Bad Thanksgiving Day........

[quickesst]

My wife just got a new car {20006 Nissan Altima} heading to the family get-together and a truck hydroplanes into our lane. Car is a total loss and if we're lucky, enough to pay the car off. Wife was hurt pretty badly, and they had to use the jaws of life to get her out. So here we sit, no car for her, and a truck that doesn't have a driver side window. The other driver has the "fly by night" Geico insurance so we're going to our very reliable State Farm on Monday to get their opinion. Just saying, if you pay your insurance and some dumb fuck who doesn't understand that light trucks are not stable on wet roads, crosses the line and destroys your car, that insurance company should pay off your car and provide funds to buy a comparable model. She'll get lost wages regardless, but I'm wondering if a small claims court should be implemented against the other driver who was ticketed for reckless use of a vehicle for pain and suffering, which we both are expreiencing, hers to a much greater degree. She will be unable to work{RN home health care for a three year old girl parylyzed from the neck down for probably two weeks at the most} We're kind of at a loss as to what action to take, but will talk to our State Farm rep who we've been with for at least thirty years and get their opinion. Any advice would be welcome. Hope your thanksgiving dinner was better than ours. With the severity of the crash, I have to say the Altima did it's job magnificently. Had many comments from police to ambulance personell state the same. At least my son isn't picking out our caskets now. Maybe Christmas will turn out better. Thanks.
quickesst

[snailly]

1. I feel for you, brother. You need to take care of your wife now

Get off the internet and care for your family.

[quickesst]

3. Thanks....

....She's resting comfortably in bed right now. Feels a little better, and hopefully will improve quickly. She's strong-willed, and if she needs me she just pushes a button and I'm there. Our son and daughter-in-law have been a great comfort and help for us. Thanks again for your concern.
quickesst

[quickesst]

7. Sorry, but....

...I take kind of an offense at your suggestion that my posting our situation on the internet suggests that I'm not taking care of my wife. I can look into the bedroom, see her resting comfortably, which I do every few minutes. She has a button she can push during those few minutes that will send me running, which is about 15 feet from where I sit. I sincerely appreciate your sentiment, but make no mistake that my wife is first and foremost on my priority list now. I am not three rooms away with the door closed, messing around on the internet with the tv blaring. Anyway, thanks for the concern.
quickesst

[WillParkinson]

17. Sometimes it helps to talk to friends...

It helps just to talk it out. Let him talk.

[elleng]

2. Very sorry to hear of the disaster, and glad the result was as positive as it was.

One point: Geico is NOT 'fly by night.' Have had both State Farm and Geico.

Continued good wishes.

[Hawkeye-X]

12. I'm a Geico member - maybe you should look it up.

It's Government Employees Insurance Company

Geico has been outstanding, handling two of my accidents this year. A third one occurred yesterday, and the rental company is handling the claims.

Hawkeye-X

[elleng]

14. I agree; I'm a Geico 'member' too.

(OP called Geico 'fly by night.')

[Hawkeye-X]

15. The funny thing - we chose GEICO over Costco's auto insurance after

we lost our Honda Accord to an accident, so Ameriprise decided to raise rates on the new car (an Honda CRV) - was almost 60 dollars more.

I hunted for quotes. Some were outrageously ridiculous and finally Geico came up with a decent number, and even with a $1k deductible, so we decided to use it. Best decision ever made. Wife got into another accident last summer, also wasn't her fault, and Geico got the other insurance to start paying for everything, and got the car fixed, which took almost 6 weeks. It was a near total, I could tell you, then I accidentally scraped the same side of the car that was recently fixed. Geico took care of it, even went to find an adjuster so I could get my car back quickly. So far the car is in the shop for more than a week, but the auto body shop likes my business, so they gave me a break on the deductible ($1,000) and gave me something reasonable to pay it.

Then wife asked me to change our deductible to $500, Cost difference from the 6 months policy? Only $17. So we decided to lower our deductible and still pay the same range that we're used to paying the insurance.

