Here's what I did Wednesday

[Crusty]

A woman pulled out from a driveway immediately in front of me while I was near 55 mph as she was making a left turn. I dodged around the front of her into the empty oncoming lanes but she was determined to take me out and hit my rear quarter panel and then I skidded, flipped, bounced, rolled, and finally slid to a stop on the roof. A witness told me that I went airborne.

I stayed firmly belted into my seat holding the wheel hard with both hands and my head pushed hard against the headrest. I walked away with 10-15 small cuts mostly from crawling out the driver's window opening and that's all.

Right before my car started doing gymnastics I remembered the comment of the SEAL who said "This is gonna suck" right before his chopper crashed in OBL's yard.

I'm gonna buy another Pathfinder.

Wear those seat belts people!

There is absolutely no need to tell me that I'm lucky.

[DKB_SATX]

I'm glad you're well.

I hope the sharks from her insurance company don't focus on the fact that you tried to evade her vehicular assault... if you nailed the brakes and plowed right into her driver's side door, you'd be absolutely faultless in the situation you described and they'd sign off quickly. She also might have learned her lesson more completely. If she's honest and admits fault (against their advice, of course) it'll wrap up quickly as well.

Any tickets issued?

[Crusty]

Dunno - I haven't got the accident report yet but one of the officers at the scene told me there was a witness who completely corroborated my version of events.

I don't have to sign off if I don't like their offer.

I saved her life and avoided serious injury to myself by not T-boning her and I'm pretty certain a jury would see it the same way.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Crusty

Dunno - I haven't got the accident report yet but one of the officers at the scene told me there was a witness who completely corroborated my version of events.

I don't have to sign off if I don't like their offer.

I saved her life and avoided serious injury to myself by not T-boning her and I'm pretty certain a jury would see it the same way.

It seems clear that you did the ethically right thing. Many insurance lawyers are only as ethical as they have to be to retain their licenses.

[garry]

I was pulling a boat and had the same thing happen, my choice go in the ditch or hit the car that pulled in front of me, I elected to hit the car in the rear passenger door. If I had of gone into the ditch it would have been my fault and I may have taken out a power pole.

The 80 yr old gentleman driving the other car would have been OK had not a volunteer dragged him out of the car and bounced his head off the pavement.

[BAB]

Thanks for sharing this. It goes in the brain bank so if I have to make a similar choice I'll have someone else's experience first. I'd also note that today's vehicles are amazingly safe. Seatbelts, airbags of every description and in every location, and collision avoidance equipment....well, it surely makes traveling safer. Glad you're OK!

[Crusty]

Yup that's right. Cars are much safer today than say the cars of the 50's and 60's. I wrote a letter to Nissan thanking them because all of their designed in safety features worked as they were designed to work.

I spent years riding motorcycles and training from those days is what made me steer around her. I was taught to always look for the opening because you're instinctively going to steer your vehicle where you're looking, and I avoided a T-bone by doing just that.

[m.hony]

Was that the tow vehicle?

[cwf]

Wow!

Will you be able to play the banjo?

[Crusty]

Nope - that was my daily driver.

Chan my fingers and hands are all undamaged, but whether I can play the banjo or not is a different issue that hasn't been decided yet. ☺

[SteveSueMac]

Good Lord! Glad you're ok...

[Melody Ranch]

Jeeze! I am glad your OK. Austin Huh? There is a real good chance the other car is uninsured and a legal Citizen of another country.

[Crusty]

She's insured.

[cwf]

Originally Posted by Crusty

Nope - that was my daily driver.

Chan my fingers and hands are all undamaged, but whether I can play the banjo or not is a different issue that hasn't been decided yet. ☺

Hahaha! I am not one to judge for sure! I have heard of folks becoming a savant after trauma, God knows we neeeeeeed good banjo players!

[Crusty]

And there's others who think differently about banjo players.

Mark Twain said "A gentleman is a man who knows how to play the banjo and doesn't do so".

and How do you get a banjo player out of a tree? Cut the rope.

[cwf]

Originally Posted by Crusty

And there's others who think differently about banjo players.

Mark Twain said "A gentleman is a man who knows how to play the banjo and doesn't do so".

and How do you get a banjo player out of a tree? Cut the rope.

Bad...true, still bad. Hahah

[Crusty]

I just heard back from Nissan and they've offered me a $750+ discount on a new Nissan after my letter of thanks.

[Lily&Me]

Nice!


Maggie

[Aerowood]

This is what happened a couple of months ago in front of my house. My Daughter ran out to see if they were OK but the 2 occupants crawled out laughing and were drunk. They ran off but one of my neighbors ran after them and saw where they were hiding. The policeman said that they would soon meet their dog. The police also found a cellphone with a text to somebody else stating how drunk they were. I still haven't heard what happened to them, but I'm guessing that they now have multiple puncture wounds from the police officer's faithful 4 legged friend.

[cwf]

Originally Posted by Crusty

I just heard back from Nissan and they've offered me a $750+ discount on a new Nissan after my letter of thanks.

No good deed goes unpunished ? That's Kewl!