was the fact that it was her sister's Prelude.... she'd brought her own Celica to a stop somewhere in the middle of an Oldsmobile at El Con Mall just two days before. :nonono:





Still Dreamin'
 
I'm just really tired of people trying to thing 'me me me' we all should be thinking 'right thing right thing right thing'. I've relooked the body over and decided i can keep the fenders and just bend out the parts that are bent. The hood however may be toast. And luckily, the radiator core support seems to be bolted in. That's groovy news.

Well, everyone be safe, no wave-throughs, and happy driving

The Swede

P.S.: The good thing is i'm driving the stang more now, lots of highway driving lately, just cruising at about 80. Lotta fun. Gimme a stick and some Scat seats and I'd be as happy as well, a Swede at a smorgasbord :)