Indeed. One lane willing to let you pass on a multi lane road does not mean the other lanes are aware of the situation or are also willing to let you pass. I've seen this situation many times as well. Sucks for everyone involved.

 

Wasserball is a good contributor to this forum, but I disagree with the suggestion to not get your insurance company involved in this. This is what insurance is for. The hit you take on getting the car fixed and selling it, or selling it as-is or even parting it out will likely be no worse that the (potential) hike in your insurance premiums. This accident is why you pay for insurance in the first place. Use it. (Although I hope they total your car so you can get a new one).

Glad you weren't hurt.

DaveGee

 

Not everyone has the same strategy with insurance. Over many years, I have never carry comp and collision on cars I hold the pink slips, which is most of the time. I suspect I saved a lot of money on insurance bills with this risk strategy. People think because they pay for insurance they feel one day they should collect. My strategy is, pay as little as possible, and cover the cost if you get into an accident, which is never. If you have driven as many years as I have, you become very familiar with situations that can be dangerous if you are not careful.

 

I also drop collision and comp when the remaining value is low. Collision is for 'your fault' coverage so that one is easy to drop about anytime.

But if your vehicle is out right stolen or destroyed (comp) and not your fault, how do you decide that risk value?

 

Who is going to swipe the Fit? I keep my finger crossed on the expensive cars. It it is replaceable, it's worth the risk.

 

Good point.

I'm paying $30/year for full comp coverage on the Fit, $26/year on the ST both with a $1K deductible.

In my 30+ years driving, I think I've only submitted one 'comp' claim and that was a $9000 deer hit with $1k out of pocket. When I run the numbers for just the ST, not accounting for overall drop in value and inflation increases, it looks like about 307 years of paying comp is the break even point on that 'midrange value of the car' claim. As long as comp is that cheap, and I don't have as much control on 'comp' instances (especially in high theft So Cal), I'll keep it until the value of the car is not worth the deductible.

On the other hand, I do have more control over my own driving and would more likely remove collision at $292/year and assume the risk of making a driving mistake. However, with the downside of having to handle the claim process myself if someone else is at fault and what my 'time' is worth.

I do agree on self-insuring where possible and using high deductibles to substantially reduce costs when insurance makes sense.

 

The reason comp is cheap for the Fit is because even if you left the door wide open with the key (LX) in the ignition, no one would want jail time for stealing a cheap car. It is a cute and inexpensive car to operate.

 

duplicate.

 

Haha, except the typical thieves are not bright enough to think any of that through.

 

Really? You sure that no one would steal a car on the basis of risk/benefit? Then consider that I had a 1990 Buick Century stolen from my apartment's parking lot. Over 100k miles. Thieves drove it to another complex, stole the battery, and abandoned the car. even though the car had 4 brand new tires.

No comp, no claim, car recovered.

Thieves don't always operate on logic.

 

You were unlucky.

 

In, the apartment's parking lot is well light, the streets is not. The parking lot has several security cameras, the street doesn't. Actually the main street, six lanes, well light, security cams at major intersections. No street parking there, The neighborhood streets where the complex is located are dark and narrow.

If you are volunteering to build parking garages, I'm sure both the residents and management will be willing to accept.

 

Now, that's is being cynical. A bit of sarcasm to go along with it. Maybe you should live in a house with a garage so that it would be more difficult for someone to steal your battery in a car with over 100K miles?

 

Naw, that was being both optimistic and sarcastic. The latter a talent we share.

 

any update on the claim?

 

Try hitting an animal specifically a deer without comprehensive. Animal strikes are comp, not collision. Last November my daughter totaled her Fit by hitting a deer at 55 mph. It was covered by comp and is a non-chargable accident.

 

Also, I've never seen an insurance policy that doesn't require the policy holder to inform the insurance company if you're involved in an accident -- doesn't matter how much/little the damage, whether the cops are involved or who's at fault. Doesn't mean that everyone follows this 'agreement' they made when they bought the policy -- but it's certainly in every policy that I've read. And I've read a few over the decades. My brother recently got hit by another driver, they were at fault and their insurance was going to handle the repair - so despite my counsel, he elected not to notify his insurance carrier. Between the cops and the other insurance company, HIS insurance company was notified anyway......and shortly afterwards a letter arrived -- they wanted to know his side of the story and why he had failed to contact them "as required in your policy"....

Still can't understand how you get T-boned and YOU get a ticket if you had the right-of-way....and I read the 'explanation' above. But glad you weren't injured seriously.

 

I think OP was trying to cross travel lanes from a business to go the opposite direction of the nearest travel lanes. The near travel lanes were stopped for traffic/light but left an opening for OP to cross to opposite travel lanes. I think crossing over included crossing over a turn lane which was not backed with traffic. When OP poked out from the stopped traffic and into the turn lane trying to get to the opposite travel lane, they were hit by an SUV coming down the turn lane.

 

 

Well, I had a beater 1990 Buick Century stolen from in front of my apartment although the lot was well lighted and cameras catching the
action. The locks had been broken previously. Little of value in the car, but it was empty when found. 4 new tires were ignored. But you're right, some will steal anything not nailed down, others will bring a claw hammer.