Hawkeye-X

[elleng]

21. Good news! Haven't had to make use of Geico's service, but not dreading it!

SO FUNNY that body shop gives you 'deals' now!

I'd heard about Geico's good rates and service for years, so when I was in position to change from 'family's' carrier State Farm, called them and got a great deal. (I was a government employee for 20 years.)

[Hawkeye-X]

28. The body shop is an ex-client of ours

I bring 'em business because I know the owner, and he owes us a lot.

They decided to hire an drunk IT guy instead of us.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Holy cow. I am glad you two are still alive. (& you broke my heart describing your wife's patient.)

I hope that things will work out ok for you. :hug:

[krispos42]

5. I'm glad the injuries weren't too bad

Sounds like it was an offset frontal collision, and those can be pretty bad.


I was in an accident back in June. Walked away without a scratch but the car was totaled out. I had Progressive and I had plenty of coverage, 100/300/50. The guy that hit me also had Progressive but he had state minimum, 20/40/10. Basically nothing, in other words, and there was a 3rd car damaged, an Audi.

My Progressive paid out my collision only a couple of days later, but it took 5 months of procrastiating with asshole's Progressive agent before they decided to conjure up some excuse to give me the $1,200 in damages to the stuff that was destroyed in the trailer I was towing.

It seems the other parties involved (the guy who hit me, the Audi driver, and U-Haul) couldn't get any reimbursements or anything until the lone hold-out (me) signed off. When I found out that the guy's coverage would only pay $275 to me for my damaged (and that my policy didn't cover the trailer or trailer hitch) I stalled. Eventually, they contacted me and said that since there wasn't any medical issues, they could use that money to pay off the balance. So, bada-bing, bada-bam, I sign two releases, get two checks a couple of days later, and I'm all set.

I don't know if this anecdote helps any, but there it is.

[davsand]

6. Call a lawyer right the f**k NOW!

Seriously. Don't wait, call a Personal Injury lawyer ASAP. The other driver might have GEICO, but even they have a certain amount of cash for settlements--and you do have what sounds like a PI case that would settle for way more than enough to replace the car (maybe even a few times over.)



Laura

[quickesst]

9. Appreciate the advice......

...will investigate that possibility Monday. Thanks very much.
quickesst

[Capn Sunshine]

31. I'd second that

This is where lawyers earn their money, Insurance companies play a completely different game if the aggrieved party has an attorney.

[DebJ]

8. I hope everything works out for you and yours. In case it

helps, I've been with Geico for over 20 years and have had nothing but outstanding service, assistance, and minimal cash outlays for anything. I'm old enough to remember way back when...was it the 70s?...when Geico had some type of issues, but that hasn't been the case for a long, long time. Regarding the lawyer, I hope you won't need one, nor the long drawn out battles such would require...and on these types of cases, the lawyers get 50% and more of the settlement. (I know that because my mother was hit head on by a drunk driver 20 years ago). Hope the guy who hit you had more than minimum liability.

[quickesst]

10. We'll visit with State Farm....

...on Monday. Been with them for over thirty years and have always been treated fairly. I may have misjudged Geico, but it's hard for me to put much trust in a company that has so few "real" offices scattered throughout the country which may be a store front in a strip mall in some city thousands of miles away. State Farm is everywhere, and I can drive to my agents office in 25 minutes. Just sad that we get a new car, get totaled, and we end up with no transportation, and a seven day rental. Just doesn't seem fair, and fair being fair, and it's Geico's customers complete fault, I think they should pay off the car and reimburse us for a car of comparable value. We'll take State Farms advice and whatever action they think we should take is probably what we will do, especially after dealing with the Geico rep today at the wrecking yard. Not confident nor impressed at all. Thanks.
quickesst

[applegrove]

11. Oh that is so too bad. Glad you are all safe. vibes.

[blue neen]

13. Sorry to hear of your accident...but very glad that you two made it through.

You are being wise by talking things over with State Farm. They should be able to give you good advice based on the laws of the particular state where you reside.

