Total Loss

I'm really sorry to hear about your accident and the loss of your Prius. The most important thing is you walked away and are OK.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Proco @ Oct 26 2006, 01:27 PM) [snapback]338683[/snapback]</div>

<strike>I second that.</strike> (see below)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 26 2006, 01:27 PM) [snapback]338684[/snapback]</div>

I third that.

 

WHEW..!! Thank goodness you weren't seriously injured. Many cities in North Texas now will seize and tow an uninsured vehicle to the pound when it is involved in a collision. The costs to retreive such a vehicle in many cases exceed the street value of the vehicle and/or the financial ability of the owner to pay the towing/storage fees, so they are ultimately sold at auction.

Unfortunately, it seems many of these uninsured drivers in the Dallas area are illegal aliens without insurance putting law-abiding drivers at risk. I am vigorously supportive of the "towing" law for uninsured drivers. the down side is that if they can afford to bail their car out, they go to a shady Insurance provider and get a short-term policy and are back on the highway again unlikely to continue to pay insurance premiums.

Interesting that your airbags did not deploy. I am trading up to a 2007 with side airbags being one of the stimuli for my trading a 2004 with only 22,000 miles on the clock.

 

Sorry to hear about your accident, and I, too, am glad that you survived relatively unscathed. Enjoy your new Prius, if that's any consolation.

I wonder why none of the airbags went off?

 

Wow! Please post a pic if you have one. I am always amazed at the punishment a Prius can take while allowing the occupants to walk away unharmed or with minor injuries!

I know you stated the driver has no insurance and I assume probably has little or no assets and money, but make sure you get a thorough exam on your neck. I have a friend whose wife was involved in what she thought was a "minor" accident. Little soreness in the neck after the accident. She declined to see a doctor after the accident because she felt OK. Now, months later after the accident she has had operations to correct the damage in her neck. She is now disabled and in constant pain.

I don't know if seeing a doctor right away would have prevented her problems (Efusco??) but since no claim was filed by them after the accident (the other driver was insured) within a reasonable amount of time (they have been unable to find a lawyer who will take on their case because of the time issue) they have taken a large monetary hit due to the medical treatment needed.

Perhaps Efusco, our resident Prius MD!, has seen similar situations involving automobile accident neck injuries.

Rick
#4 2006


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skruse @ Oct 26 2006, 01:20 PM) [snapback]338677[/snapback]</div>

 

I'm glad that you survived without being seriously hurt. I would have that neck checked as whip-lash could happen. It's interesting that no air bags deployed but maybe that is correct. The forces in the cabin where never high enough to merit them deploying(?). Still any crash at highway speed that you can walk away from is a "win" in my book.

To bad for the person in the other car that didn't make it :-( Even if he was in a car that was uninsured.

More then illigal aliens I think the fact that he was 18 played a big role. I know that I did many stupid things behind the wheel when I was 18.

 

I've decided I will celebrate every time I hear about a totaled Prius. Why? Every time, the story is the same:

"My car is destroyed and I'm fine."

I will save my sorry's for that fateful day when we hear from someone's spouse that one of our PriusChatters didn't make it.

Congratulations on the new Prius, skruse.

Nate

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skruse @ Oct 26 2006, 12:20 PM) [snapback]338677[/snapback]</div>

I'm curious... who picks up the bill on the new Prius and your medical bills if you had 2 broken legs? Does your insurance basically get stuck with this since the other guy doesn't have any?

 

oh no that's terrible! but i'm glad to hear that you're okay.

i hope you get all this worked out with minimal mess, and that no pain sets in for the long term.

but hey... new prius is always good

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ Oct 26 2006, 01:21 PM) [snapback]338728[/snapback]</div>

Yes, it's your insurance that covers it in such a situation. They, of course, have the option of taking the kid to court, trying to get his parents to pay for it, etc. but the whole reason you pay for insurance (aside from legal reasons) is as self protection in situations like these.

To the OP: glad you're alright and that the Prius did its job in protecting you. Definitely have your neck looked at - it would be horrible to have problems down the road. Also if you do end up having problems down the road, make sure you check the local laws - i know in Ohio you have up to two years to file an injury claim after an accident - possibly more if the other party moves out of state (one of my friends is in the middle of such a situation from a very minor accident he had 2.2 years ago - he moved out of state for his first job, and the other guy found out and got greedy...)

 

I'm glad you’re ok. It almost always hurts worse the second day I'm glad your past that. Check to see if that was his car and if he paid for it. If now and his folks gave him the money for it they may have insurance on it since they paid for it. I know I can buy and car and drive it off the lot. If It gets totaled on the way home I'm still covered even if I did not tell State farm about it. It is kind of an automatic coverage some companies have. I feel really bad about the other boy who died. If you stop and think about all the things you have done since you were 18...it would be hard to imagine none of them ever happening.

 

I am loath to characterize this as an accident given the grossly irresponsible behaviour of the other driver. Reckless certainly applies. With a dash of negligent homicide thrown in. Perhaps even criminal negligence given the aforementioned recklessness. I don't know how Calilfornia treats cases like this, but I'd take an abiding interest in making sure this joker was kept off the streets by remaining behind bars before he kills someone else.

I'm glad you are OK. And congratulations....I think....on getting a new Prius. :blink:

 

skruse,

Glad you are OK

Being rear-ended by a reckless driver is my worst nighmare (most of my collisions have been rear-enders)

Charles Suitt - I live in Lewisville and can testify about uninsured N Texas drivers.

Last month, something a lot like your accident happened to a Bay-area Insight. Insight driver unharmed - racer probably died.

Mercury News

 

That's a heck of a way to get a new car but once again it shows the worthiness of the Prius.

Loss of life, even due to recklessness or negligence, is still bad, though.

 

Glad to hear you are mostly ok, but sorry to hear of this tragedy. It always bothers me hear of anyone getting killed in a car wreck while unbelted. Life seems too short and too precious as it is, getting thrown out of a car and killed never seems like a good way to end it.

 

Sorry to read of your accident.
For some of the tech people who may read this post I have a question on why the airbags did not deploy.
Could it be the hit from behind triggered the power off saqfety switch so that when the front was damaged there was no power to deploy the bags?
I am presuming the front was damaged by going off the road after being hit from behind.