Car accident

[Brenda86]

So much going on here. I swear it seems like things start piling up to keep me away when I try to get on the forum so I finally have a minute to pop in, read a bit, and share what's going on.

Thursday afternoon my mom, daughter and I were on our way to pick up laundry. We were completely stopped at a red light when a city bus rear-ended us.

Oddly I normally have my daughter's car seat forward-facing but earlier in the day had a weird feeling to turn it rear-facing and followed my feeling. As a result my daughter was not hurt though she was very scared and is having some trouble sleeping and is a bit clingy.

The force threw my head forward pretty hard and I was hurting and light-headed so I went to the ER by ambulence from the scene. They forgot to strap me in, didn't put a neck brace on me even though I had a lot of neck pain (though it turned out to be okay thankfully), blew one vain and kept poking at it, then once they got the IV in they took my blood pressure on that arm which caused me a lot of pain though no one would look at it for me.

As for the car the bus tore a hole in the bumper and seems to have damaged the brakes and transmission so the city will likely have to write us a check as I'm fairly certain it'd cost more to fix than it's worth.

We have a lawyer because the city was already trying to get us recorded on the phone that we were okay despite saying we are actually hurting from the accident.

It's easing up but its amazing how many muscles I was oblivious to until they got hurt.

I am really truly thankful though that it was not worse and that despite a fair amount of muscle aches we are doing well.

 

[knowledge_of_self]

Brenda, I'm very sorry this happened to you and I'm very glad there were no serious injuries especially to your little one.

We have a lawyer because the city was already trying to get us recorded on the phone that we were okay despite saying we are actually hurting from the accident.

That's good that you have a lawyer, you should definitely see what your options are and sue for the damages. That bus driver should be fired or something.. after all it's not just you that he hit - he's got passenger's safeties to be concerned about too.

Where I live I find Bus drivers to be some of the worst drivers because we have a law that is "yield to buses" so you have to yield if you see a bus trying to get into the lane. And most bus drivers just RUSH in the lane and cut you off! Some of them are crazy!

Anyway... I hope you feel better soon. Maybe try some DMSO for your muscle pain? It's supposed to work wonders.

By the way this is but welcome back to the forum! I'm really glad everything worked out with you and your mom and congrats on your new baby!

 

[Foxx]

Sorry to hear about the accident, Brenda86! It certainly sounds like quite a frustrating day with the bus AND the ambulance sounding pretty thoroughly inept. I'm glad to hear that there were no serious injuries, though, and I hope you're mending well physically and emotionally.

I hope everything goes smoothly with getting your car fixed and personal healing and that the city doesn't give you any problems!

 

[Mr. Premise]

Yes, having a lawyer is a great thing. Don't forget that the city is not only liable for physical harm but also psychological harm, so it might be a good idea to get counseling for your child because these kinds of accidents can cause issues for children if not addressed. And then the counselor can testify to the extent of the damages and help your case with the city.

 

[Mrs. Peel]

Yes, having a lawyer is a great thing. Don't forget that the city is not only liable for physical harm but also psychological harm, so it might be a good idea to get counseling for your child because these kinds of accidents can cause issues for children if not addressed. And then the counselor can testify to the extent of the damages and help your case with the city.

And don't sign off on anything that says you're okay just yet. You may develop complications in a day or a week or a month. Neck injuries are nothing to take lightly.

 

[herondancer]

Hi

And don't sign off on anything that says you're okay just yet. You may develop complications in a day or a week or a month. Neck injuries are nothing to take lightly.

Sorry to hear about your accident Brenda86. Whiplash is one of the nastiest injuries, because the effects can take some time to show up, so it's doubly important you don't let yourself get rushed into settling too fast. Have you looked into chiropractic or some sort of body work? The sooner you deal with the primary trauma, the less chance to develop chronic complications. I've had three whiplashes in my life (two car accidents, and one sports trauma), but fortunately I was able to get rolfing work almost immediately after all of them. I am certain has saved me from a myriad of neck and back problems down the road. If you can't find a rolfer, you might try myofascial release work, or Bowen therapy.

