My wrecked 82

[ga.spyder]

John ,
thats it... free beer on you!! I am going to let it play out for a bit in the hope that they will do the right thing.The car wasnt going to be fixed before FFO anyway.If it dragged out past that,I will let State Farm fight them for reimbursement.My agent is really cool and said''dont sweat it,the car will be fixed''.
Ron,you didnt jinx me!! I almost didnt take the car,because I really dislike that kind of driving in the Fiat.I was surely in his blind spot when he jerked into the right lane.Red paint may have helped.I never saw him move,the first I knew was my wife screamed and contact was almost immediate.It sucks,but a very serious accident was a definite possibility in those circumstances.There was a car tailgating me ,and I dont know how he didnt nail us.He must have seen the guy coming over.Hey,since you arent coming to FFO.I guess I win the potato salad challenge by default?

[Exit98]

JMHO Craig but I definitely agree with John. Eat the deductable for now and get the car fixed. Waiting isn't going to help.State Farm will pursue the other guy's insurance (or not).

Of course you're pissed off at the other guy, but in the end you need to be dispassionate about what occurred.

No one got hurt, the Spider's still stright, and that's why we have insurance.

Accidents like this are one of life's little hassles. Don't dwell on it, fix it and get back to enjoying the trip.

[NJFIAT1981]

Hi Craig,
Very sorry to hear of your traffic collision. Please allow me to ask a few professional questions. Did the investigationg officer find the other driver at fault? If so did he issue him a motor vehicle summons? If he did not issue him a motor vehicle summons I would suggest that you contact the officer and politely ask him to issue the other driver a motor vehicle summons. If he does not I would suggest that you issue the other driver a motor vehicle summons and subpeona the officer to court. Insurance companies like to see when the officer finds someone directly at fault.
Next I would contact your insurance company and tell them (insist) that you would like them to recover your deductable from the other drivers insurance company. No reason you should have to pay for the other drivers carelessness. That being said I'm glad to see that you bounced back from the brink of depression and purchased a new toy. Way to go!
Once again sorry to hear you have had some troubles. If I may be of any assistance please feel free to contact me. George

[ga.spyder]

Hey George,
The other driver wasnt issued a ticket.I questioned the officer,who was extremely polite,as to why.He said that our stories conflicted and that because none of the witnesses bothered to stop,he had no choice.I protested in writing and was contacted by the captain and supervisor of the trooper.He felt that the officer handled it the best he could.He explained that not believing one story was not enough to warrant the ticket.The other driver said I tried to squeeze in between him and a concrete median!Right.He explained that the officer needs an eye witness account when the stories conflict.This being said the Captain told me that if I went to court''It would definitely be in my best intrest to subpoena the officer''.I took this to mean that he realized that I was being truthful and the other driver was not.He repeated it to me again.''in my best interest''.That is where we stand,and if I dont hear from his ins. by next Thurs with some type of solution I will have State Farm go after them.The other driver got away w/o a ticket and if he has any smarts,he will tell his insurance to settle up.Otherwise ,he will be driving to Ga. or NC to fight a losing battle in court.
Craig

[NJFIAT1981]

I see. Well sounds like Doug is right. This is one of life's bumps in the road. Let the insurance companies battle it out. Get your spider fixed and keep moving foward. Glad to hear everybody came out uninjured. Nice bike! George

[kristoj]

the guy that ran a red light and hit me was issued a citation for running a red light (fortunately a witness stayed until police arrived). But he got a lawyer, went to court to fight it, and actually got off on a technicality. I was really upset and his insurance company denied responsibility as a result. However, State Farm pursued it and it eventually went to arbritration. The whole process took about nine months, but the arbitrator agreed that he was at fault (despite getting out of his ticket) and I eventually received reimbursment for my deductible. I am still waiting to be reimbursed for my medical expenses though. That should be settled soon. It is amazing how quickly these things get really complicated. We live in a world where no one is willing to be accountable for their actions anymore. I guess it's just easier to lie and hire an ambulance chaser.

