Monday 6 August 2018

Crash

Literally...

Wow, I can't beleive how long it is since I wrote the last post.

Firstly, I am doing well with the not calling myself stupid.

And whilst I am not thinking of myself  as stupid so much, I've not been doing too well recently. Not from the self depreciating side of things, but just the last few weeks have been tough for an unknown, unseen reason. But that is for another day, another post. (Don't worry, I am / will be fine!)

Since 16th June I've been on a different journey. One of recovery and dealing with insurance companies.

Travelling home, in start / stop traffic we were going between 0 and 60 mph. Go, stop, go, stop. At one point it seemed that we were at the end of the jam and going. Back to 60. And then stop. Not slow down, dead stop.

I had seen the car behind and wanted to make sure that I neither hit the car in front, nor was hit by the car behind. So trying to balance the brakes between the two.

So, I stopped with about 3 foot between me and the car in front. Totally tensed, but stopped. Then there was a big bang, and scrape as the Renault behind me hit the rear quarter of my car and scrapped down the side. It probably took a second or so. It seemed like hours. I thought that I could hear each panel buckling. Each plastic trim panel snapping and popping out.

Then it stopped.

And as I relaxed and started to swear in my head there was a huge bang as a second car used my towing hitch to stop.

The guy in the Renault said he stopped in time, but was pushed into me by the Tesla that hit him. I honestly don't know if that it correct or not. Once I stopped, I stopped looking in the mirror.

So, I used the SOS button in the car for the first time. And am really impressed. After checking there were no serious injuries that we could could see the operator organised the emergency services, and sent them to the location of the car. All without me having to figure out exactly where we were. Sometimes modern technology can be something more than a way to turn yourself into an emoji!

We closed the motorway for somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour (seemed longer)...

The Renault was destroyed. The front and rear just disappeared, and one of the rear wheels was hanging off. The front of the Tesla was also removed. You could see the frame of the chassis that the front end mounts on and the front wheels no longer worked.

Mine? The rear quarter was gone. The side was not looking good. The boot floor was not quite the right shape and one wheel had a red streak where the Renault was pushed along it. But it ran, and moved under it's own power. I was quite impressed to be honest! The battery was missed by inches. Something that probably saved it having to be cut apart! (I've seen accidents where the battery has started to smoke and they have had to cut the rear of the car to isolate it!)

And three people stepped out of the car. That fact still astounds me. And is why I am still not angry that it happened. If it had been a fender bender that caused a little damaged I probably would have been much more annoyed. As it was the fact that no one was seriously injured is the main thing.

I say seriously because whilst I had pain at the time, the paramedic who checked me out (the police and paramedics take it *very* seriously when you start to say that you have back pain after that type of accident) said that it was muscle pain, and that I would feel worse the next day (I did). But that went away and I was fine until two weeks later when I was putting on foundation and *cring* I could barely move my arm for pain in the middle of my back. Yes, I know, doing makeup, very cliche...

After a week I thought that seeing as I had had the accident I would check with the doctor and it turns out that I have a displaced vertebrae. It's been x-ray'd (my manual therapist wanted to make sure nothing was broken before she started to make sure that she didn't make it worse) and there are no breaks, but wow, was it painful.

Over the last week I have started to work out again, something that I had stopped for a few weeks to make sure I didn't cause more problems, and most of the time it has been fine. On Saturday I pushed too much and paid for it with pain that needed paracetamol to stop. So I know not to push that hard again, not yet at least.

The car is now back on the road having had 5 weeks of repairs to the bodywork and chassis (so pleased it could be fixed - I was looking for a replacement in case it was written off and there are no other examples of that car, in that spec in Nederland at the moment!) and we are now just waiting for the insurance companies to stop arguing so that I can get my excess and no claims back (my insurance has paid for the repairs to date). Being stationary I think I can say that it was not my fault, but the other two companies are arguing over who is to blame for causing it and so I am not getting money back yet.

