So I've been avoiding the forum for quite some time, because sometimes burying the pain is the best way to deal with it....
But 3 1/2 months of torture has broken this man, and I need to let the pain out. Sharing is part of my rehabilitation.
A short story... I call it A Boy and his Z, and Some Chick Who Ran a Stop Sign, Almost Totalled His Z, Then Followed Him to the ER to Record How He Acted While Wearing a Neck Brace She Went Home to Get.
Ok, so the title of my story just about covers it. The small details include a Liberty, a female driver, no f***s given, and a stop sign.
I'm driving back to work from physical therapy (ironic, no? Back issues from getting t-boned 3 years ago under almost the same circumstances.) I'm on a main road that has outlet mall stores on both sides. I don't have a stop sign. I cautiously look to my right, because people run stop signs around here all the time. As I look to my left, a white Liberty comes plowing through her stop sign.
--A quick pause to help set the scene; the road I'm on has a lane on each side, split by a super-wide middle turning lane. We're talking about essentially 3.5 lanes, with shoulders on both sides. My speed is 30-ish. I'm in the lane farthest from her, and between her stop sign and my car, we have a wide shoulder lane, a driving lane, and a center lane.--
By the time I see her, she's maybe a few feet away from my car, and on course to hit me between my A pillar and door. My cat-like reflexes kick in; I swerve away from the oncoming Jeep of Doom as far as I can in the shoulder and accelerate, taking the risk that, if I brake and she doesn't, she will be hitting me square on my side, and as much as I love my car, I'm willing to sacrifice structure to save my back from any additional damage.
Fortunately for me, I was sort of right. Unfortunately for my Z and my sanity, I have maybe 2 seconds of watching her realize what is happening (after she dug her face out of her phone) and- mind you, she is feet from my door- what do I see next? This broad FLOORS HER JEEP INTO MY Z! All I see is her panic-face of realization, the front of the jeep lean back from torque, a revving V6 at eye level, followed by a bright white pillow of air-death punching me in the face, kidney, and chest.
It gets better.... I park my beloved Z, my best friend, injured. Adrenaline forces me out of the car, cursing and rubbing my neck and back (remember, I just left physical therapy.) I call my boss, because I kid you not I was within a 30 second walk to work; insult to injury.
This woman comes to me and says, Oh My God, do you have insurance??
.... Vanity reared its ugly head. My response was a reasonably condescending "Look at my car... does it LOOK like I wouldn't have insurance?"
Followed by a quick "Not like it matters, You ran the stop sign."
Of course, she starts yelling and swearing, saying it was my fault... I quickly shut her up by saying she can save her story for the police, it won't matter anyhow.
Shortly after, here arrives the police and ambulance, insisting they take me; apparently when all of your airbags deploy they're required?
And it just. doesn't. end.
As I'm waiting in the ER, maybe 25 minutes rolls by, and this crazy woman walks in wearing her OWN Neck Brace!! She records me rolling in pain for about half an hour, then decides to swear at me repeatedly, yelling something about me calling her names. Mind you, the only words that came out of my mouth for the entire time she was there were to my husband, explaining that I got hit, and was waiting in the ER. I didn't even bother explaining anything besides telling him I'm not dead/dying/bleeding, and everything was still attached.
I ask for security to move this crazy woman away, and they comply. 20 minutes later, this nut bag takes off her neck brace and leaves, after complaining to the receptionist that it was taking too long.
Needless to say, the insurance companies took less than a few hours to deem her at-fault. 15k worth of body work later, she gets a small insurance hike, and I'm stuck with more back pain, no Z for over 3 months, and driving..... drum roll please.... a corolla
, and I still have at least another 3 weeks of Worlds Most Boring Lightweight I4/CVT Combo hell.
Well, if anyone actually reads this entire post, all I can say is, if you're driving ANYWHERE in Texas, wear a freaking helmet. And watch out for white Jeep Liberties under the influence of a texting female.
Also, our curtain and side airbags both hurt and work wonderfully.