How to die!

[Dorsey]

Have car troubles and stop in the middle of I-95 in the passing lane with no lights on at 11:00 pm And crawl under your car with two semis barreling down the road side by side! Some people need to be killed at birth!

[Haul-A-Round]

that's a fact !

[Dorsey]

Well that about happened tonight and I was the guy in the right lane. The other truck was passing me and we came up on a car with no lights on in the passing lane. I moved over to the right Hoping the other truck would move over towards me. Well that didn't happen. The truck hit the car, lost control and hit my drivers side. Every thing below my drivers side door is gone, sleeper has a dent in it, trailers dented up, two cars have dents in them. I'm pissed! Looks like 1,000 miles after I get my trans fixed this stupid fucker in his 91 chevrolet cavaleir is costing me more money! The cars totaled, the other truck is totaled, and mine ain't looking so great. It never was pretty but it wasn't all dented up.


I really don't know where to start from here. I drove about five miles to the next exit to stop for the night. I didn't want to drive to far. It's at night and I want to be able to see if anything major is wrong with the truck. I'm a little north of Lumberton NC and still need to get to Gulf Port MS. The little bit I drove it didn't seem like the trailer was tracking strait.

[pmmjarrett]

Oh man, glad you're OK and it didn't come in your drivers door. You are right near my place, be there to help you out if needed if I was home.

1st thing, in the morning before you move. Start taking pics and video of the damage and contact your insurance and make them handle the claims.

2nd thing, go get a drug test immediatly. Have to do it within 24 hrs. I know you ain't at fault here, but it will put the brakes on any B.S. claim that some lawyer can twist and spin to make you the villan instead of the victim. Given the circumstances, I'll assume there were injuries where someone had to be transported by ambulance off the scene and IIRC, just the fact you were involved in an accident with injury like this, makes the drug test a legal requirement.

[Dorsey]

No one died. I'm confused as to what was going on with that car. It took me a while to stop after getting my truck going strait again and and getting my head strait. Before I could walk back to the wreck there was a ton of motorist walking around. Some guy gave me some story that makes no sense that said he was crawling under the car. All I know is The guy with the car was sitting on the guard rail crying holding his arm and they took him to the er. I think they took the truck driver to the hospital later on because after awhile I didn't see him. The bad thing is he didn't speak much English. I didn't actually see him hit the car but I sure as hell heard it. He was about half way up my trailer when they hit and I tried to get on it so I could avoid them but he must have been going alot faster than me because he was still catching up with me after they hit. I remember seeing sparks out the corner of my eye and thinking oh shit this is going to suck, held on to the steering wheel hard as I could because I knew he was fixing to hit me because he was swerving all over the place. Once he hit me I started to swerve but was able to hold it. If I would of been in a dually I would of been toast I'm pretty sure.

[Dorsey]

Thanks for the advice Jarrett. I'll make sure to get that drug test done asap. Any and all advice/suggestions from anyone will be greatly appreciated. Like the drug test. I said something to my wife about it but I didn't think to do it within 24 hours.

[Haul-A-Round]

just glad you are ok and the rig can be replaced, you cant ! sure hope all goes well and you can rest well tonight. I know it wears on you.

[pmmjarrett]

Best we can do is support and help you a bit while you gather yourself up. This chit ain't fun.

Anywho, dug up a little stuff from FMCSA website on drug test requirements.


Post Accident:
This test applies to all CDL drivers who are involved in fatal crashes. The test must also be conducted on all CDL drivers who are cited for moving violations arising in a crash that requires a vehicle being towed or an injury requiring medical attention away from the scene. The alcohol test must be conducted within 8 hours and the controlled substances test must be conducted within 32 hours of the crash.

If you were not cited you are not required as long as it wasn't fatal, but I'd do it anyways to CYA. It's cheap insurance.

[smr500]

Holy shit, man. Glad you're ok. Cover your bases as Jarrett stated. Lawyers go after the ones who ARE legal that have the ins that will pay.

[Tosch88]

That's crazy. I'm glad your okay. Guy that caused it should go to jail for being an idiot!

[Buster]

Glad your OK Dorsey.
There should be a law.....FELONY STUPID!!!

[LBZ]

No law against stupidity or moral clauses, lawyers won't write & don't like things that work against them.

Glad you are OK Dorsey, a lot of stress over the last couple weeks for you & hope things turn around. The drug testing & photos are probably the best things to get done like has been mentioned. Make sure you get a copy of every report made on that accident, you need to see what is written.

