How life can change in a fraction of an instant

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The main thing is Dave, you're alive, and moving, even if somewhat restricted and painful - something I know all about !
Bit of a b*gg*r about the car, but at least you got something back, rather than the darned insurance company finding a way to wriggle out of things.
I fully understand the hardships and frustration of not working, and having to cope with days when nothing can be done, having suffered to the same for the last 15 years, and all i can offer there is to say stick at it, keep smiling, and there's always someone worse off, so things could be worse, but most of all 'Nil Illegitimus Carborundum' !!
 
Dave, Glad that you're still among the living. As far as Social Security, appeal their decision. We both know that they do everything that they can to keep those who paid into the system from collecting from it. Good luck and best of wishes to you.
 
Well...it's been two years since the wreck. How time flies, right?

To give a quick summary, here's what's transpired since then:
I've pretty much healed up, although the collarbone never mended and is still giving me trouble. The lower back is still pretty dang weak, so I can't sit for long periods of time. The right foot has healed well enough, so I can walk, but it really give me trouble if I stand for any length of time or walk for any real distance. And the best part is that I am a freakin' human barometer and know when the weather is changing by what part of my carcass hurts and can tell just how soon stormy weather will be here by how bad afore-mentioned body parts hurt.

As it turns out, I was let go from my job because of the length of time it took me to get back on my feet - however, no one else will hire me because of my physical limitations. But, Social Security insists that I am 100% able to go back to work. So thus begins the endless loop...

I hope you got some quality legal advice, the insurance should cover your loss, including loss of ability to work.

I was going to be out about 20K after getting hit by a drunk driver, the insurance lowballed the repairs and refused to pay for loss of work etc.
They settled pretty quick when I served the papers for a lawsuit.
 
GrauGeist said:
As it turns out, I was let go from my job because of the length of time it took me to get back on my feet - however, no one else will hire me because of my physical limitations. But, Social Security insists that I am 100% able to go back to work. So thus begins the endless loop...

Welcome to America...

Glad you are getting better though man. Things will hopefully do the same on the work front.
 
Glad to hear things are mending, even if its not as quick as you would like. I heard a story on NPR that said Social Security disability pretty much rejects everybody on the first application as standard operating procedure and you have to appeal it. It's there way of sifting through the wannabes. They figure if you don't appeal the decision, then you must not be that bad off. A lawyer that specializes with SS maybe worth while. Hope things get better.
 
Thanks again, to everybody for the support and well-wishes.

And a special thanks to VB (David) for that seriously badass bottle of Kentucky Bourbon! That took the edge off the hurt and it happens to go VERY well with a Macanudo Maduro. Trust me on this. Thanks again, my friend!

Hope things get better for you, the car looks a wreck but that is how they are designed nowadays imagine you were in a 1960s mini.....on second thoughts dont.
True that. I can honestly say that Toyota products rival Volvo's claim to crash safety. And here's something to think about: my 2008 Scion replaced my 1979 BMW 320i. Had I been driving my 320i at the time of the wreck...well, this thread wouldn't exist...

I hope you got some quality legal advice, the insurance should cover your loss, including loss of ability to work.

I was going to be out about 20K after getting hit by a drunk driver, the insurance lowballed the repairs and refused to pay for loss of work etc.
They settled pretty quick when I served the papers for a lawsuit.
It's long and complicated story, but the bottom line is: the old woman's insurance company covered my hospital bills and (some of) my car. That's it. That's as far as we could go.

I wanted to go after the old woman's doctor that had not only approved her driver's license renewal, but had just changed her diabetes medicine because she was having problems with passing out. But her Doc approved her license renewal and let her go on driving. The fact that she was having problems with her diabetes at 85 was enough for the state to suspend her license. The fact that she had a history of passing out was another reason for her license to be pulled. When I went to my attorney and insisted that we go after him as the root of all of this heartache, the attorney went cold on me. When I mentioned this BS to my employer, he went cold on me...

Turns out that the old woman's Doc is a popular member of the local country club...and my attorney is a member of that same country club. So is my former employer.

Starting to see the big picture now?
 
