# not really a tree related accident, but...



## pdqdl (Jun 16, 2008)

I got into a nasty wreck going home from work last thursday. Some ignorant woman drove around the "road closed" signs onto the westbound lane going east. I was right there to put an end to that nonsense. 

It was a head-on collision, at least I wasn't going too fast: probably only about 30-35 mph by each car. I did break the facets of several neck vertebrae, but I am only in a neck brace. I think several ribs are at least cracked, and I have a beautiful purple eye. The neurosurgeon says I should be back in action in 6-8 weeks.  

I don't think he expected me back to work on Monday, but I promise I won't do much but point, print, or type.

I have several points to make here: 

1. MAKE SURE your seatbelt is ALWAYS on. I think mine was, but I don't really remember. The air bag knocked the stuffings out of me. My knees never hit the dash, and I usually put it on, but I really don't know if I did or not. I know my guys usually don't put on the belts when they are driving my trucks, despite my comments. You can bet that will get improved on when I get back to work.

2. Try to run your life so that your obligations can be filled if you get knocked out of work for a while. I had just changed my shop keys, and nobody coming the next day had a working key. It was a HUGE inconvenience to my wife to skip her work taking keys to a different job. If I was not able to make calls that morning to my men to clarify what would happen that day, it would have put about 10 men out of work. Fortunately, I will be going to work tomorrow.

3. MAKE SURE you have good un-insured motorist coverage. Naturally, the dumb btch that hit me was not insured. My lawyer informs me that my coverage is pretty good, and that I am covered for my medical and liability losses. If you don't have it, buy some NOW!

4. NEVER assume that the other drivers are bright enough to stay on their side of the road. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you will see them coming, either. Try to drive so that they can't hit you if they try. 

In my case, NOTHING could have prevented the wreck, except to simply not be there at that moment. I was recovering from the slam the airbag gave me before I even knew the wreck was going to happen. All I remember is the flash of one headlight and being crunched backwards by the airbag.

5. Learn how to use the video recorders in your phone. I WISH I had recorded the woman stating (in the ambulance) that she was going east in the westbound lane. She certainly didn't tell the police that.

6. Always travel with some rain gear and other emergency stuff. My umbrella was gone, and it really sucks chasing around in a rainstorm after you have been hurt. The police didn't even want to let me in their car to take my statement, for fear that I would bleed on everything.

7. Life is short, so make sure you have a little fun each day. It makes hard times easier to accept when they come along.


----------



## clearance (Jun 16, 2008)

Wow, good you are mostly ok. Thanks for the reminder, we are here for a good time, not a long time.


----------



## ropensaddle (Jun 16, 2008)

pdqdl said:


> I got into a nasty wreck going home from work last thursday. Some ignorant woman drove around the "road closed" signs onto the westbound lane going east. I was right there to put an end to that nonsense.
> 
> It was a head-on collision, at least I wasn't going too fast: probably only about 30-35 mph by each car. I did break the facets of several neck vertebrae, but I am only in a neck brace. I think several ribs are at least cracked, and I have a beautiful purple eye. The neurosurgeon says I should be back in action in 6-8 weeks.
> 
> ...



Sorry to hear you are hurt a vehicle is good at doing just that.
If you were both going 35 mph head on is like hitting a brick wall at 70!
The police will see what happened by evidence so don't sweat that
just get well and try to follow doctors orders as well as you can.


----------



## BlueRidgeMark (Jun 16, 2008)

I'd bet a good sum of money you had that seatbelt on. An air bag would likely have killed you if you hadn't had the seat belt.


Glad you're okay. You'll be most sore a few days after the crash. Take a lot of vitamin C!


Take it easy - you're hurt worse than you think!


----------



## belgian (Jun 16, 2008)

Ouch, sorry to hear about your accident but you got out not too bad ! I travel at least 50000 miles a year by car, and most of that mileage is done on the german autobahn, with very high speed traffic.

You mentioned several good points though ! I see dumb moves of stupid drivers all the time, and have been lucky not to get involved yet in a serious accident. My brother died in a motorcycle accident 25 years ago, by a stupid woman driving on the wrong side of the road, so I know what you mean. 

Another good point to add to your list is to have a camera in your vehicle which will allow you (if lucky) to make some pics immediately after the incident, and try to get hold of ID of witnesses (who often quickly disappear). 

I wish you a speedy recovery.


----------



## ClimbinArbor (Jun 16, 2008)

glad yer gonna be allright pdq. you make some good points too. it is always in ones best interest to be a defensive driver.


----------



## Dadatwins (Jun 16, 2008)

best wishes for a speedy recovery


----------



## Gunsmoke (Jun 16, 2008)

Thank God your alive... I drove truck for years and have seen 2 many fatal crashes and non fatal wrecks. You are a blessed man to be able to type on that keyboard after that! Best wishes and a very speedy recovery!!!