[Dorsey]

I don't believe there's no way in hell they can say it's my fault. I didn't hit the car and the other truck hit the car way before he hit me. They may be able to twist it and say it was the other trucks fault at the most. As of right now I'm stuck on an on ramp of I-95. Looked this morning and found a small crack on the main frame of trailer and my oil cap for my front hubs missing.

[Dorsey]

Got the drug test done. Looks like I'll be setting here over the weekend until Monday for them to access the damages. Thought for sure someone would come out today. Is this normal to wait a few days?

[Haul-A-Round]

no, someone should have been on that this morning. raise hell, get on the phone with insurance co. and get the ball rolling.

[Brisco]

Glad you're OK too......

Got any pictures yet?

[Dorsey]

Yea, I'll have my pooter savvy wife post some up when she gets a minute. All I have is a couple of the other truck and of mine. All I had was my iPhone and you can't see nothing at night. They had lights shining on the other truck so I was able to take some crappy pictures of it. I wasn't able to take any of the car.

[Raydiate]

Here are some pictures of the accident. I can't post the video he took cause its a .MOV file.

[Raydiate]

Another pic

[Raydiate]

This is a pic of the semi that hit our truck

[Brisco]

Wow....sure wish we had pictures of that car the red truck hit.

That dent up on top of your sleeper was just a little "tooooo close to home!!"

Know what I mean.........

[Dorsey]

I wish I had pics of it too. Yea that could of been nasty. That truck wasn't right next to me when it hit that car but he sure got my whole side of my truck and trailer in speradic spots. All the way from the caddy in the back to my drivers side front wheel. I didn't even know he had hit up that far until I went to get out and there wasn't any steps. Before I stopped I only thought he had hit the trailer. He didn't even knew he hit me I don't think. He must have been gettin on it because he hit that car and then the gaurd rail on the over pass and was still gaining on me with sparks a flying every where. He actually started a nice fire in the brush on the other side of the over pass. I thought he had puhed the car off onto my side of the road when I was first walking back.

[Haul-A-Round]

I'm thankfull the trailer,sleeper and load took the brunt of the hit and your safe.

[haulin rv]

Glad your ok!

There are so many stupid people, thankfully his stupidity didn't get anyone killed.

[h2oskibumz]

Wow. Seems to be a whole lotta stupid going around lately. I watched a dodge 1500 hydroplane North of Atlanta a couple weeks ago. It was like NASCAR, he went sailing around me (I was at 40ish in the driving rain along with all the other trucks), got about 200 yards ahead and lost it. Hit the Jersey barriers and bounced off. Went back across behind me... I escaped unscathed.

Glad you are OK. The truck looks like its repairable, but that trailer looks pretty bad. What happened that bent that rubrail on the left side up so far?? How can that trailer frame NOT be twisted???

[Dorsey]

The trailer frame is still good. Only thing wrong with the frame is the small crack at a weld .I'm confused on how the truck and trailer got hit the way it did. It was able to hit the caddy on back but never touched the trailer.

[Raydiate]

We still have not had an appraiser from our own insurance company contact us yet. Are we just being impatient or is this too long. The insurance company was contacted Saturday morning. We Thought it would be faster going through our company rather than waiting for the investigation of liablity from the other insurance company.

[twoduners11]

We still have not had an appraiser from our own insurance company contact us yet. Are we just being impatient or is this too long. The insurance company was contacted Saturday morning. We Thought it would be faster going through our company rather than waiting for the investigation of liablity from the other insurance company.

call your agent. he/she is the only one with something to lose

[Tony]

My accident had two adjusters. One was local, and was out the next morning. But the second drove out over 100mi within 2 days. Typically claims adjusters are within 72hours of the accident, depending on various things. But typically its a 72 hour time frame.

sucks that they won't come out sooner. Post your comprehensive company name!
I'd like to see more 'reviews' of procedures for various insurance companies involving these types of things. The more informed another person is, the more helpful you have become in advising towards another vendors product/services. Let us all know who to avoid, question, etc...

[Raydiate]

Our comprehensive insurance company's name is Gramercy. I have already written to our agent that we will not ever renew with them due to us having to pull teeth to get answers. At this point, we have not received one phone call from our insurance company. Our agent has called them today and had to leave a message for a return call back also.

[ccoop769]

NI came out to us. nearest adjuster came 120 miles to the accident scene with the boat and stayed in a hotel for morning followups. we called NI afterhours too. Amazing how quick they were. considering the boat was adjusted and had paperwork on NI desk when they opened up. To bad the owner of boat screwed everything else up and turned it into a 2 week hell!!!! cant blame the guy though, wish people would just make up there mind and stop changing it. Anywho, I give a 10 for NI, btw, they gave $5600 just for the trailer of the boat. Sorry for the hijack, but justt adding to tonys request of reviews of insurance companys.

