Uninsured Reckless Tractor Trailer Crushes My Viper - Pictures

[Vipermed 97.01]

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Excuse the poor quality of the pictures for they are 3 yrs. old and just transferred to my digital camera. Three years ago minding my own business tractor trailer pulls out in front of me, as I slid under him he kept moving climbing on top of me. He didn't see me, "he thought he had hit a *** hole"!Sustained minor injuries, unfortunately my Viper didn't do as well and yes that is my hand in the picture. Took them over an hour to extricate me out. As if it couldn't get any worse - he was uninsured! Owner/Operator. He was sited for careless driving and failure to yield right of way. All in all Viper held up well. Any other vehicle I truly believe I wouldn't have survived. Ironically, I am also a career firefighter paramedic and had just left my station and called for help from my cell phone to my station who thought it was just a practical joke. The people on scene are also the people I work with. Needless to say it was a very emotionally charged scene.

 

[Neil - UK]

that looks horrific !! amazing you got away with minor injuries,

 

[RedGTS]

Wow Scott that is major scary looking! If you were a cat I'd say you only have about 4 lives left. You were very lucky!

 

[Warren S]

That's horrible! Thank God you got out with only minor injuries. I think I'm gonna start getting nightmares about this, I'm going to stay way far from any trucks! No commercial truck driver should be on the road w/o insurance.

Warren.

 

[Eddie N]

2 things.. good thing the truck wasnt loaded, good thing it didnt roll another 2 feet, and glad you're ok.. i guess that 3 things...

- eddie -

 

[jimandela]

the photos are unreal!
glad your alive!! wow! so what happened to the truck driver?
jailtime? how did he pay you back?????

folks need to understand consequents for there actions!!!

wow! that first photo with your hand freaked me out!!

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

First very glad you are still with us. That is a nasty looking accident. Great profession, thanks.

 

[John ACR]

Oh My God

Glad you are still with us.
Sorry about your car

 

[VPRVENM97]

That's amazing you skated with only minor injuries. Someone was definately watching over you that day. Glad you're ok.

 

[George Murray]

I almost died in a Viper 4 years ago this month...rolled on me when a drunk ran me into a guardrail. I, too, was lucky as hell. Car recovered, too...it's my yellow 95. I guess yellow cars are not just faster, but stronger as well!

Glad you recovered fast and jumped back in the program!

Isn't it illegal for an owner/operator trucker to not have insurance? Wouldn't their permits be void without it?

 

[GCHDEALER]

First of all you have to be the luckiest man alive that day, even though you lost your car. Was that car a GTS or RT/10? I live around Panama City Beach FL. Maybe sometime we can meet up at a Florida Event. Chad

 

[Vipermed 97.01]

since that accident happened i have been enjoying my new lease on life, i have since become a firm believer in plan for the future but LIVE for today. and yes it is illegal for tractortrailer operators and companys to have that equipment on the road without insurance,as far as taking or paying for any responsibility he has had absoulutly NONE,i am also a firm believer that what you do whether it good or bad will always come back to reward or haunt you,i was airlifted to hospital and returned to full duty 3 months after the accident and have never even recieved a call from driver on my condition or possibility of financial responsibility,by florida law if you are involved in an accident causing bodily damage and property damage without insurance your licence is revolked until all restitutions are made or a judgement has been placed against you, unfortunately it is the responsibilty of the insurance Co. to report it to the State, which usually does not happen and being that he was able to produce an insurance card at the scene he cannot be cited after the fact,sorry for rambling but this is a sore subject for me,it is all about beurocracy and the little guy just to small of a number to effect any change,it was an RT/10 which i finally sold as salvage for next to nothing,my insurance Co. raked me over the coals,i did a lot of research on this subject to find that approx 30% florida drivers are uninsured,PRETTY SCARY.but the bottom line is i am here!!,everything thing else is petty

 

[Tom and Vipers]

I think it is criminal that the government does not impose a minimum insurance coverage tax on gasoline.

The more you drive the more you pay.

The poorer your gas mileage (faster you drive, older your car, heavier you car), the more you pay.

But, this system would cut into the profits of insurance companies.

And we all know that we must keep insurance companies' profits as high as possible!

 

[malcoll]

Being an insurance agent, I'd say that you should have retained an attorney and gone after the guy. Bottom line at least he would have had a judgement against him and if he ever came into any $$ you would have been first in line..... assuming he hasn't done this before.
I am located in Jacksonville Florida, and like I said I am an insurance agent. You'd be further shocked to know that the figure is WAY above 30% uninsured....... insurance industry research puts the figure closer to 50%!!
Oh and about the talk of insurance companies keeping the state from legislating a gas tax to pay for insurance, yeah they would prefer to get the premiums, but it's not the insurance lobby blocking the parade on that one, it's aliens from outer space... yeah that's it... aliens from outer space!

