Car wreck...

[Jake P]

SLAM! Ran into the back of a van being driven by a dodge dealership employee yesterday evening on my way home from work. No ABS+ wet roads from a new rain and being in serious need of new tires= disaster. It was only a matter of time.

Not to mention it could not have happened at a worse time and im not just being dramatic. I cant even begin to explain the situation. On a good note, my son and wife were not in the car thank god. My neck is hurtin pretty good and i have a few bruises but im fine. Back to work tomorrow with as much OT as possible to build up the bank account from almost a $0 balance. Story of my life so far haha. Strictly cosmetic damage but alot of it. For a tiny Toyota Yaris it held up very well. Now if i can just get my wife to stop reminding me i wrecked her car  .

Got a ballpark estimate from a friend/ mechanic. He said "2-3 g's". Ouch. Anyways..... Drive safely boys and girls!!!!

[Hook Set]

That sucks, but, glad you lived to tell about it!

[Big Tom]

It could have been much worse and I am glad you made it out ok.

Good luck getting everything sorted out.

[Glenn]

2-3G's?  Oh, so you put a hairline scratch in the paint, eh? 

Ya, car repairs are ridiculously expensive, but at least they can be repaired.  People sometimes don't fare as well, so I'm glad to hear everyone's alright.

[grimlin]

Ouch...that sucks....

[okiefisher8]

I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you made it out ok

[SirSnookalot]

Cars are made to disintegrate around you absorbing the energy of the impact and less damage to the cockpit, resulting in a more expensive repair.  Older cars seemed to get only a scratch but personal injury was much greater.  Cars are so much safer and energy efficient today.  "Bump work" is becoming a thing of the past, today it is part replacement.  It doesn't really make a difference how much the repair is, you are only responsible for the deductible.

[Sam]

First, so glad you are OK.

Second, you may want to transfer your pure loss exposures to a professional risk taker, allowing you to assume a smaller portion of any pure risk loss.

In other words, get some comp and collision on the car. 

[Grey Wolf]

No insurance ?????????????????

[Jake P]

No insurance ?????????????????

Bingo. Yeah i know trust me i have heard it from every family member, friend and co worker. I know it doesnt justify not having insurance but time is a big factor in the rerason why the car was not insured. My wife and i share one car and work opposite schedules and have a 6 month old son with various baby sitters so getting anything done is not impossible but close to it.

I work on average 95- 104 hours every 2 weeks and my wife works her fair shair as well. We actually had planned on getting coverage re-newed monday of next week after the policy ran out a little over 3 weeks ago. Probably the worst mistake we have ever made and were paying for it big time. Another lesson learned the hard way  :-[

[Dan:]

Isn't insurance required in Texas?

[SirSnookalot]

Not familiar with Texas but most states require pl & pd only, property damage and liability.  Comprehensive and collision insurance is not required, those are the options to have ones own vehicle covered, deductible usually waived if not at fault (collision).  Plates are purchased for a 1 year period, pl & pd needed, but many insurance polices are bought on a 6 month term.  When payments are stopped by customer or not renewed at the 6 month period, voila, no insurance coverage.  Many polices do have a 10 day grace for late payments.

[Sam]

Each state has laws regarding the minimum limits for auto bodily injury and property damage liability limits and uninsured/underinsured motorist and PIP limits are usually included.

As for the pure loss exposure you face with your real and personal property, there are six ways to handle the exposure:

1.  Avoid it - Park car in garage and leave it there so it will not be damaged.

2.  Reduce it - Drive only between 3 & 4 in the AM around the block.

3.  Eliminate it - Don't own a car.

4.  Transfer by Contract - Via a rich aunt or uncle who agrees to pay for any damages to the vehicle.

5.  Transfer it to an Insurance Carrier - Pay the premium, accept the deductible, and let the insurance company handle any claims.

6.  Assume it - You pay for all damages out of your funds.

We all make choices depending on the pure risk we face and our pocketbook.

If one assumes the pure risk exposure then one pays for the damages.

If one decides to transfer the risk to a professional risk taker than one accepts the unilateral contract of adhesion (insurance policy) along with all terms and conditions and assumes the small deductible per claim.

Its really very simple and we all do this all day long without knowing it.

Same goes for boat, home, jewelry, guns, cameras, watches, video equipment, cell phones, computers, fishing equipment, etc.

Just be sure to have limits of at least the state mandated level and if you hit a doctor or other professional or a school bus you will be on the hook for the uncovered damages.

Remember, going to a $1,000,000 Combined Single Limit on your car or watercraft is not that expensive so I suggest everyone get a quote. 

[Stasher1]

Just be sure to have limits of at least the state mandated level and if you hit a doctor or other professional or a school bus you will be on the hook for the uncovered damages.

I have spoken to some agents who flat out refuse to write policies for state mandated minimum coverage. The minimums are a joke, and in some areas the odds of you running into an expensive car and exceeding the limits of "minimum coverage" are just too great to risk.

[K_Mac]

Jake_P I sure hope things work out for you. Sounds like no one was seriously hurt. That is a blessing.

Most of us have done stupid things for a variety of reasons, both good and bad. Not having time to buy insurance is not one a judge is going to accept. I do understand struggling to keep all the plates in the air...been there. Good luck man.

[1inStripes]

I got ran into at a red light yesterday myself by a coworker.  Luckily he was just behind me waiting for the light to turn green and saw the arrow and people start pulling out beside of us.  Unfortunately, the lane we were in does not turn left.  Luckily it just barely moved my rear bumper and the ball on my bumper made an impression on his Toyota's bumper so we are no worse for the wear. 

[Grey Wolf]

No insurance ?????????????????

Bingo. Yeah i know trust me i have heard it from every family member, friend and co worker. I know it doesnt justify not having insurance but time is a big factor in the rerason why the car was not insured. My wife and i share one car and work opposite schedules and have a 6 month old son with various baby sitters so getting anything done is not impossible but close to it.

I work on average 95- 104 hours every 2 weeks and my wife works her fair shair as well. We actually had planned on getting coverage re-newed monday of next week after the policy ran out a little over 3 weeks ago. Probably the worst mistake we have ever made and were paying for it big time. Another lesson learned the hard way :-[

I guess this is why I have to pay for "uninsured motorist" in my policy. Your license gets suspended here in ohio if you don't have insurance.

[Jake P]

If the police had been called and found out i was not insured my car would have been immediately towed to an impound. In Texas (not sure anywhere else) it is mandatory to have full coverage on any vehicle you do not own. If you own the vehicle, only liability is required. But since i wrote a statement addmitting fault the gentlemen decided not to call the police. I talked to a manager at the dealership who informed me that taking legal procedure would not help either one of us since it would cost more for him to pursue this legally than to just fix the problem himself at his dealership.

However, we did come to an agreement and i got lucky. He said that he would do his best to get the sitaution cleared up with no problems and if "corporate" wants to take other measures he said he will try and work me the same deal his employees get when they have car damage. Just have to wait on the phone call.