BTW, even my adjuster didnt even know about this. NI works basically 24-7 from what I noticed on that claim.

[Tony]

The interesting one was when my first truck got caught up in a flood in 2006.
Flood happened on a Saturday late afternoon. Adjuster #1 was there Monday morning. #2 adjuster (called out due to it being classified totaled and the tow yard was being &4!t43@d5), got there Tuesday afternoon. Check was waiting at my regional claim center by Wed late afternoon. I had my new truck Thursday night. If anyone remembers that... don't say anything about what happened at 101mi on the ticker. ;)

[LBZ]

They get you guys fixed up yet?

[Dorsey]

An adjuster came out Wednesday. He said he isn't able to access the damage on the trailer so I need to have that qouted at a shop before I can get a check. I took the trailer to the international place here in Fayetteville to have it patched up good enough to get these cars dropped off and head home to have it fixed. International are non communicating idiots too up here. If they weren't I'd be dropping my cars off right now in Gulf Port. When I went back up there yesterday to take the cars off it I found out the frame up front is bent. I'm not happy about anything right now. Did get the police report though. The police officer discribed it just like I've told it. The guy that was parked partially in the road was a 22 year old from Lumberton nc. He was out side towards the drivers side rear of the car. When the other truck hit his car the car hit him. The truck driver was a 50 year old Cuban from Hileah Fl. Didn't know them container trucks got that far away from home. When I get home if I can find a trailer to use I'll go ahead and rent a truck. Since my insurance company doesn't offer that that will be coming out of my pocket. The INS at fault basically said if we want any money from being down or for rental we can sue.

[Tony]

we can sue.

Typical response for this sort of thing. They're basically saying "we aren't paying anything until we're forced". That means this incident won't clear up quickly. It'll be one of those 'wait out the other guy' situations, and they'll finally all sit down and hash it out. Getting to be commonplace.

Anyway, if you want to speed up a resolution for the liability side....

(just my comments, take em or leave em... may not be the smartest thing)

Contact the other trucks insurance company and offer a release of liability if they handle the claim. See what they come up with in order to get you off their plate. Don't consider a partial on anything... it's all or nothing. They fix it all and cover all expenses. Try to figure that up ahead of your call. Contact his insurance and they have to take a claim from you(you already have one, so they'll give you their adjusters contact info). At first I wouldn't consider a statement in regards to the accident, as he will still try to get you to admit something, etc, etc. But eventually, they will be first to get things taken care of if they feel their insured is at fault for any portion of it. Since you were secondary to the primary accident, they would love to have you out of the picture in regards to figuring liability, etc.

Most insurance people and lawyers will advise against this. I can see why. But in some cases, they move WAY too slow. A phone call to the other truck's insurance won't hurt as long as you aren't making agreements or allowing recorded statements. More of a query to them on how they would like to handle it.

this isn't to be taken as "what to do" advice.... It's more of a comment/suggestion if things are moving slow and your insurance seems to be dragging their feet. They really don't want to be covering anything they don't have to. And regardless, your comprehensive will still increase if they handle any portion of the claim, even if they say it won't... it always does at renewal time.

/end commentary

[bth9461]

Wow, just read through this. Dorsey glad your ok. How the hell did that kid walk away from this. Do you think he actually was under the car at some point before the accident, monkeying around with his car?

Why would you coast to a stop in the middle of the Interstate? At night?

All you pencil neck truckers (PU's), should take note this is the biggest reason for moving up as soon as you can. Dorsey did nothing wrong, but an idiot can get you killed or hurt. Hey you can buy the farm in a Big Rig also, you just have more of a chance in a medium duty or larger of walking away. We drive tons of miles and we are more at risk of making a mistake or of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Shit happens when you drive 100-150k miles a year in a Commercial Vehicle. I have been hit 3 times in 6 years by 3 people making mistakes, twice in bad weather an one time by someone just not paying attention. He ran head on into the corner of my steel Step on the step deck on a sharp corner. He failed to follow the curve, drove straight into all that steel. Lucky I was going slow and he was too. He bounced back out into his lane instead of shearing off his head under my trailer.

Shit happens when you drive for a living.

Lost a half of week of revenue about 2k, down 3 days in the shop.

Hey I began with a PU, so I understand needing to start with what you have sometimes (money issues), but in my opinion I would move up if your pulling a larger trailer. ASAP.When your OTR.

