Car Accident Vent

[james'mommy]

Yesterday while I was on my way to pick up DS from school I was in a hit and run accident. I was the hitee not the runner. I was going the speed limit on my street and a car comes up behind me and starts tail gaiting me and honking it's horn and trying to pass me. I was breaking and trying to move to the side so the car could pass when it rear ended me. I get out of the car and the driver starts yelling at me that I was going too slow. Then he gets in the car and drives off. I was on the phone with 911 so I gave them the plate number. The cop comes and writes the accident up and gives me the name and insurance information of the owner. When I got home I called State Farm and they said the policy lapsed. I googled the owner and my husband calls him. Turns out he has no insurance and he thinks he did nothing wrong since I was going too slow in his opinion. I called and talked to the cop today. Turns out the driver was convicted of hit and run last year. He also was driving with expired plates. With the points he gets from this incident he's going to have hs license suspended. Now I'm out my deductable since he has no insurance. I'm going to take him to small claims court to recoup my deductable. Vent over.

 

[catycatcat4]

that stinks i hope the guy gets a few years in jail or a big fine

 

[zachnsamsmommy]

First of all...I'm sorry that you got rear ended!

But kudos to you for following up and pursuing it! You may want to talk to your insurance before you do anything. Sometimes some of the bigger insurance companies have their own lawyers and will handle of all of that. But I can't believe he had the nerve to say he did nothing wrong b/c you were going to slow. Some people should just not have licenses...

 

[moet7]

I thought NC had a law that you had to have insurance, not to say, that just because it's the law doesn't mean everyone does. sorry to hear about your accident

 

[legalsea]

A proper 'vent' if I ever read one.

As for the jerk: losing his license to drive will not, in all probability, actually keep him from driving. Such is life.

 

[Dizneydaz]

That bites that you got hit but glad you got his plates. Are you sure you're out the deductable? I have uninsured motorist coverage and your situation is exactly what it for. Not sure if it's offered in all states.

I was hit and run years ago-I just got out of my car to close my garage door and a car that was leaving the parking lot, put his car into reverse and slammed into my driver's side door. I had been right there just seconds before! I was almost in shock. I got his plates and called the police.

I got a nice letter from the owner of the car telling me his brother had taken his car and told him he hit a pole, or something. He said the police told him his car was in a hit and run and verified with him the color of paint (from my car) on his car. He was genuinely apologetic. He had insurance and my ins. co. handled everything.

The driver wasn't arrested since I couldn't I.D. him but it sounds like you could ID your driver. He should be prosecuted for what he did. Leaving the scene of an accident is illegal. As is driving with expired tags and no insurance. He should lose his license. (not that that would stop him from driving!). Even if you were going .5 mph that doesn't mean someone has the right to hit you! I hope he fries!

 

[Darsa]

He felt justified in REAR-ENDING you because you were going too slow?? What kind of malarkey is that?? OMG I hope you called the police on him? How much damage did he do to the vehicle? Normally leaving the scene is a criminal offense over a certain amount, isn't it?

Wow, that just blows my mind....

 

[RunningGirl]

I thought NC had a law that you had to have insurance, not to say, that just because it's the law doesn't mean everyone does. sorry to hear about your accident

NC does have that law, but of course the person who hit us did not have insurance either! We did not go after them in small claims, but our insurance company actually went after them and got them to cover half of our deductible.

OP - while it's a crummy situation, sounds like it could have been MUCH worse with that guy's anger management issues! I'm glad you're okay.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I have a question - and maybe I'm taking it too far, but I used to work with the police in my town...

So this guy rear-ended you and his excuse is that you were going too slow. Any chance he might get charged with "assault with a deadly weapon?" Because around here, if you purposely hit someone with your car, the cops would be all over that...

 

[Piecey]

Good for you for pursuing it.

My DH would get fed up with me going through all that "hassel" if it'd been me. I'm always excited when people do what they can to get a little bit of justice... too often these days do people just get away with their crappy behavior (i.e. the guy that hit you!)

 

[Heidict]

Ugh, sorry to hear about your morning. Not a good way to start it. Glad that you got his plate and the cops where able to get him.

We were hit in an accident years ago and of course he didn't have insurance. So we had to pony up our deductible. The insurance went after him and they were able to recoup the money they paid out to fix my car and my deductible. It took a couple of years, but it was nice getting that check in the mail and knowing that it came from him. So, talk to you insurance and see if they are going to peruse reimbursement before taking him to small claims yourself.

 

[Debbie7452]

Hey, I've been where you are! I was hit in the school parking lot by a Mom of one of the other students! She ran, but I got her plate number. The cops had me do a photo line up to make sure the owner of the car was the perpetrator(it was ). Turned out she had some kind of criminal record. The police issued an arrest warrant and went to pick her up, but she didn't answer the door or wasn't home. And then for months nothing happened...

My car was fixed on my uninsured motorist which has 1/2 of my regular deductible. The insurance company sent her letters but she ignored them. I was furious. The police and insurance knew her name and address, but since she didn't cooperate they didn't do anything! However, she eventually got pulled over for something else and they found the warrant and she finally got arrested. The DA called me and said they tried to give her a plea bargain to pay me restitution but she refused(this lady is NOT bright) so I was going to have to come testify in court. I happily agreed to testify. Well, once the lady figured out they weren't bluffing she paid me the deductible. It took 2 years for this whole saga to play out.

So, depending on the laws in your state, the criminal courts might take care of it. This was the second accident I had been in with an uninsured motorist. The first time I never got paid back (hit by a drunk driver with no license or insurance, ugh!)...so I was lucky the second time.

Sorry this has happened to you...It is so NOT FAIR.