Rich people tend to be a tight bunch. Any chance that another lawyer might help? Going to the press? Or I'm too much a romantic?

Hmm - majbe page Les to whoop their a$$es in an non-figurative way.
 
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Well Tomo, I did check around with various attorneys and found it would be a snake-pit of trouble.

And to be honest, I survived the wreck. I have survived a great deal of situations in my time, I am a tough bastard to put away :lol:

To those people who think they got the better of me, fine - keep laughing, but Karma (or God - whichever one believes in) will have the last laugh...
 
I agree about appealing on the Social Security front.
It's a similar situation here in the UK, with what's known as Disability Living Allowance, where initial claims are very often refused - unless there's strong evidence form a Doctor or hospital Consultant.
Here, the DLA is in two parts, to cover 'mobility' and 'care' or 'living', with each component being again divided into three 'catagories' - Low, Medium and High.
The 'High' level of 'Mobility' provides funds to either go towards buying and operating your own vehicle, or to lease a new vehicle through an approved dealer, replaced every two years, where all the recipient needs to do is put the fuel in. The road tax, Insurance, tyres, servicing and maintenance, breakdown and recovery cover etc., are covered in the lease. If a higher spec or type of vehicle is desired, then the recipient of the DLA can pay the extra monthly charge from his or her own funds, but enjoy the same deal as above.
The 'care component is again in three components, with the 'Low' rate being for those who are disabled, but still able to function with minor assistance, and so on, although the 'High' rate is more or less for those either terminally ill, or very severally disabled, where 24 hour care is needed.
I get the high rate of mobility, and the middle rate of care now, but had to appeal against the initial decision, which was accepted, and my claim back-dated to the original claim date.
On the advice and suggestion of my hospital consultant, I re-applied, a few years later, for the middle rate of care and, with a letter of confirmation from the Consultant, I was awarded this quite quickly, again back-dated to the date of the claim.
From what I understand from an American friend living in the UK, the system here is not that different, in general, to the USA, where appeals against a rejection most often get accepted.
So Dave, for the sake of a letter or 'phone call or two, it's probably worth having another go, with nothing to lose, and probably something to gain.
Hope this helps my friend.
 
Keep on fighting it Dave. We had a similar situation years ago with my brother-in law. He was slightly mentally retarded but held down a job on the maintaince crew at a high-rise apartment building. Then his health went and he could no longer work. My mother-in law and wife tried to get disability for him to cover the medical bills but ran into a snag. The doctor that examined him physically reported that although he could not do physical work he could hold down a desk job, and the doctor that examined him mentally reported he was capable of doing menially work. Because both doctors reported he could work in some capacity even though they canceled each other out, his claim was denied. It took a couple of years of fighting but in the end he got it, so keep on fighting.
 
Well, past the 3 month mark and there's some progress as far as the healing. Just seen the Doc about my broken talus and he's pleased with the way it's healing. He also teased me a little bit about it and said that the type of break I experienced occurs mostly in high-speed vehicle impacts and airplane crashes and asked me which one I was in...I said, well, my Scion has a wing on it, does that qualify? :lol:

Collar bone, not so good...Doc said it's not mending properly and we suspect that the back-brace I'm wearing is pushing the collarbone up and away from the shoulder area, where it should be "touching". He offered two choices: we can either leave it and see what happens, or he can go in, spread the ribcage apart, grind the ends of the bone until they bleed, attach them and put a plate in...after a moment of silence, I said "ok then, we'll go ahead and wait and see..."

L5 is still painful, but the related numbness, tingling and related no longer plague me, but the lower back sure hurts like a b***h...also the ribcage is still tender, but nothing like it was.

It all takes time and I am not known for my awesome patience. I will say that since they screwed up my prescription (in other words, cut me off...long story) I've been without pain meds for several weeks now. No problem, beer or a good wine fixes that!

A couple more photos here of the incident, first one of course is my Scion and the other is the Woman's car. It'll show you how much of a fight my Scion put up against the bigger Buick.

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that Buick was absolutely destroyed holy crap how do you survive that
 

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