Time for goodbye

[mikem]

There is a pub a couple of miles away which hosts a mini car show first sunday of each month we decided to take advantage of the good weather and attend. Taking a leisurely drive through the Kent countryside we were going down a steep hill with Ford Galaxy going in the opposite direction. Just prior to passing each other the Ford decided he preferred my side of the road to his. As a consequence he slammed into the front wing at high speed and continued down the off side of the car taking my rear wheel off and rear bumper off for good measure. Even with only three wheels and the undercarriage creating a superb firework display we still managed to travel 400 yards down the hill because it was so steep and it did not help that the brakes completely failed and the steering locked up so I was unable to steer. Fortunately there were no other vehicles in the vicinity.
However the slide down the hill, sparks flying, airbags going off and the smell of petrol was not very pleasant.

I called for the police and ambulance as I was injured but fortunately my wife was not. An ambulance just happened to be a couple of minutes away so a trip to the hospital and 5 hours in A & E was the order of the day. Just bruised ribs and a multi hued bruise the size of a dinner plate.

The ambulance driver overheard the driver of the vehicle telling the police he swerved to miss a rabbit. Apparently rabbits are more important than humans. I feel very lucky that we were able to walk away. However the offside of the car is a pile of junk so I suspect it will be treated as a write off.


So just to say I have much enjoyed the forum even though I was more of a lurker than participant. Whenever I have needed advice there has always been help available.

If I win the lottery I may be back.

Mike

 

[Contigo]

Gutted for you Mike but the main thing is that you are your wife are OK if slightly bruised!

Make sure you get that witness to state what he told you that the driver swerved as that is an admission in itself!

Why a lottery win? If you liked the car there is no reason why you shouldn't get a like for like from insurance or an upgrade to a GS

 

[Wack61]

That is bad news, if you've spent 5 hours in A&E you have a claim for damages, made sure you photograph any bruises , they usually take a day or so to look their worst

I've been rear ended 2 times in traffic but fortunately never injured but if I were I'd want compensation for pain and lost time

 

[CatmanV2]

You should be able to get another car from the insurance. Not surprised you lost brakes and steering with only three wheels!

Glad you're not seriously injured.

C

 

[highlander]

That sounds really scary Mike, glad you are both ok other than a few bumps and bruises. Think you are probably correct re the car being a write off, have heard them being written off for much less but the adventure does not need to be over unless you want it to be. The insurance will pay out, especially if the other driver swerved, and you can then get another, no need to wait for a lottery win

 

[conaero]

Echo the sentiments above, his insurance will pay out, go for the personal injury and get an upgrade.

Just remember, at the end of the day, they are just metal and the important thing is that you are ok so the car did its job.

 

[StuartW]

Really sorry to hear that Mike but it sounds like it could have been even worse.
Good luck for your rapid recovery and for you not to be out of pocket in any way
All the best

 

[D Walker]

Horrendous,
Glad all ok!!

 

[redsonnylee]

Sorry to hear about your accident, wish you a speedy recovery. Hopefully the insurance company will be able to set everything out.

 

[Aredes]

Sorry to hear about this. I hope you will recover quickly!

 

[midlifecrisis]

Sorry to read this, it sounded terrifying.
Like Phil says, a swerve is a loss of control ergo his fault entirely. Milk it for what you can and give Dicky Grace a call with your deserved payout.

 

[beemaser]

I am so gutted for you and glad that you are not seriously hurt.

I hope that you get everything sorted with the insurance and that you find yourself another Maserati.

 

[Andyk]

Mike, truly gutted for you..At least you are all OK as it could have been loads worse.

 

[beemaser]

Just invested in dashcams for our motors.

My mate has a Focus ST in Electric Orange and an ex-mate overtook him down a side street and hit his car and a parked car. Apparently not enough evidence to pursue a claim, so he had to fork out for the repair himself. He really wishes he had a dashcam.

 

[spkennyuk]

Gutted for you Mike. Hopefully you will be back in the fold soon and its not the end of your trident story. Just the start of a new chapter. The main thing is that your all OK.

 

[Wack61]

Just invested in dashcams for our motors.

My mate has a Focus ST in Electric Orange and an ex-mate overtook him down a side street and hit his car and a parked car. Apparently not enough evidence to pursue a claim, so he had to fork out for the repair himself. He really wishes he had a dashcam.

This is what worries me , that insurance companies will just take the easiest route, knock for knock = no solicitors and more importantly no hire car

Years ago when I were a lad it was repairing the car that was the expensive bit, if you had a minor bump and felt you'd been injured you saw a solicitor who said , well you may have a case but I'll want £1000 for you to find out

Err no thanks, but now it's yes we'll get you 2k for that 3mph impact and a hire car and 5k for us

Genuine cases like this deserve every penny but there's plenty that have been paid out when there's nothing wrong with them

The kick I get when I change gear is harder than the 2 shunts I had but I bet I could have got 2k if I'd tried

 

[GeoffCapes]

Nightmare Mike. Fortunately you'll heal, and the car can be replaced.

Hopefully you'll find another Maser with the payout.

 

[VMSRTI]

Get well soon and as Geoff has said, if it is a write off, the insurance payout will cover a replacement.

 

[MrPea]

Hi Mike,
I'm very sorry to hear this. Sounds like a very nasty experience aside from the injury, but I'm pleased it's only temporary.
My 4200 Spyder was written off last year (my fault, unfortunately), but I ended up with a very good settlement from the insurance. I have experience of getting the best payout, so feel free to PM me. Maserati aren't your run-of-the-mill Ford Focus. This forum has plenty of knowledge to back up real-world values of our cars.
I hope both you and your wife are quickly able to recover from the shock of the 'occasion'. Focus on that, but when you can deal with the other stuff, us lot will help you out! That's even if you don't get another Maser, but if that's what you decide to do, we might need a round of drinks from you to console us that a sensible person no longer has a sensible car.

 

[Mott The Hoople]

I eat rabbits.