My mom was t-boned

[Sliceanddice]

So the story

My mom stopped by a Panera near her work. After getting her food she was heading out of the parking lot when this car came from the right an hit her passenger side so hard her air bags deployed and the offending car caught on fire.

So cops and fire department show up and stuff. Mom tried to call the boy cause he doesn't work nights but he didn't answer (he is useless) so she calls my sister to give her ride home and be a general take care of mommy person.

How did I find out?

I attached my mom's Google account to my phone when her phone was acting up and I was helping her with some stuff. So I saw the email from her insurance tell her they have started her claim process and who was going to appraise the damage.

She forgot to call me in the chaos.

[dalesys]

At least the T-boner was broiled rather than the T-boned. (I hope)

[Dreamstalker]

The other car caught fire from a T-bone collision?! Wow. Glad your mom was able to walk away from that.

[notalwaysright]

I keep hearing about everyone getting into car accidents. My step dad has gotten into two in the past 6 months, after never being in one in his life. A coworker was rear ended while stopped for road construction. Her car was hit hard enough that it hit the car in front of her, and she blacked out briefly. The other person was texting.

I hate driving. Hope your mom's okay.

[Pixelated]

The other car caught fire from a T-bone collision?! Wow. Glad your mom was able to walk away from that.

OMG Same here!

I keep hearing about everyone getting into car accidents. My step dad has gotten into two in the past 6 months, after never being in one in his life. A coworker was rear ended while stopped for road construction. Her car was hit hard enough that it hit the car in front of her, and she blacked out briefly. The other person was texting. [emphasis mine]

Once I'm in charge of the world, idiots who cause an accident by texting will have their driving privileges revoked and their vehicle impounded (assuming it's even salvageable) for at least a year. Oh, that means you're going to lose your job, you say? Shoulda thought of that before you did something that has been illegal for quite some time now.

[RootedPhoenix]

:O Glad she's still alive after that! Hope she'll be okay. <3

[Nunavut Pants]

The other car caught fire from a T-bone collision?!

A guy I know had that happen. He hit someone else, and the hood of his car crumpled so that it was touching both battery + and - terminals. Dead short, hot metal, fire.


I'm also glad to hear that Mama Slicey seems to be OK.

[Food Lady]

The other car caught fire from a T-bone collision?! Wow. Glad your mom was able to walk away from that.

I was gonna say! That's one of the worst ways to get hit, the other being head-on.

[notalwaysright]

Once I'm in charge of the world, idiots who cause an accident by texting will have their driving privileges revoked and their vehicle impounded (assuming it's even salvageable) for at least a year. Oh, that means you're going to lose your job, you say? Shoulda thought of that before you did something that has been illegal for quite some time now.

Oh, I forgot this tidbit... The other driver didn't have insurance. This was also the case with one of the accidents my step-dad was in. When I'm in charge of the world, cars won't run without valid insurance. Just makes me irritated when I'm paying my insurance bill thinking that other people don't. Oh, you're super broke? That sucks but it's still a law to have some insurance.

[Sliceanddice]

Well she has a boob bruise from her seat belt, and her car is likely totaled... She is just happy to know that her car is worth more than she owes on it.

[Dreamstalker]

That's good.

Maybe cars could have something similar to the DUI ignition interlock where you have to input your policy number before the engine will start (how to verify though?).

My former state of residence has a reputation (dunno if it's still valid) as having one of the highest ratio of uninsured drivers in the country if not the highest. My dad who was a bit of a leadfoot driver when he lived on the east coast is now very careful in anything resembling heavy traffic. (this is the state where, when I wanted to renew my learner's permit as I wasn't able to complete road lessons in time was told "you can drive, just not legally." ....explains a lot actually)

[Mikkel]

That's good.

Maybe cars could have something similar to the DUI ignition interlock where you have to input your policy number before the engine will start (how to verify though?).

Here the licence plate is revoked if you don't have a valid insurance, the insurance companies report if an insurance isn't paid. This in itself isn't enough, since the plate still sit on the car and the police will only go past your home a few times to reclaim the plates. Now, though, many police cars have 380 degree cameras which automatically read all licence plates of cars they pass and beeps an alarm if the licence plate isn't valid. This makes it really difficult not having an insurance.

[protege]

This makes it really difficult not having an insurance.

Here--at least in Pennsylvania--if someone drops their insurance, they're supposed to send in their license plates. But, it's not really enforced. How do I know? Some crackhead wrote off my car last year, and then tried to flee the scene. He got about 2 blocks before his car died. Why did he flee? Simple--no license, no insurance, and the car's registration had lapsed. He got caught when his neighbor's (he was trying to get to his mom's when he had the accident) turned him in. Last I heard, he was in jail, his mom is in jail (it was her car, she'd canceled the insurance and knowingly let her son drive it without a license), and the car is still sitting in the impound lot. Pisses me off in that I did was I was supposed to, and *I'm* the one that ends up getting shafted. Because PA allows you to sue uninsured motorists, I couldn't even go after them for damages. Other than the car, they didn't own any property.

[AccountingDrone]

Well she has a boob bruise from her seat belt, and her car is likely totaled... She is just happy to know that her car is worth more than she owes on it.

Better a boob bruise than flail chest from impacting the steering wheel, or a head injury from impacting the windshield ...

When Rob rolled my car, he got the chest bruise from the belt, black eyes and some abrasions on his face from the airbag, and the only real damage, a huge avulsion from elbow to wrist on his left arm because the airbag shoved it against the window as the glass broke and dragged it across the pavement [he just had to get an embedded something that got encysted 10 years ago when it happened.]

[and this is why we pretty much only drive VWs - the result of a roll at 70 mph ...]
[IMG][/IMG]

[taxguykarl]

Here--at least in Pennsylvania--if someone drops their insurance, they're supposed to send in their license plates.

When one renews in Illinois, they are supposed to give the policy numbers and company. What happens when that is left blank on the form is anyone's guess.
FWIW, most insurers offer uninsured motorist coverage for a reason. I had a tax client who wrote off a large amount because his car was totaled in an accident. His insurance carrier balked at covering the accident because the other driver did not have a license, let alone insurance. That other driver was arrested on the spot because he was so drunk that the client could smell the alcohol from 8 feet.