[Hawkeye-X]

16. Plus, I think State Farm will provide the lawyers

in certain situations, and I think yours may be a valid claim that State Farm may help.

In my situation, Geico has done well, and Allstate finally paid my wife "lost wages" money

[WillParkinson]

18. My sympathies!

My sympathies to your family. I was in an accident in October. I wasn't seriously hurt but I do understand the pain involved. My best to you all.

[JanMichael]

19. Contact your insurance guy first, a lawyer second and do NOT

sign anything the other company asks you to regardless of what they tell you until your lawyer/state farm guy says to.

[Phentex]

20. Glad she's okay! I agree with the above...

this is one of those times when an attorney should be involved. My niece had Geico and was in an accident with a fairly new car. She did not have gap insurance and the accident was not her fault. The Geico agent gave her all sorts of incorrect information just to avoid paying what they should have and it was a mess. Please get some assisatnce with your claim. I think it will be worth it.

Speedy recovery to your wife!

[ncrainbowgrrl]

27. Getting an attorney= best thing i did after last accident

HE Deals with all of the crap, so i can focus my energies on getting better.

[hobbit709]

22. 3 years ago my wife got rear-ended on the interstate

The other driver took off but her front bumper, including license plate, was jammed into the rear bumper of my truck. Cops had no problem finding her. Geico(their insurance) tried to give us the runaround, until I showed them the photo of the bumper and the police report. they paid off the damages right away at that point but it took a year until they paid of the medical. Their lowball offer was $20 more than the medical expenses. My wife said "Unacceptable unless you reimburse me for the 6 weeks of sick and vacation time she had to use afterwards" When they still tried to stall, I handed them my attorney's card and said that all future communications would be through him, they changed their minds quick, we had the check in 48 hours.

[tabbycat31]

23. Talk to a lawyer now

[madmom]

24. Don't think because you have a "reputable" insurance company, State Farm, that they

will do what's in YOUR best interest. After all they are in it to make a profit, not pay out. We had a very reputable insurance company, prudential, when about 25 years ago my hubby had a motorcycle wreck, not his fault, 3 months later I was hit head on by another car, definitely NOT my fault. What did prudential do?..they canceled ALL of our insurance because we were to much of a risk. We were not ticketed or blamed in anyway shape or form, they, prudential, paid out NOTHING in either of these accidents. My advice get a good lawyer, pronto!

[rbnyc]

25. My auto accident lawsuit took 4 years.

I really had terrible injuries and my life was totally changed. I also lost the baby I was carrying and was married at Stony Brook University Medical Center, instead of as planned. Like you, we were due pain and suffering. So we sued. We were only suing for the entire amount of their insurance. Once fault was proven in court, they offered the insurance money to settle. We could have dragged it out and taken them for everything, but that wasn't our intention. Maybe we'd be rich, but it would have probably taken another year or two or three and we would have destroyed another family. I'm glad we got the money from their insurance company, but the lawsuit was very stressful and time consuming. It really keeps all the pain fresh, because you have to constantly be prepared to testify as if it were yesterday. I don't regret it, but if you make this choice, be prepared. It will eat years out of your lives.

EDIT: Also, it's true, talk to a lawyer. Your insurance company represents their own interests.

[Demoiselle]

26. I am so sorry and very glad you all survived.

I hope everything works out for the best and pray that you're all feeling better soon.

[kimi]

29. So sorry to hear this!

And on Thanksgiving Day too! Best wishes to your wife, it's a traumatic thing to deal with, much less at this time of year, and with insurance companies - ugh.

Take care, both of you.

[newcriminal]

30. OK, I guess I get to be the bad guy here.

I am confused as why you think you are entitled to having your new car paid for and a replacement car? If your wife's pain and suffering is for two weeks and yours less I doubt very seriously that you have much of a case even for small claims. Accidents happen, I don't see why there should be a windfall for someone when it does. I think your entitled to whatever the car was worth, and a small sum for pain and suffering but that's it.