Text Messaging Driver + Stopped In Traffic = REARENDED!!!

[Sharkey]

Yep, went to the big city to run errands, have lunch with a friend and get a haircut, and while minding my own business stopped in traffic, some ditz rearended a full-sized Ford pickup, pushing it into me:



$1300 damage and a nice case of whiplash for me. The good news is that the insurance co isn't making noises about totalling my car.

I found a body shop that will work with me, using a hatch and taillight assembly that I already have. They will credit me for the parts, and I will apply the credit towards some other small body repairs and paint I want done on the car.

Like I needed more things to do, this has turned into a giant paperwork hassle. At least I'm going to get a rental car while my car is being repaired.

[etinhidesert]

Sharkey,

Sorry to hear about your accident. I see distracted divers multiple times a day while in the work truck. My favorite is when they are coming down a entrance ramp to the freeway looking down at their phones, look up at my right front tire or fuel tank as they try to get into my "space" at the last possible second, then flip me the bird when they have to either speed up or hit the brakes to avoid getting squashed. Many drivers don't realize that I am mandated to be in the far right lane. I move over when I can, but only if I don't create a bigger traffic hazard by putting a 55 MPH truck in front of a 70 MPH car (split speed limits in California, as they are in oregon).

Hope all goes well with your recovery,

Elden in Hesperia

[Sharkey]

Thanks for the get-well wish. I'd always heard that you don't really feel it for a couple of days, man, that's the truth. I thought that the back of my head would hurt where it coshed the headrest at impact, but after icing it, that went away. What really hurt were the muscles in the front of my neck that got stretched like rubber bands when my head snapped back. Tuesday, I'm going to the chiropractor to get checked out, I seem to have a continuous headache and ringing in my ears. Hope those symptoms ease with time.

[Jones'n4chrome]

WOW Sharkey, That sucks! that happened to me about 15 years ago, I never forgot how it felt. I hope you feel better.
Good thing you were not minding your own business where the full-sized Ford pickup was stopped. get well soon!

[Sharkey]

You wouldn't think that a little bump in the behind would mean so much, but I'm only now beginning to see recovery from my neck injury. I've been getting twice weekly therapeutic chiropractic treatments, and have had a few days without the headache.

The damage to the car looks minimal, but this car has shock-absorbing bumper mounts, and they took a lot of the crunch out of the impact. That doesn't mean that I didn't still get a hard launch when the shock was transferred to the car's body, it just meant that the sheet metal didn't crumple as much.

I'm still trying to get the car into the body shop for repair, the holidays kind of scrambled my schedule.