[ga.spyder]

Good point,JK.The other driver lied to the officer and managed to get away without being ticketed.He absolutely lost me in his mirrors.Before I even rec'd a copy of the accident report,I got 3 letters from attornies in NC wanting to represent me!! I will give his insurance until the end of the week,and then let SF go after them and my $500 deductible.The claims adjuster for his co. seems pretty peeved that he refuses to return calls,or even report he was ina accident.Arbitration is also an option if they refuse to pay.I feel a victim,as I did nothing wrong!!
What type of injuries did you have,hope you are ok now?

[kristoj]

Craig,

I am fine now. I basically had what turned out to be minor neck injuries and required a few visits to the doctor with an MRI or two thrown in. The guy t-boned me doing 45+ mph. Thank goodness for side airbags! My car sustained over $14k in damages and they still fixed it!

I have since traded it in on another vehicle. I took a bath on the trade due to the Carfax report, and of course was never compensated for the loss in value. Seems you just can't break even after an accident, even when it wasn't your fault. But, like you, I'm glad I wasn't seriously injured or killed. Had I been in the Fiat...

[baltobernie]

Glad you guys are both OK. Certainly a reminder to all of us to be a bit defensive when driving our Spiders.

A local Spider owner who works for a Honda dealership was clobbered by a guy with a history of seizures, who had one while driving. Seizure Guy's insurance company refuses to pay because they claim Seizure was fraudulent in his application, the Serviced Honda insurance company won't pay because the car was being serviced (test driven) by a mechanic, not the owner, the Honda dealer insurance company says Seizure insurance is responsible regardless of applicant. Meanwhile, the mechanic is off work and the medical bills are still rolling in.

Heck, another Spider owner nearby is still fighting to get reimbursed for agreed-upon collision damage (only) more than a year after getting hit, and the Spider owner's spouse is an attorney!

Hey George, why don't you write a (disclaimed) step-by-step guide for dealings of this sort?

[ga.spyder]

It is extremely frustrating.I am going to FFO with a crappy looking car,and I did nothing wrong!I was driving very defensively.The rep from Hartford is a very nice guy and seems to understand my dilemna.That being said...nothing is happening.It looks like I will have to go the route of having my ins. fix the Spider,then try to collect via arbitration.It is extremely unfair.I can tell you if I ever witness an incedent in the future,I will stick around for the police!If any of the witnesses had stayed, the whole thing would have been settled.I urge everyone who may be a witness to follow that path,it could be you the next time.

[velozi]

Sorry to hear your story.

I have been know to go to shows with a messed up fender. Your car is still nice ever with a hit on the side.

[ga.spyder]

Thanks Velozi, any chance you might get up to Asheville for some of the FFO events? It should be a fun event.

[velozi]

Thinking about FFO but not sure yet. Would like to go if I am able to.

[Exit98]

Hi Craig,

I got to thinking about you poor Spider and the resulting posts and something came to mind. You mentioned a $500 deductable on your insurance. I looked at my policy today, I'm with Hagerty, and my collision and comprehensive have no deductable, and a stated value of $10K.

Deductibles are available, which would presumably lower the premium, but at $170 or so a year why bother?

This is unlike my every day cars policy. I believe in large deductibles and they are set at $1,000 for my daily drivers.

I’ve never had a claim with Hagerty and hope I never will. But they do seem to have a good reputation. So I presume that in a situation like you’ve experienced Hagerty would have paid for 100% of the repairs to your car, and they would decide to pursue the other driver or not.

Perhaps you might look into the cost difference in deductable rates with your insurer or maybe consider shopping around for better terms.

[ga.spyder]

Funny you should mention that.I sat with a Hagerty rep recently and went over their policy.I plan on switching when my current policy expires.What I hadnt planned on...gettin' clobbered!Some good news,the claims rep for the guy that hit me caled to let me know that they are accepting responsibiity and will pay for my repairs.