Make sure to get copies of every medical and psychological record connected with this and save every receipt right from the tow truck and having to rent a replacement car. If it isn't documented for these sharks, then as far as they're concerned, it didn't happen. Imo, you've got grounds for going after the ambulance company too. Not even providing a neck brace in a rear-end accident? That's disgraceful.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Ca.]

Yes, having a lawyer is a great thing. Don't forget that the city is not only liable for physical harm but also psychological harm, so it might be a good idea to get counseling for your child because these kinds of accidents can cause issues for children if not addressed. And then the counselor can testify to the extent of the damages and help your case with the city.

And don't sign off on anything that says you're okay just yet. You may develop complications in a day or a week or a month. Neck injuries are nothing to take lightly.

Hi

And don't sign off on anything that says you're okay just yet. You may develop complications in a day or a week or a month. Neck injuries are nothing to take lightly.

Make sure to get copies of every medical and psychological record connected with this and save every receipt right from the tow truck and having to rent a replacement car. If it isn't documented for these sharks, then as far as they're concerned, it didn't happen. Imo, you've got grounds for going after the ambulance company too. Not even providing a neck brace in a rear-end accident? That's disgraceful.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Sorry to hear of your accident as well. Things are becoming very hectic for people with life's steady progression of distraction's do to the continued condition of chaos. Good to hear that it was not any worse than it could have been. And i also don't understand why the paramedics did not apply to each, and everyone a neck brace, (doesn't compute) which is usually standard operating procedure given the mechanism of injury, type of injury, and the force of the impact.

And good advice from above, as you have witnessed that school district and it's legal team is going to try and do anything it can to avoid paying all involved full compensation. Good luck, and vigilance.

Six Mistakes You Should Avoid After A Car Accident-By : Arnold Hernandez
_http://www.accidentconsult.com/RTAAccident/SixMistakesYouShouldAvoidAfterACarAccident-486.html

Mistake 1. After an accident most people call the local police or highway patrol. Invariably you will be asked if you are injured. If it is not a severe injury you will likely say that you are not injured. If you say you are not injured, then there is a good chance no one will come to the accident scene.

When the highway patrol or police officer does come to the accident scene they will ask if you are injured. Once again if it is not a severe injury and the law enforcement officer gets to the accident scene quickly, you will more likely than not say no. The reason is that most car accident injuries are whiplash injuries, or soft tissue injuries which generally do not appear until sever hours after the fact.

The problem with this type of response is that you don't know. The best approach is to say that you do not know, but that you will go see your doctor. If you say no, the law enforcement officer will record your answer and insurance adjusters will use this against you, and if the case goes to trial the insurance company's attorney will use it against you as well.

The fact is that you don't know, because no medical professional has examined you and in the vast majority of soft tissue injury cases you will not know if you are injured until several hours later after the fact. Once you go home and relax you will start feeling pain and tightening of your neck and the following day you may extreme difficulty getting up because of the soreness and pain throughout your body. So, if you are involved in an accident and you are asked if you are injured the answer is you don't know, but you will go see a doctor to get checked out. Give yourself at least 24 hours to find out.

Mistake No. 2. Failure to mitigate your damages. What this means is that if you suffer an accident, you are not suppose to wait around and do nothing. If you suffer an accident and know you are injured or have reason to believe you are injured, go see a medical doctor right away. If you like chiropractors better than medical doctors, go see the medical doctor first, then see a chiropractor. The reason is that insurance companies use computer software to evaluate claims and failure to act on your injury and take precautions to minimize your pain will reduce the value of the case according to the computer software.

Another problem with failure to act quickly is that if you take too long and the case goes to trial, a jury may believe the injuries were caused by something else. If you take three months to undergo medical treatment, who is to know what caused the injuries you complained off. If you take three days to seek medical treatment, it is more likely than not reasonable. The same software also allocates great value if you first see a medical doctor instead of a chiropractor.

Failure to mitigate damages pertains to all your damages, which also includes damage to your property, and lost earnings. If your car is damaged and inoperable you need to move to a safe location, you cannot leave it abandoned where it may be towed and impounded. If you cannot return to your full duties at work or on a full time basis, you must look to returning as soon as possible or on a limited basis. You must also have a doctor's order stating you need to refrain from your work activities, and your doctor must specify the number of days you are required to take off.