----------



## Bruce Hopf (Jun 16, 2008)

pddl said:


> I got into a nasty wreck going home from work last Thursday. Some ignorant woman drove around the "road closed" signs onto the westbound lane going east. I was right there to put an end to that nonsense.
> 
> It was a head-on collision, at least I wasn't going too fast: probably only about 30-35 mph by each car. I did break the facets of several neck vertebrae, but I am only in a neck brace. I think several ribs are at least cracked, and I have a beautiful purple eye. The neurosurgeon says I should be back in action in 6-8 weeks.
> 
> ...


Like Gun Smoke, I too driven transport trucks, for 13 years. I too have seen more than my fair share of fatal accidents, and was involved in one. 
A drunken kid, 19, ran a stop sign, in front of my Highway Tractor. Killed his Buddy, 20, sitting beside him. He is not much better than a vegetable.
What saved me was the size of the vehicle I was driving. $35,000.00 damage to my Tractor, less than 2 months old, down time 7 weeks, Counseling for 10 weeks, because it really shook me up pretty good.
I agree. Happy that your going to be OK. Could have been worse. Thank God every day you spend here, because Life is Only A Little While. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
Bruce.


----------



## pdqdl (Jun 17, 2008)

ropensaddle said:


> Sorry to hear you are hurt a vehicle is good at doing just that.
> If you were both going 35 mph head on is like hitting a brick wall at 70!
> The police will see what happened by evidence so don't sweat that
> just get well and try to follow doctors orders as well as you can.



The cops were useless. It was raining and they didn't want to get wet. They indicated that since there were no skid marks (I came back the next day and photographed them on the dry road), there was not much they could investigate.

They only wrote a ticket to the lady for no proof of insurance, and I had to practically blackmail them to get that done.


----------



## turnkey4099 (Jun 17, 2008)

ropensaddle said:


> Sorry to hear you are hurt a vehicle is good at doing just that.
> If you were both going 35 mph head on is like hitting a brick wall at 70!
> .



Sorry, but no. That is a common misconception. Each car stops from 35. There is only so much energy involved (35 + 35) and it has to be split between both vehicles.

Harry K


----------



## Saw Bones (Jun 17, 2008)

1) Always Always buckle your seatbelt and be sure every one in the vehicle does also before moving. I always put mine on out of habbit, even just moving a few feet in the drive way. I laugh at my self and say "why did I just do that?", but I do it with out even thinking about it.

2) Sue the Bastards. Push for laws requiring all drivers to have insurance.


Glad to hear you survived.


----------



## bendtrees (Jun 17, 2008)

Good to hear the prognosis is positive. Last year a local fella crashed his chip truck into a tree and died.
1. I definitely consider this to be a work related accident. After all, you weren't driving around for kicks right. 
2. I, like most of us, I constantly assess risks. Think, approx. 41,000 a year in the U.S. die in auto wrecks. Hmmn, how many simply get very messed up?
3. Driving 10 miles at sixty mph I usually pass 120-150 cars on a local busy stretch. Lets say the average auto has 10 parts whose failures could cause them to veer left, (into you). Thats 1500 (i think) parts that you rely on not failing every minute. This of course doesn't even begin to account for people texting, putting on makeup, reading the paper, shaving, talking, 95% of which haven't checked their tires, or drivetrain in the past year. 
4. I really laugh when people comment on some of the risks (and perceived risks) they see. Cars are Killers. 

Hope your healing well.


----------



## pdqdl (Jul 30, 2008)

*An update on my big wreck*

I finally got my little VW jetta back from the repair shop today. Over $14,000 in repairs, but it seems just as good as new. 

Hmmm...June 13th to July 29th. For spending that much time on the repair, I would hope they fixed it well.

Myself: my neck is still stiff, and turning my head is not good, but I am mostly back in action. I have abandoned the neck collar in favor of not choking to death in the heat. 

So far: I have not been able to get a qualified doctor to see me after the wreck. I started out on a neuro-surgeon, and they have all been turning up their noses at even setting an appointment. Apparently, my health insurance is not very popular with that crowd. It's a good thing I didn't need them anyway, because I am very disillusioned about how the medical community reacts to this type of injury.

Apparently this type of injury is so common that the doctors fear they will spend the rest of their lives in court testifying about some faker's sore neck.


----------



## ropensaddle (Jul 30, 2008)

pdqdl said:


> The cops were useless. It was raining and they didn't want to get wet. They indicated that since there were no skid marks (I came back the next day and photographed them on the dry road), there was not much they could investigate.
> 
> They only wrote a ticket to the lady for no proof of insurance, and I had to practically blackmail them to get that done.



Yeah I understand, at least it was not an illegal alien, get better!


----------



## treemandan (Jul 30, 2008)

pdqdl said:


> I finally got my little VW jetta back from the repair shop today. Over $14,000 in repairs, but it seems just as good as new.
> 
> Hmmm...June 13th to July 29th. For spending that much time on the repair, I would hope they fixed it well.
> 
> ...



l


----------



## treemandan (Jul 30, 2008)

I don't know how I got that messed up but I did. Feel better PDQ GUY


----------