And, still, I can't believe that modern cars are that good that such a serious accident happened, at such high speeds and energies, and three people just stepped out of their cars after it happened...

9 comments:

  1. It is amazing how our bodies can disguise fairly major injuries for quite some time after a trauma.
    So glad that the modern design features worked so well.

    I saw a video a few years back of a staged head-on crash between a modern vehicle and one from 50 years before. The modern vehicle came apart; basically destroyed, but the passengers were fine. The exact opposite of the older vehicle.

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    1. The way that modern vehicles behave in accidents is truly amazing. When I owned a V50 I saw a thread on a forum from someone who had a bad accident at 80mph. I don't know the cause, but the result was that the car rolled multiple times along an embankment. The passengers got out of the car themselves. The car was a mess, but the passenger cage was intact.

      I hope never to test another car though! Once, and so 'simple' was enough!

      Groetjes,
      Stace

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  2. A post of highs and lows. Good to know that you escaped being seriously injured. Hopefully the money folk will sort out the arguements and things will be settled soon enough.

    As to putting on makeup: one must maintain standards. :-)

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    1. Fingers crossed they sort it soon. At least I am in the position of this not causing me to not eat for a week to pay for the own risk! They have another 6 months to sort out the payment so that I can keep my car insurance at only 'extortionate' for next year and not 'sweet mother of Snoopy extortionate' :)

      Of course, just wish that I could do it without pain :)

      Groetjes,
      Stace

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  3. Wow! So sorry about the accident and your back, but I'm glad you're doing better. Learning our limits post-injury can be tricky (speaking as one who tends to overdo it), so definitely take things slow, Stace.

    While I didn't injure myself putting on foundation, I have been dealing with my own makeup-related malady - a recurrence of eczema around my left eye again. I had it about three years ago around both eyes, which was unpleasant. This time it's only small area that's affected, fortunately.

    I saw my dermatologist today, and she said I likely scratched it inadvertently, perhaps while applying eyeshadow or mascara. Who knew makeup could be so treacherous?!? ;c) Luckily, a few days applying 1% hydrocortisone ointment should clear it up. Meanwhile, I'll be makeup free, which at least means my morning routine will be quicker! :D

    Be well, hon, and take care of yourself!!!

    Hugs,
    Cass

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    1. I'm definitely taking things slow. The pain with working out on Saturday means that tonight when I do the same workout it will be without weights, and at a slower pace... And maybe without extreme movements. I'm going to a water park with the little man soon, hope that I can do the slides there without pain!

      Good luck with the eye! I've had it once where I had to come to work without makeup for a couple of days sue to an eye infection. Never have I had so many people come up to me asking if I am ill, if I slept OK or one person (a woman) saying that I always looked so glamorous and I needed to go back to that!

      But yes, morning and evening routines were much quicker!

      Groetjes,
      Stace

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    2. I can go back to wearing makeup tomorrow - and my contacts, mercifully; trying to run wearing my glasses with the dew point in the 70s is well nigh impossible! :D

      I can state with 100% certainty that no one has *ever* told me I look glamorous with my makeup on. lol Instead, someone, looking perplexed, will ask me why I have mascara on my forehead up around my hairline (not that this has ever happened ). ;c)

      Have a great weekend, hon!

      Hugs,
      Cass

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  4. OMG Stace! How horrible, but how great that you and no one else was seriously injured. I drive in that stuff every day and I hate traffic! Nevertheless, it's much better than the traffic I had to deal with on a daily basis when I lived in Cass's Beantown!

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    1. Absolutely amazing that no one was hurt, and by far the most important thing! Even if I had had to try and source a new car from it. If that is the worst that has happened then I think that all can count themselves very lucky!

      There is one place where the traffic is always awful on the way home. Most of the time it's bad enough that I leave the motorway and take a side road - not sure if it is quicker, but at least it's chilled and smooth running. Something I knew when I moved house, but wish I could do without. Even leaving early doesn't help as the traffic starts at 3pm and it's 45 minutes from work to the delay!

      Groetjes,
      Stace

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