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#197218 - 03/04/10 07:17 PM Urban Scenario: The car accident
comms Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/23/08
Posts: 1502
Loc: Mesa, AZ
This is DW first real accident but far too common an experience on our roads so I would like to go through how I had prepared for the day and managed this crisis, not for my edifice but help others if it happens to them.

I was at work yesterday and saw I'd missed two fast calls from DW. Even as I was calling back, she called again. She had just been a victim of a Hit & Run while driving.

I first asked if she was alright, did she need emergency services. She said she did not. I asked if she was bleeding, cut or had a sharp pain, if she had got out of the vehicle. She said physically there were no indicators of that and that people had stopped to help her and she'd walked around. I asked if our 1 YO baby was in the backseat, I was relieved that she was not.

By the time she related this I was out the door and in her general direction. She gave me a cross street and I hung up. But most importantly she gave me a landmark. When we drive around our area we point out unique homes or designs. When she told me she was across from the house with the oriental lanterns (for Lunar New Year) I was dialed in.

While en route, I texted two of my friends, a chiropractor and an attorney. Putting them on stand by in case we needed their immediate aid. I called DW primary physician, (I keep all my family members doctors in my phone), and advised her that DW was in a non-life threatening auto accident and wanted her checked out for crash injuries and the upcoming pain management later in the day. If she was transported to a hospital I would call back. We now have an appointment time.

DW calls, police have arrived at her scene. 3 witnesses have stayed and giving statements. 2 witnesses followed the fleer, called 911, a helicopter finds the truck and police made contact with the driver. He has a decent police record, but he has insurance.

After spending several minutes at the scene and comforting DW with extra water and a jacket for shock, I make contact with our insurance (again in the phone) to open a claim, get an adjuster and get a reservation for a rental while the vehicle is in the shop.

As the police forward information to us on what is happening at the other scene, we are taking information from good our Samaritans for our records. I use the camera in my car to take pictures of the skid marks and vehicle damage. The officer taking photos for the report even jokes with me using a nicer camera than her and taking more pictures.

Collecting information from the officers I confirm all names and numbers and a realistic time line for me to contact them. By the time we get home, I have an adjuster calling me for statements and verified the fleers insurance is indeed valid based on the information I got from PD.

Then her vehicle is dropped off at the shop. Rental is set up. Arrangement for kids done. I advised DW that dinner is courtesy of Applebee's curbside to go program. I have a talk with our 7 YO before he gets home so he knows whats wrong with mommy's vehicle and she will be sore for a few days.

I canceled my meeting for the next morning and rescheduled all DW appointments for the next two days. Only expecting that the night would be long and she would be sore in the morning resulting in longer prep time for the family to get out the door. I have ordered a maid for housecleaning next week. If nothing else, its a bonus, at the worst she will really need this taken from her mind while laid up.

This isn't to make me look like a hero. The points here are:

1. We know each others general plans for the day and anticipated routes.
2. We point out landmarks or places of interest for short hand on location.
3. We have each others vital information in our phones so we can make calls on the other behalf.
4. I have an emergency kit in my car that includes items for shock and evidence gathering.
5. Seek witnesses, take notes and confirm items received from 1st responders. We plan on sending personalized notes and gift cards to those witnesses that stopped. Good deeds need to be rewarded.
6. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Everyone knows that after an impact like this the 2nd and 3rd day will be physically hard. Plan for pain/comfort management. The physician found injuries DW and police did not notice like several broken fingernails.
7. I planned out ways to take stress away from DW by managing meals, mornings prep and rescheduling her appointments.




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Don't just survive. Thrive.

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#197219 - 03/04/10 07:48 PM Re: Urban Scenario: The car accident [Re: comms]
benjammin Offline
Rapscallion
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/06/04
Posts: 4020
Loc: Anchorage AK
Let us know the follow-up. What was the DW's disposition after 24 hours and onward? Did the perpetrator's insurance pay up? Was the perpetrator charged, arrested, cited (last time I checked, hit and run was a felony)?

Sounds like you were very well prepared.
_________________________
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)

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#197226 - 03/04/10 08:25 PM Re: Urban Scenario: The car accident [Re: benjammin]
oldsoldier Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/25/06
Posts: 742
Loc: MA
Kudos to you. I particularly like #5. I have been witness to several accidents, left my contact info after giving a statement, etc-never once did it even cross my mind that someone would thank me for it-it isnt something you do to be thanked-its what fellow human beings do for one another. Had I EVER received a thank you, it likely wouldve thrown me for a loop (a good thing, not bad). Kudos to you for recognizing those who stopped to help-this is something that I plan to put into practice in the future, should I need to. Lesson learned for me.
I am also greatly relieved to hear she was uninjured. Everything is replaceable-except each other. Good job on you for having the wherewithal to not panic, and take care of your own. Heres to hoping for speedy resolutions!
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my adventures

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#197230 - 03/04/10 09:01 PM Re: Urban Scenario: The car accident [Re: benjammin]
comms Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/23/08
Posts: 1502
Loc: Mesa, AZ
Originally Posted By: benjammin
Let us know the follow-up. What was the DW's disposition after 24 hours and onward? Did the perpetrator's insurance pay up? Was the perpetrator charged, arrested, cited (last time I checked, hit and run was a felony)?


