Almost died

[c_alexander]

Well, according to everyone I have talked to so far  I am pretty lucky to be here. Earlier today I got into a pretty bad accident in my car (only 2 mos old to me).  Some elderly guy and his family from Ohio decided to stop DEAD on I-225 in a construction zone and even though I was far behind them, their sudden stop didn't give me enough time to react and I rearended them. I had been going about 60 but managed to skid and slow down to maybe 45. I can only afford liability insurance on the car, and it is damaged enough that it is undriveable. I still can't find a job here and now I have no way to get around.  

you can see pictures of the carnage at the links below:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/954074/img00011.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/954074/img00012.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/954074/img00013.jpg

As for me, everyones been telling me I am lucky to be alive. My car being older had no air bags or nothing so I got rocked pretty hard witht he crash. My neck is pretty sore and I plan to goto the hospital either today or tomorrow to be sure it's ok.

So to top it off I am jobless, and carless. I don't know what I did to the
universe to make it want to screw me over so bad. I just want it all to be over. I  am tired of fighting. I just want to get myself settled and get on with my life.  

[jilly]

Dude...you have the worst luck of anybody I know.  I'm sorry about the car but glad you're OK.

[Kitty C.]

Chris, you make DAMN sure you see a doctor.  I can promise you that when you wake up tomorrow morning, even if they find nothing wrong, you will be hurting a WHOLE lot worse.  What I would suggest from the doctor is a mild muscle relaxer, something to help relax them while they heal.  You might also want to consider a chiropractor, something that helped DH a lot when he got rear-ended 7 years ago.

Just out of curiosity, was the other guy charged?  You might have a law suit brewing..........JMO.

[c_alexander]

The doctor and chiroprator sound nice, but according to Colorado this accident was my fault. I have liability insurance only so all of this is out of my pocket.  Because I rear ended him they dconsider it that I was following too close. I was well within the 4 second rule though. You do not expect a car to suddenly stop dead right in front of you on the expressway especially when there is no reason to. the Codot closed a lane of traffic down without any warning. The thing that made me mad was that there was NO reason for that lane to be closed.

To top it all off they gave me a ticket for followign too close 9 even though I was not)  and I have to go to court on 9/16. the whole thing jsut makes me sick. I worked so hard toget out here and now this. I am jsut so tired an exhausted from all of the drama and fighting jsut to survive.

I can't afford to fix it, or to replace it...I just don't know what I am going to do.

[wysiwyg]

Chris,

First of all I am glad you are ok, please get checked though to be sure, previous posters are right, you will feel it tomorrow.

Secondly, I share with your frustration and the part to give up, I do not have words of wisdom to keep fighting as I can not see the light of day for tomorrow to give someone else hope, but I do certainly share in your fight and your feelings right now.

And lastly, if this is the car that IN put a lein on becasue of CS issues, I think that in itself is commical, tell em to come get it and have it towed back!  Then tell em to do with it as they see fit, I have a few suggestions but perhaps that would get me in trouble somepleace.

Take care, get help and tomorrow is another day!

wysiwyg

[Kent]

... the damage doesn't seem like too much of a problem.
There doesn't seem to be frame damage. Did it kill your radiator?

As a bare minimum, you'll need a new headlight, which you can get fairly inexpensive, either from a junkyard, or from Autozone/Pepboys/etc.
Hood, fender, and side panel can be "re-shaped" with the gentle touch of a low-impact hammer.
It won't be pretty, but it'll be pretty rare.

I'd love to help you with that, but GA is too much of a distance.

Good luck!

Kent!

[MYSONSDAD]

Do not worry so much on the negatives, work on all the positives.

If this had happened while you were in Indiana, it would have really set you back.

Chill and enjoy being near your daughter, that is what counts....

[flewwellin]

As a hobby I restore vehicles with my husband and I'd say you are lucky you weren't hurt worse but from the looks of it this vehicle is an older car you should count your blessings you were in an older car and not in a new one.  The old cars are made out of real metal and not fiberglass that takes a bump to dent or worse an accident like this, you'd have been "eating your legs".  You wouldn't have died in this accident but yeah any accident is terrifying.

As for the universe trying to screw you, I am sure you aren't the only one who feels this way.  Dads around the world are constantly screwed and treated unjustly my husband being one of them.  The things that have helped my husband the most is when things feel like it couldn't be worse he goes takes a deep breath, vents his feelings, and puts it all away.  He knows that his life is going to be difficult for at least 14 more years (the youngest from his first marriage wil be 18 then) and he just lets it roll off his back.  Stand strong you'll get where you need to be, you sound like you are more than willing to "break your back" to get what you need.

[wendl]

Chris,

Did they have road construction, lane closure signs up????

If not go back and take pictures when you go to court.


At least you had liability, or you would be in a harder spot than you are right now.

I am so sorry this happened, things were just looking up for you.  Don't let it get you down, your child still has his/her father.

**These are my opinions, they are not legal advice**