Brian

[Dorsey]

I was confused about what the guy was doing at first. After I stopped it took awhile for me to walk back there and by that time there was probally about (guessing)15 people back there walking around being nosey. When I got back there some random guy says it's his car and he wasn't parked in the road and the guy that was hurt was crawling under the car. He said more but it was all bs. None of it made sense. I think he thought I was just another nosey motorist and would take the oppertunity to bs me. The police report says he was standing at the drivers side rear of the car and when the truck hit the car the car hit him. I'm guessing it just hit his arm because when I got back there he was sitting on the guard rail holding his arm crying so I guess was really painful or he had just been scared $h!tless. I didn't go up and talk to him or anything he was already being comforted by other people. All that mattered to me he was still alive with no life threatening injuries. He can live with a broken arm. Maybe he'll learn his lesson because I'm thinking all he got was a ticket for improper parking. The police report has the other truck as vehicle #1, the car as vehicle #2, and me as vehicle #3. From what my brother in law says(cop in jax) usually vehicle #1 is the one at fault from how they do their police reports. The police report also says he crossed the center line and hit me so they may say it's the other trucks fault. Idk. We've already filed a claim on the other trucks insurance also. I really don't care who pays I just know I'm totally in the clear. Nothing I could have done different. I do wish I would have stopped at that rest area I was debating on stopping at for the night but I was trying to get Across the border at a truck stop in SC that had showers. I've been kicking myself in the butt for that one.

[bth9461]

I was confused about what the guy was doing at first. After I stopped it took awhile for me to walk back there and by that time there was probally about (guessing)15 people back there walking around being nosey. When I got back there some random guy says it's his car and he wasn't parked in the road and the guy that was hurt was crawling under the car. He said more but it was all bs. None of it made sense. I think he thought I was just another nosey motorist and would take the oppertunity to bs me. The police report says he was standing at the drivers side rear of the car and when the truck hit the car the car hit him. I'm guessing it just hit his arm because when I got back there he was sitting on the guard rail holding his arm crying so I guess was really painful or he had just been scared $h!tless. I didn't go up and talk to him or anything he was already being comforted by other people. All that mattered to me he was still alive with no life threatening injuries. He can live with a broken arm. Maybe he'll learn his lesson because I'm thinking all he got was a ticket for improper parking. The police report has the other truck as vehicle #1, the car as vehicle #2, and me as vehicle #3. From what my brother in law says(cop in jax) usually vehicle #1 is the one at fault from how they do their police reports. The police report also says he crossed the center line and hit me so they may say it's the other trucks fault. Idk. We've already filed a claim on the other trucks insurance also. I really don't care who pays I just know I'm totally in the clear. Nothing I could have done different. I do wish I would have stopped at that rest area I was debating on stopping at for the night but I was trying to get Across the border at a truck stop in SC that had showers. I've been kicking myself in the butt for that one.

Wrong place at the wrong time, drive enough miles and shit happens. Unless you are lucky. All those 1-2 million mile no accident drivers are excellent drivers for sure, but they had some good luck too. To do that. By moving over you tried to create some good luck, the other trucker just did not react well enough to the situation.

If you were in the other lane and the guy next to you did not move over, could you have stopped? Did the other truck get on the brakes? I know it must have happened real fast. Was it possible to stop?

If not, I have trouble with the other trucker getting a ticket. Unless he was speeding cutting his reaction time down.

[Dorsey]

Was it possible to stop? No. Could he have hit the brakes and scooted over behind me? I'm not sure but am thinking yes. I drive around 63 to 65 mph. Don't know exactly how fast I was going at the moment but that's the norm for me so I get passed alot. He was about halfway up my trailer when he hit that car and after he hit that overpass railing he was still able to catch me. I really have no idea how fast he was driving. I remember seeing him come up behind me and getting over to pass me but didn't give it much thought. I swear that car didn't have any lights on but the state trooper said the lights were in the on position. We were pretty close on that car when I seen it. A semi could have never came to a complete stop before hitting that car. Could have I slowed down before getting to that car. Yes a little but it wouldn't have helped the situation. It may have put me out of harms way or I might be in a worse spot. I don't really know. If you come up on a car in the road with no lights on and no area lights on going 65 with a truck next to you there's not much you can do being in a semi. I don't know if I already said it but when I came up on that car I was thinking "well that real stupid" immedialy after "0h crap there's a semi next to me!" and I got over on the shoulder and pressed the throttle down to the floor. My thinking was I'll speed up and he can get behind me( he was to far back to get all the way past me and them get over) or he can swerve over towards me and miss them. I think he was sleepy and didn't see that car till after me and then it was definitly too late to react. Do I think it his fault? No. The guy in the road is a total idiot that needs his license taken away. There's a real real real good posibility if I'd been in the other trucks spot I would of hit that car too. I know he couldn't of ever hit the brakes though. Never heard them lock up and he took out a parked car and still was gaining on me.

