I have only had one car accident (touch wood, cross fingers and throw salt over my shoulder).
Eight years ago (why do so many stories start that way?) I was heading to netball training. I was driving down one of those delightful Melbourne streets with trams running down the centre lane. A street with parallel parking on the left. A street in which the lanes are too narrow to begin with, and then seem to narrow even more at tram stops.
I was cruising along in the left lane. There was a stream of cars beside me in the right lane, and a tram ding-a-linging beside them.
Approximately three car lengths in front of me, someone in a parked car opened the driver’s side door. Directly into my lane of traffic.
Time seemed to slow right down. Anyone who has been in or witnessed an accident will know what I mean. The crash happened almost instantly, yet I had all the time in the world to consider and dismiss pretty much every option available to me.
I couldn’t swing left, because I’d crash into the back of the car anyway. I couldn’t swing right, because I’d crash into the car to the right of me, or cause them to swing into the tram stop.
I couldn’t hit the ‘fly’ feature on the car, because it didn’t have one. (And why not? According to the documentary Grease, cars could fly back in the 1950s!) I couldn’t wake up, because it wasn’t a dream. I couldn’t take the red pill, because I wasn’t plugged into the matrix. (Or was I? AM I?!)
So I crashed into the door. Thank goodness there was no car behind me, because the car door had not fully opened into my lane. Instead of knocking the door clean off the car and then coming to a stop, my car wrapped itself around the door.
The car (and therefore I) went from 55kph to 0kph in a second.
Fun and hijinks ensued. Highs and lows. I went from feeling crushing fear that I’d hurt someone to relief that she hadn’t been still holding the door to rage that she’d caused the accident to sooky-la-la-ness in a matter of seconds. I sobbed and blubbed. I ached. I spent a few months going to a physiotherapist, and had a very memorable appointment with a chiropractor. I had a week off work, and a few months off netball. My car was written off, the car door having impaled the engine (and my car having been worth next to nothing in the first place).
The lady who had opened the car door denied having done so, claiming I’d simply crashed into her car. When that was disproved, she then claimed that I’d been on my mobile at the time of the accident. When that was disproved, and she received a carefully worded letter from a friend of my husband’s who happens to be a QC, she finally admitted culpability.
So I can put my hand on my heart and state that my first – and only – car accident was not my fault. NOT MY FAULT.
And now, whenever I drive down that particular street, I stay in the right lane.
No. Matter. What.
Have you ever been in a car accident?
Linking up with Kerri Sackville’s Life and Other Crises for #MyFirst… Car Accident. Thanks for hosting us, Kerri!
2 Someone changed lanes right into me…minor damage, someone hydroplaned into me from behind during a torrential downpour…I had slowed down because you could not see and I was afraid of hydroplaning if I had to stop quickly…the guy behind me couldn’t see me and when he could, he could not stop. Neither accident was as bad as yours so I have been lucky so far.
Now that’s irony. Slowing so you don’t hydroplane, only to have someone hydroplane into you!
That sounds pretty full on Em! Car accidents are one thing, but to be involved in messy legal stuff afterwards makes them so much more unpleasant. I had a couple of minor dings when I first started driving – nothing too major (touch wood). x
Yep, it was majorly unfun. The funny thing was that when the cops called to tell me she was claiming I’d been on my phone, I was driving so didn’t take the call! When they finally got hold of me they laughed about that one.
Oh wow! What a horrible person to make up lies about the accident!!! It’s one thing not admitting fault but another to lie about it! Glad you escaped unscathed!
Deb
Thanks Deb. Yep, I think she just thought I’d go away. I didn’t realise how little the insurance payout would be, or I might have!
We had a similar case when a lady crashed into our car and then she claimed that she didn’t and it wan’t her. There was no one else there!
Aaargh, how frustrating. I hope it all worked out.
I would have wanted to stomp on that lady for not taking responsibility, I really can’t stand people like that. And yes the right hand lane is somewhat safer, except on the 4-lane highway from GC to Bris!
I’m usually a strict keep left unless overtaking kinda driver, but that road is my exception! I wish I could avoid it altogether.
That must have hurt a lot. Having an accident and having someone point the blame on you can be very stressful mentally and emotionally, aside from the physical wounds one might entail. I’m glad you came out okay. One way that I can think of ensuring yourself some peace of mind when something like this happens is that you should consider getting some pre-planned protection, but that’s just my opinion. What happened to the car, by the way? Have you had it repaired? Just wondering.
Mary @ KorsgadenInsurance.com
It did. And I am covered. I was then too, but only third party – that’s just the stage of life I was in!
I never had an accident either (the major ones I’m talking about.) Touch wood! But when I ride my motorcycle in haste or thinking something else then I get this feeling of meeting with an accident. I’m afraid of the thought. Thank you, Emily for sharing your experience.
Regards,
Arnold Brame
Thanks for reading about it.
Fear not, I’ve had enough for both of us. I grew up in a small country town with 2 policemen in total. They GAVE me my license after I nearly reversed over the only cop not in the car with me, without my seatbelt on, drove through the only give way sign in town, and rolled down the hill start onto the main road, nearly taking out a truck.
It took a good solid 10 years of driving to learn now to drive and stop having accidents.
Touch wood, throw salt, etc etc.
Wow, that’s far more generous than the people who ran my driving license test!
Its such a shame that there are people out there who do this kind of stuff. I was in a car accident before too, I was the one at fault and I didn’t run or tell a lie. Instead, we settled things in a very professional manner. Which is why having an insurance is important, in order to minimize the potential expenses of such events.
Jayson Bass
Thanks for sharing your experience, Emily. It’s really stressing that aside from trying to recover from the incident, you had to deal with the blaming. It’s an accident, and none of you wanted it to happen. In my opinion, I think it’s better to take things responsibly. Pointing fingers won’t help. It will only make the case worse. At least you’re safe.
Christine Matsinger