Accident on Main Street

[meowth1982]

Thank you to everyone for the hugs and kind words. It's been a really hard last few days, and I'm not exactly sleeping still.

I met with a lawyer yesterday to contest the ticket, but he said we won't win. Even though the other car swerved out of their lane to avoid having to stop, I still was supposed to yield to them. Hard to yield when you don't know it's coming right?

I don't have comprehensive damage coverage or collision damage coverage on my insurance, so the 900 dollars is coming out of my own already straped for cash pockets. I may actually not be able to go to school the fall because of having to pay for this, the increase in my own insurance, the horrifying thought of maybe being sued by the other accident person, plus already having to pay college bills. :s I'm stressing out a bit about it, that's for sure!

My truck won't be fixed until Monday by the earliest, causing me to have to rent a car instead since I do work out of town as well as in town. >_< I already missed one day of work with my other job, going in tomorrow and having to explain why I missed work on Wednesday ought to be fun. Maybe I should just hand them the ticket that I got from the policeman!

Oh, Meowth, I feel so bad for you. I don't understand how you are responsible. I suggest that you talk with the policeman's supervisor about this one. In my state (Illinois), a ticket is not given unless either the policeman witnesses the accident or it is clearly obvious that one person was at fault. And, it doesn't seem to be the case here. Perhaps you should fire that lawyer and find one who will be on your side when you go to court over this.

Unfortunately the Ohio law is that I have to wait until all traffic clears before making the left turn. Now, as anyone who's ever made a left turn down a main street at 3 in the afternoon should know, that's not going to happen. But because that is the law, I am at fault in the state and judge's eyes. I could cry. I had no reasonable way to know that the other driver would do what they did, but it doesn't matter to the state.

I'm going to write a long long letter to the police chief and to city council on the actions of that certain officer. But unfortunately not until after the ticket is taken care of. I don't want to take the chance (and I've seen it happen before) of the officer being repremanded and then contacting the prosecutor and swaying them to his side. *sighs*

Unfortunately I can't afford another lawyer. The lawyer I have right now is through the college I'm attending because legal aid for students is free. :/ It's frustrating to me, and just reciently dropping another 200 dollars for a rental car just to be able to go to a job I dispise...well...it's not been a good week for me. The accident itself has spiraled me back down into a deep pit of depression and spending money isn't helping that right now. Stupid Ohio laws...

[shapu]

What makes it worse is I'll probably have to go to court to get my compensation as they offered my boyfriend more than me even though he's completely recovered and I'm still pretty incapacitated (can't carry anything, travel far, work this summer or, get this, sit in normal seats *fumes*). Apparently (say solicitors) it's because I'm a) a student so in need of money, and b) a woman so they think I won't stand up to them. And I wouldn't if it wasn't for my mum prodding me in the back to stand up for my rights, hehe. The idea of going to court terrifies me though.

Traditionally, civil lawsuits payout more to men than to women. The "most valuable" plaintiff is a middle-aged white man who doesn't smoke and has a couple of kids.

[Trick]

What makes it worse is I'll probably have to go to court to get my compensation as they offered my boyfriend more than me even though he's completely recovered and I'm still pretty incapacitated (can't carry anything, travel far, work this summer or, get this, sit in normal seats *fumes*). Apparently (say solicitors) it's because I'm a) a student so in need of money, and b) a woman so they think I won't stand up to them. And I wouldn't if it wasn't for my mum prodding me in the back to stand up for my rights, hehe. The idea of going to court terrifies me though.

Traditionally, civil lawsuits payout more to men than to women. The "most valuable" plaintiff is a middle-aged white man who doesn't smoke and has a couple of kids.

Yeah, it stinks Silly thing is though that it's going to cost them more to go to court and give me money than if they gave me over triple what they're currently offering as the police have them down as bearing full liability for the accident. And because they've dallied so long over it now my missed exams and potential loss of earnings this summer, as well as physio costs etc all have to be taken into account too.

Can't say I feel particularly sorry for them though, heh.

[Kugetsu]

OMG, don't scare me like that x_x Luckily you put that you weren't severely hurt in the beginning of it, otherwise I probably would have freaked.

I know you don't have severe damage, but I hope that you feel better and all everything heals up okay. I've never experienced a car crash (though I have almost been in many). One of the reasons why I don't like driving. >_>

Anyway, I hope that everything turns out okay and that you end up showing that cop his/her place. I can't understand how you can pin something like that on someone (even with the laws that are in place). Sometimes the police make me so angry (though I understand that he/she was going his/her job and blah blah blah).

I hope all of that money trouble is solved and everything turns out for the better. From now, make sure to keep yourself out of harm's way. :p One close call like that is enough for me. >_<

(I'll stop talking around in circles now)

Maybe we can make a petition. =D

[DM was on fire!]

*Hug* Poor Meowthy! I'm so sorry! Hope you feel better.

[.:Compact Disk:.]

Aww... :/ I really didn't think you'd be made to pay the fine

I didn't think it'd come to this but...

O>O <--- lookie it's Mr Snowman!

... Did that cheer you up for even a little second?

[Morningstar]

Unfortunately the Ohio law is that I have to wait until all traffic clears before making the left turn. Now, as anyone who's ever made a left turn down a main street at 3 in the afternoon should know, that's not going to happen. But because that is the law, I am at fault in the state and judge's eyes.

I had a similar thing happen when I was in an accident. It is legal to turn right on a red light in Illinois. However, what they don't tell you is that you do decide to turn right on red, you are strictly liable if you then end up in a car accident. Regardless of what the other car is doing, you are automatically found at fault because you decided to make that right turn while at a red light. A few years back, I was at a red light, checked to my left and saw a car about 3 blocks down the street, so I turned, assuming the car was going the speed limit. It wasn't. It was actually going about twice the limit and ended up hitting my car. However, my insurance company decided I was at fault, even though the other driver was speeding. Go figure! Needless to say, I am no longer with that insurance company.