[bth9461]

Sounds like he was sleepy or distracted, he did not swerve or get on the Brakes. He made a mistake. If he had got on the brakes it would have lowered the impact speed and I bet you would have cleared the danger zone. Sounds like his only chance was moving into your lane and braking some.

I doubt that the lights were on or you would have reacted quicker, unless you just crested a hill.

Hey the car driver made a huge mistake not coasting to the side of the road and not having his hazards on.

[Dorsey]

It looks like the other trucks insurance is taking the blame. The little dip____ that parked in the road has a rental car.

[h2oskibumz]

Nice, he has a rental so he can go to his dishwashing job, cruise for chicks, and score a couple of dime bags... and your still sidelined. The world is jacked up...

[Dorsey]

Yeah he goes from a 91 cavalier to a newer model rental car. Seems like they would of went ahead and gave him his $500-$1,000 for the car. Kinda pisses me off he's driving around with no worries and his dumbass set all this mayhem in place.

[tbc27143]

2 or 3 years ago I was on I-20 in east Texas and came over a hill in the hammer lane and there in the hammer lane was a woman changing a flat tire, not on the shoulder but dead in the hammer lane. Fortunately I had a clear lane to the right and time to move over.

Some of the idiots driving on the roads need to be eliminated from the gene pool simply based on stupidity that will get other killed or maimed.

[Dorsey]

Well it's been long enough now. I guess most of you know that since the accident I bought a new truck (new to me). Tom Nehl Freightliner took 2 months to fix the old aeromax. The two cars that were damaged (same person) was finally finalized in December. They were trying to get depreciated value out of the cars. They flew a guy in from NY to tell them the deminished value of the Cadillac. $9,000 but the insurance wasn't having it. Unfortunatly these peoples cars were damaged of no fault of their own but they were definatly trying to take advantage of a bad situation. Anyways I'll post up pics of my new truck when I get a chance.

[LBZ]

What? Someone trying to bleed a insurance co. & justify it in their mind that they are not affecting you? Was wondering how that all went down & did not know you got a different truck. Glad to hear it all worked out though.

[jatin22]

holyshit this is crazy...hope you are ok?

[Scott D]

The OP reminds me of a deal that happened to me in Atlanta, GA, a few months ago.

Here's ol' Bear Bait (ie: me) going around I-285 in the middle of the night ...I'm in the far right lane (I'm polite, I keep to the right) and ahead I start seeing brake lights, so I start slowing. Well, (I couldn't make this up) a blond girl had her car break down, so she was dead stopped in the slow lane. One car had spun out to her left, trying to avoid her, and another car hit the Jersey wall on the right, trying to miss her. Of course, I had a four-wheeler to my left so I was stuck. I got it stopped with about 25' before I would have tagged the three cars ....

Sometimes I wonder about some people and their abilities to survive in this world.

[tbc27143]

I was on I-20 headed east near Tyler, TX. I topped a hill and in the hammer lane was a small pickup stopped. A woman was outside trying to change a tire. Some people just don't need to be driving or for that matter maybe even be alive.

[bayou hotshot]

Well it's been long enough now. I guess most of you know that since the accident I bought a new truck (new to me). Tom Nehl Freightliner took 2 months to fix the old aeromax. The two cars that were damaged (same person) was finally finalized in December. They were trying to get depreciated value out of the cars. They flew a guy in from NY to tell them the deminished value of the Cadillac. $9,000 but the insurance wasn't having it. Unfortunatly these peoples cars were damaged of no fault of their own but they were definatly trying to take advantage of a bad situation. Anyways I'll post up pics of my new truck when I get a chance.

Also why im looking for a backup truck this first come first serve sh!t makes me mad as hell they told me 2-3 weeks to fix mine from when the deer hit me i just cant bring a running working truck to the shop just to sit there untill there ready

[Dorsey]

Yea, that body shop crap is for the birds. I hate them people.

[tbc27143]

Check into a rental truck while yours is down.

[bayou hotshot]

Check into a rental truck while yours is down.

Not me just go buy a truck!!!

[Dorsey]

Yea a rentals gonna run you around $1500 a week. It's better to just have a backup truck.

[Mrs Coop]

Yea a rentals gonna run you around $1500 a week. It's better to just have a backup truck.

Or 2 back up trucks :eek:

[pmmjarrett]

Screw the backup trucks. With operating costs sky high and freight rates in the toilet it's a good excuse to stay home and apply for a paying job with benefits at McDonalds.

[haulin rv]

They are not hiring....