Swift is no more :(

Least your ok :)

Claims Direct is your friend hehe

Pleased to hear you're OK.

I know of a good lawyer!

And you wouldn't happen to want a Volvo (since I've sold my Merc on eBay yesterday) ?

David

Bah we all know "good lawyer" is an oxymoron.

Worrying, tends to suggest he's not insured and/or that it wasn't his car. Because if he was insured and the car's registered keeper there's no point in running.

Sorry to hear about it, and you have my sympathy for the pain of whiplash (had it myself) and the pain of dealing with insurance companies that is about to unfold around you.

Lionel Hutz ?

Ronny - can you drop me a line at peter at swerve web (all the one word, y'know) dorothy com, or pop on to MSN? Got a wee something I need to ask you about...

I've had whiplash a couple of times. Never seemed that bad to me. OTOH, I suppose it's worse if there's the potential for someone to pay for it to be.

That sounds dramatic, we only have your side of the story and it will depend on what witnesses say and police accident scene investigators say as to who was at fault. The police would have attended when an ambulance was called, so there should be no problem with your insurance company as the police will have to supply witness statements they took at the scene or afterwards and supply photos etc. I've been to many accident scenes (some fatal) and if you had put your head through a side window due to impact from another car - you would not be walking away without injury or even released from hospital the same day. Did contact from your head actually smash it completely or did you mean you had the window down and your head went to the right and out of the window for a split second? You're not too clear on that. The car you were in doesn't sound very strong if a low impact crash damaged a door AND a dashboard. Get a Volvo, they're much safer to drive. I love the V70 I use for work.

Whiplash isn't that bad, I've also had it a few times when people have crashed in to me. People often make it a lot worse, pretend and catch themselves out when they "forget". It's one of those things, like claiming for a stolen camera on holiday or upgrading your mobile by saying it was pinched. Whiplash lasts a few days and can be treated with anti-inflammatory tablets and painkilellers. Staying off work for weeks or having to get someone in to do things is a classic insurance scam. Don't forget that insurers will now video and follow people about that claim whiplash - that's how one or two people have ended up being done. It goes when they go for a night out or go shopping and carry heavy bags!

The other driver in the crash might have stolen the car, or been drugged or drunk. He might not have had insurance or even had the car registered.

When people tell stories it's apparent because the police, fire, ambulance, hospitals, doctors and insurers all have set procedures.

Bullshit. It's nearly impossible to prove whether someone has (or has had) whiplash or not. That's why so many people claim for it.

It is/was a Suzuki Swift. Not the most robustly engineered piece of machinery on the road.

You are so lucky you got away with it as you did. And lucky that others wanted to get involved too.

TBH it's not that bad (or as bad as A&E told me it'd be) so long as I don't do much! Helped my housemate carry a couple of carrier bags of shopping in from the car earlier and it really hurt after I put them up on the kitchen worktop. Also directional change when being driven about in a car is painful. I was given anti-inflammatory pills by A&E and they taste disgusting!

I have had worse injuries from cycling.

Glad your OK - been there done that but drove a volvo at the time!

Well given that the police locked the other guy up in a cell all day and he tried to flee the scene and that he barreled straight through a give way without even slowing down I should say my side of the story is pretty accurate. There were also three or four eye witnesses including a man who was up a ladder and got an aerial view of the whole thing.

the window down and your head went to >the right and out of the window for a split second? You're not too clear on that.

I'm not too clear either as things happened quickly and my prescription specs were thrown off my face in the initial impact meaning I couldn't see a great deal, adding to my disorientation. However I certainly remember hitting the upper side of my head on something that appeared to give way and I was then showered with glass, some got in my eyes and in my mouth but no damage from it in those areas. I'm assuming it was the window, or the tail light cluster of the Fiesta (I didn't hit my head until the car hit the Fiesta which was a lower speed impact than the original one) I don't have a bruise on my head though!

door AND a dashboard. Get a Volvo, they're >much safer to drive. I love the V70 I use for work.

It was an old MK1 Suzuki Swift, not incredibly strong but it protected me enough. A higher speed impact would've been a very different story. I agree about the Volvo thing and I'm used to driving bigger cars but I'm currently trying to minimise motoring costs at the moment as I have a round the world trip planned for later this year. I take it you're a traffic cop as you say you've been to accident scenes and drive a V70 for work?

Sounds like they were insured, weren't drunk and it was their car. I've got all the details off the police now. They kept the guy in cells all day until they'd collected all evidence and statements. He's going to get done for reckless driving and fleeing the scene (not sure of the official names for both offences) at the very minimum according to the policeman who dealt with me.

Glad you are ok. Make sure you get money for your neck, as well as your car.

Fraser

Yup, soft tissue injury.

Yep, missus saw an insurance consultant when she was hit. repaired as well as to be expected, but some minor but permanent upper spine/neck damage. Not enough to be noticable in daily use, but enough to be noticable in the medical profession.