Great Question. 24 odd hours later, DW is quite sore in her hips, shoulders and arms. The back of her calf and ankle. Her broken finger nails are aching. The muscle relaxers and pain management pills have helped now that she's taken a full dose. She is glad I made the appointment for her because going to the ER yesterday would be hundreds more dollars for same result and she would have waited till today to do it herself. Plus her primary is totally dialed in on the situation.

When we left our scene, the LEO was heading to the perp who had fled to his place of work and being held by other officers. He has as disgraceful past, (the term 'registered' was used) however he hit and run due to being on a suspended license and probation. I asked DW to call the PD today to see if he was arrested but she did not want to do that. Instead she wants to wait until she gets the report in about a week.
_________________________
Don't just survive. Thrive.

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#197233 - 03/04/10 10:00 PM Re: Urban Scenario: The car accident [Re: comms]
Lono Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 10/19/06
Posts: 1013
Loc: Pacific NW, USA
My best to your wife, comms, I'm happy it came out as well as it did, and I wish her a speedy recovery from her injuries.

One quibble on keeping all your contact info on your phone - if your phone goes down, so does your information ? We keep family contact lists on laminated cards in our wallets, including out of state and area emergency contacts (in case of EQ), and double up with whatever we keep on cell phones, but if I'm without my phone I know I can fall back on the card info.

This came in handy the other day when I called 911 during my wife's seizure, I looked a the card and quickly made all the contacts I needed to - except one, my brother and sister in law, whose info I didn't have on my phone or on a card, it was written on the front of the refrigerator and pretty smudged out (Liz is almost always the one to call them, and she was unconcious when I needed to call), that call took a few minutes to sort out. I'm now preparing a family phone card for my wife's side of the family.

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#197278 - 03/05/10 04:41 AM Re: Urban Scenario: The car accident [Re: comms]
Tjin Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/08/02
Posts: 1821
Originally Posted By: comms

While en route, I texted two of my friends, a chiropractor and an attorney.


Please don't text and drive, it's a good way of have a extra car accident.
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#197302 - 03/05/10 02:23 PM Re: Urban Scenario: The car accident [Re: Tjin]
Compugeek Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/09/09
Posts: 392
Loc: San Diego, CA
Whoa. I'm very glad it didn't come out worse. Sounds like it was actually a pretty significant collision.

I've been in way more than my share, and I know how upsetting and disorienting they can be.

One thing I do is keep my old insurance cards in the envelope in my glove box along with the current one. That way I can just add my personal contact info and give it to the other driver. I show them the current one to show that it's valid info.
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Okey-dokey. What's plan B?

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#197307 - 03/05/10 03:20 PM Re: Urban Scenario: The car accident [Re: Compugeek]
comms Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/23/08
Posts: 1502
Loc: Mesa, AZ
@Compugeek. That is a great idea to do with the expired insurance cards. I actually just flipped over on my new insurance dates and have a couple extra old ones.

@Lono. In fact I do have a back up (2 is 1, 1 is none). I have all the info on a laminated card in my bag. Part of this history is twofold. One proclivity to concussions compel me to wear a RoadID daily, then have a sheet in my EDC bag with important phones numbers and relationship to me. On my phone contacts I also list important relationships next to names, -wife, -mom, -coworker. The second reason, if my phone dies I don't have all those numbers memorized.

UPDATE: DW is feeling a bit better today. The bruising is more present but the hips are relaxed. Neck is still tight. The vehicle may be listed as totaled. The adjuster has looked at the numbers twice but won't have a better opinion until the panels are off and internal damage to can be measured.
_________________________
Don't just survive. Thrive.

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#197551 - 03/08/10 06:12 PM Re: Urban Scenario: The car accident [Re: comms]
Arney Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2485
Loc: California
Sounds like you had all the bases covered, comms. Good for you! Hope your wife's injuries all heal up shortly. I've been in one auto accident in my life. Such a minor thing, yet my back still bothers me years later. Crash injuries are a funny thing.

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#197573 - 03/09/10 01:07 AM Re: Urban Scenario: The car accident [Re: comms]
BrianEagle Offline
Newbie

Registered: 02/27/10
Posts: 27
Loc: Northern Texas
Comms,

It sounds like your preparation made a bad situation bearable. I can't really think of anything that you missed.

BTW - My wife thinks you're a hero for all the TLC you gave to your DW. Now I have to live up to your standard crazy
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Formerly known as BrianTexas. I just couldn't remember my old password and had to create a new profile.

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