- Mar 6, 2006
- 6,490
- 1,022
- 136
Auto accident involving 2 other vehicles (3 total) causing personal injury.
My friend got in another accident, I was at his house talking with him and his mother about it. She slapped me in the face and told me to shut the fuck up because I suggested he get a lawyer. She had plenty of other bad words for me (and lawyers), and basically is completely against lawsuits or lawyers because it's "dishonest". Insurance companies always do the right thing and cover 110% including personal injuries and any/all loses resulting from it. No way he can work right now (shipping for UPS) and will loose his grant money/financial aid for school if he misses to many days (new quarter or semester or whatever just started).
Problem is their insurance is horrific (he and his mom share a policy) and he has had serious problems with them. His mother refuses to change companies/policies and he pretty much does what she says (she bought him a car brand new [twice now]), doesn't care enough to deal with it himself. I have no idea why his mom likes the insurance so much...terrible prices, terrible service, using scare tactics etc to get their way, and they have proven to be very dishonest. Like charging for coverage not provided, then claiming the vehicle is not covered when an issue arrives...instead offering to refund the excess amount paid (far less) instead of covering the damages as they should.
Once he was rear ended while paying for parking in a garage, and despite the cop and booth employee testimonies the insurance insisted that he fled the scene (or whatever) and he got stuck with $1,400 in repairs. Later somebody had stolen his car and wrecked it bad, $6,000 in damage, but since he didn't press charges (or whatever, he didn't know who stole it) he got stuck with it. Just recently his mother let a renter from her house take this car and they totaled it. Massive fight for several months with insurance and just now getting resolved (they had all kinds of issues and this is where they lied about coverage etc). I'm sure there were a few other incidents as well...he's a magnet for car accidents. I KNOW hes a bad driver, but he insists that no accidents were his fault (and technically that's true) so he thinks he's a fantastic driver. Anyway...
So he gets a new car just a few weeks ago and now gets into this accident. Sounds like he wasn't paying attention (he admitted to me he was playing with his radio) on the highway and had to stop fast. Fortunately (pure luck I'm sure) he was far enough back to not hit the person in front, but the person tailgating him couldn't stop fast enough so they swerved into the other lane and the person behind them ended up plowing into the back of the car that was swerving, and continuing forward until it hit his car as well. Doesn't sound like this second car slowed at all, so hit the swerving car at 60-65 mph and ended up hitting him at maybe 40+ mph. He had his foot jammed hard on the brake from when he stopped, so when he got hit it tweaked his hip and spine really bad and gave him whiplash as well. He was on his way to school, and tried to get there after the accident...initially didn't think he was injured (may have said as much on scene). But upon reaching school was injured enough that he couldn't even walk to his classes. That's when he came home and I talked with him and his mother.
Thing is, something similar happened to my mom...having her foot jammed on the brake while getting rear ended. She still has serious back issues many years later (even considered going out of country for special surgery). So I suggested he go see a doctor right away and get a lawyer. His mother agreed on the doctor part, but insists that drugs will fix everything in a few days and that getting a lawyer is basically demonic and unfathomable (I got slapped sometime there). So she is extremely angry at me, and is trying to make sure he doesn't do anything. He's on his way to urgent care, and I made sure he got an appointment with his chiropractor (the one he saw last time he got rear ended). Figured I'd see what ATOT thinks.
I have no experience with lawyers, but I think its a smart move this time. Can a lawyer deal with insurance and whatnot to make sure everything gets done properly and fairly? If insurance won't cover it then a lawsuit? I'm guessing I can't get a lawyer for him, is it safe to just pick anybody off the the yellow pages etc? I'm sure he won't want to deal with the hassle, but if I can just give him a phone number he might. If I can get a lawyer that doesn't require pay unless/until they win (and take payment from the settlement or whatever) that'd make it much easier to convince him. No way he could afford a lawyer right now and I know his mom would refuse to help.