Mistake No. 3. Trusting the insurance adjuster. Many insurance adjusters mislead accident victims into believing they are going to help. I have had clients come to me three months after the fact, stating they were waiting for the insurance company of the tortfeasor to send them to a doctor. It is not going to happen. Insurance adjusters have a job, their job is to fulfill their duties according the terms of on the insurance policy at absolute minimum cost. Insurance companies are in the business of making money. They are not charities, or good guys, or neighbors helping neighbors, they are concerned with one thing and one thing only -profits. If you suffered an injury call an attorney right away. Not every case merits representation, but speaking with an attorney is often the best thing you can do to help yourself.

Mistake No. 4. Not following your attorney's advise or your doctor's advise. Your attorney and your doctor have an interest in protecting you, that is their job. Remember, you pay them for their expertise, not every case is a million dollar case and not every ailment is related to the accident and not every ailment requires extensive treatment.

Mistake No. 5. Lying. Sometimes personal injury claimants think they can obtain a better result by lying. They exaggerate their injuries and their symptoms. What they donnot know is that personal injury attorneys and medical doctors know when the claimant is lying. Often an MRI is done to see if the alleged severe low back injury is real. The MRI is very expensive, but accurate which often results in a loss for the claimant, because the procedure was not necessary. Sometimes claimants claimed preexisting medical problems on the accident, but an examination of the medical history shows there is no new injury. More often than not lying backfires and it is discovered, which results in complete loss of credibility for the claimant.

Mistake No. 6. Permitting an insurance adjuster to take your declaration and record it. If an insurance adjuster calls you and asks to take your declaration, it is for the purpose of denying your claim. It is not for the purpose of helping you. They are hoping you make an error, sometimes they will call you within hours after the accident, because in a soft tissue injury they know you will not be hurting for several hours.

 

[Brenda86]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and lots of good information!

On top of everything my daughter and I are now sick which is why I didn't check in sooner. but we've had some ups as well this week and have not forgotten to say my POTS so I am actually in good spirits.

The list of mistakes has tons of relevant stuff in it. The adjustor has said a few times things about not needing a lawyer to my mother - who doesn't have one yet. He also keeps trying to trick her into saying that not only is SHE completely fine but that I am as well. I have started some physical therapy and had to drive as my mom and are both hurting and my partner had to work. The insurance adjustor called while I was driving and said to my mom 'Oh she's driving? So she's okay?' My mom quite seriously told him no but that we had no other way of getting to my physical therapy and he dropped it. But he has tried to do that 'Oh so she's okay?' several times now.

I know this may sound a little odd but in some ways the accodent was a good thing almost. The first few days I was extremely nervous on the road and felt like I was going to be hit again at any time. In fact at the exact same intersection ANOTHER bus started to swerve into us just a few days later. But the accident kind of jarred me in a good way. More and more lately I've been examining my behaviors in different situations and I feel it picking up speed. Like... I'm suddenly having a SIGNIFICANT amount of revelations about certain things I do or have done. I'm not saying the accident is the reason, but more pf a reinforcer. A reminder to try tp remember to use my time wisely while I'm in a place where time part of our reality anyway.

I'm not sure if this particular thread is the best place for all the things clicking in my head recently but I've been frankly startled by a lot of the things coming up and have discussed some with my mother and partner. Actually we've all three been having things pop up and I'm seeing us working through things we would have left alone just a year or two ago.
I have to be off for now, but thanks again everyone. I should be back later today to do some more reading and probably to discuss some of what's been popping up as I could probably use some other perspectives to keep sorting some of this stuff out.

 

[Voyageur]

Just getting caught up here Brenda86. First, really good intuition about you turning your daughters seat around - rear collision; good call! Hope you folks recover well and don't get badgered by people used to playing these insurance cards, looking to trip you up. Sounds like you've got a good handle on that. Interesting about your revelations, you've had a shock and this can sometimes create interesting results, thinking. Keep breathing, stay vigilante.