Glad you made it through that accident, you were lucky!

Lance

 

[malcoll]

Being an insurance agent, I'd say that you should have retained an attorney and gone after the guy. Bottom line at least he would have had a judgement against him and if he ever came into any $$ you would have been first in line..... assuming he hasn't done this before.
I am located in Jacksonville Florida, and like I said I am an insurance agent. You'd be further shocked to know that the figure is WAY above 30% uninsured....... insurance industry research puts the figure closer to 50%!!
Oh and about the talk of insurance companies keeping the state from legislating a gas tax to pay for insurance, yeah they would prefer to get the premiums, but it's not the insurance lobby blocking the parade on that one, it's aliens from outer space... yeah that's it... aliens from outer space!

Glad you made it through that accident, you were lucky!

Lance

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

About time you got those pics up there for everyone to see Scott. I can get better quality if you let me scan them for you. Let me know.

 

[Toby]

nothin a little bondo and a catchy ebay auction cant cure.

Anywho...

That was nothing short of a miracle.

I also believe.."that which doesn't not kill us..makes us stronger

I might suggest getting a judgement against him too.

 

[jimandela]

George Murray,
i am glad your well my yellow brother

 

[Tom and Vipers]

"Aliens from outer space"

That was a HOOT!

Thanks for the chuckle!

Tom!

PS. I am really torqued about my 6 cars with one driver and I pay 6 liability premiums. As you very well know, liability is a function of the driver, not the car. I mean, they should at least enclose a complimentary tube of Vaseline with my policy renewal - or at least kiss me first...

 

[Vic]

What is the statue of limitations to sue the guy?

You deserve some compensation for his error. Glad to hear your are allright.

Once, a Finnish driver driving a big old Buick in LA pulled out in front of me, (in my 66 VW Bug). I hit him in the drivers' door, my seatbelt snapped, and I made a "Vic-shaped" impression of my face in the windshield. LOts of sprains, fractured rib, etc.

My health ins. payed for the repairs, and his ins payed for the car, lawyer took the rest. He only had the state minimum, and we popped the policy.

Could of sued him for more, but I walked away with no further problems.

Next time, I get Shecky Ginsberg for counsel, and we take him to the cleaners.

 

[Casey]

Amazing photos! And to come out in one piece! You are very lucky to say the least! Seeing your hand in the one picture, WOW, took my wind away!
Incredible that the driver didn´t even call you or anything! One of those A$$holes in a Semi!

Truly scary! And lucky!

Best of luck!!

 

[George Murray]

jmandela - thanks for the thought. We know that yellow Viper owners get preferential treatment from the car gods and other universal motoring forces...

I was left with three large scars on my head. One's about four inches and goes through my left eyebrow and across my left temple. Plastic surgeon did a decent job, so it's not too scary. The other two are on my scalp; one goes straight down the top middle of my head for six inches and the other, about four inches, is one the left side of my scalp. Both are (currently) covered by hair. If baldness becomes a serious issue, I'll look like a Dr. Moreau experiment gone bad! When the hair goes away, I'll be looking for VCA "rug" discounts!

 

[Steve Miehe]

Vipermed:

Should you decide to pursue the responsible party, you may want to check to be sure the statute of limitations has not run. Some states it is two years, some five.....just a thought.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tom and Vipers:
I am really torqued about my 6 cars with one driver and I pay 6 liability premiums.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Same here. I can only drive one at a time! ***?


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Casey:
Incredible that the driver didn´t even call you or anything! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Contacting somebody you ran over to see if they are ok is the civil and honorable thing to do, but a lawyer will use it against you.

 

[Vipermed 97.01]

believe me ive tried pursuing him civily he seems to have dissapeared off the face of the earth also trying to pursue the trucking co. who owned the trailer and who he was contracted by it seems that it is there responsibility that he does carry insurance,every time a deposition is set up nobody shows,very frustrating i have 62,000 in medical bills between the hospital and being airlifted not to mention the scre...g i got from my insurance company on property damage i have learned a lot about insurance since then,my co.who i will not name....Allstate,oops.seems to have lost the uninsured motorist declaration,and only had me for 10,000 medical i now have statefarm for half the money with 1 million umbrella and uninsured motorist,sorry to ramble,very sore subject