He's kinda like a brother, I've known him long enough...I have more time than he does right now so I'd like to help out if I can.
My friend got in another accident, I was at his house talking with him and his mother about it. She slapped me in the face and told me to shut the fuck up because I suggested he get a lawyer. She had plenty of other bad words for me (and lawyers), and basically is completely against lawsuits or lawyers because it's "dishonest". Insurance companies always do the right thing and cover 110% including personal injuries and any/all loses resulting from it. No way he can work right now (shipping for UPS) and will loose his grant money/financial aid for school if he misses to many days (new quarter or semester or whatever just started).
Problem is their insurance is horrific (he and his mom share a policy) and he has had serious problems with them. His mother refuses to change companies/policies and he pretty much does what she says (she bought him a car brand new [twice now]), doesn't care enough to deal with it himself. I have no idea why his mom likes the insurance so much...terrible prices, terrible service, using scare tactics etc to get their way, and they have proven to be very dishonest. Like charging for coverage not provided, then claiming the vehicle is not covered when an issue arrives...instead offering to refund the excess amount paid (far less) instead of covering the damages as they should.
Once he was rear ended while paying for parking in a garage, and despite the cop and booth employee testimonies the insurance insisted that he fled the scene (or whatever) and he got stuck with $1,400 in repairs. Later somebody had stolen his car and wrecked it bad, $6,000 in damage, but since he didn't press charges (or whatever, he didn't know who stole it) he got stuck with it. Just recently his mother let a renter from her house take this car and they totaled it. Massive fight for several months with insurance and just now getting resolved (they had all kinds of issues and this is where they lied about coverage etc). I'm sure there were a few other incidents as well...he's a magnet for car accidents. I KNOW hes a bad driver, but he insists that no accidents were his fault (and technically that's true) so he thinks he's a fantastic driver. Anyway...
So he gets a new car just a few weeks ago and now gets into this accident. Sounds like he wasn't paying attention (he admitted to me he was playing with his radio) on the highway and had to stop fast. Fortunately (pure luck I'm sure) he was far enough back to not hit the person in front, but the person tailgating him couldn't stop fast enough so they swerved into the other lane and the person behind them ended up plowing into the back of the car that was swerving, and continuing forward until it hit his car as well. Doesn't sound like this second car slowed at all, so hit the swerving car at 60-65 mph and ended up hitting him at maybe 40+ mph. He had his foot jammed hard on the brake from when he stopped, so when he got hit it tweaked his hip and spine really bad and gave him whiplash as well. He was on his way to school, and tried to get there after the accident...initially didn't think he was injured (may have said as much on scene). But upon reaching school was injured enough that he couldn't even walk to his classes. That's when he came home and I talked with him and his mother.
Thing is, something similar happened to my mom...having her foot jammed on the brake while getting rear ended. She still has serious back issues many years later (even considered going out of country for special surgery). So I suggested he go see a doctor right away and get a lawyer. His mother agreed on the doctor part, but insists that drugs will fix everything in a few days and that getting a lawyer is basically demonic and unfathomable (I got slapped sometime there). So she is extremely angry at me, and is trying to make sure he doesn't do anything. He's on his way to urgent care, and I made sure he got an appointment with his chiropractor (the one he saw last time he got rear ended). Figured I'd see what ATOT thinks.
I have no experience with lawyers, but I think its a smart move this time. Can a lawyer deal with insurance and whatnot to make sure everything gets done properly and fairly? If insurance won't cover it then a lawsuit? I'm guessing I can't get a lawyer for him, is it safe to just pick anybody off the the yellow pages etc? I'm sure he won't want to deal with the hassle, but if I can just give him a phone number he might. If I can get a lawyer that doesn't require pay unless/until they win (and take payment from the settlement or whatever) that'd make it much easier to convince him. No way he could afford a lawyer right now and I know his mom would refuse to help.
He's kinda like a brother, I've known him long enough...I have more time than he does right now so I'd like to help out if I can.
Facebook
Twitter