Tested out the airbags yesterday. (jano) Pics added pg 3

    • Gold Top Dog

    Tested out the airbags yesterday. (jano) Pics added pg 3

    They work. Front, side, back. All in proper working condition. Or at least, they were.

    I'm ok. Baby's ok. Car... very much not ok. My poor pretty new car. Sad

    I was driving home from work yesterday on my lunch break. I was on a side road about 1 mile from home, and it was covered in packed snow. Some *** *** *** *** (guy #1) in a pickup pulled out in front of me from a road on my right. There was an oncoming car, so all I could do was slam on my breaks and swear. I hit him right about at my passenger side front quarter panel, bounced off him, slid sideways into the oncoming car (guy #2), whose front end slammed right into my door, then I slid back across the road and hit the snowbank. Not fun. I don't think I'll ever feel the same about pinball again.

    I totally panicked. My airbags had blown up, and my steering wheel was smoking. I thought, "OMG! My car is going to start on fire and blow up! I have to get out! NOW!" Total panic, which is not how I would picture myself to handle a situation like this. The crunched door was hard to open, and the side airbag would not deflate, so I had to crawl under it to get out, not even noticing the broken glass all over me.

    I got out into the street and started bawling. Baaaaaawling. All I could think about was the baby. Guy #1 comes out and is all, "Aww, I'm sorry! Are you ok?" Duhhhhh. I was crying so hard I could hardly talk. All I could get out was "I'm pregnant!!! Wwaaaaaaaa!" Crying He mumbled on about something and I swore at him about the stop sign, which he had driven right through. He did feel bad, but I was so pissed!

    Guy #2 was an older man, probably 60s-ish. He used a piece of my door trim that had fallen off to scrape some of the glass off the road. Poor guy saw the whole thing coming at him and there was nothing he could do. His Jeep didn't look too bad, though. He must have had a cell phone, because his wife came walking down the road from their house. Guy #1 had a cell phone and called the police, then let me use it to call DH.

    When DH pulled up, he was pissed! Not at me, but he totally wanted to kick guy #1's you-know-what. I was scared but also kinda smiling inside. He's never been protective of me like that before. He's more of a "you can stand up for yourself" kind of guy. It was fine, he just yelled at him a bit, like WTF dude?

    We sat around and waited for the cops to come. My wrist hurt, but that was about all I could feel. I got burned when the steering wheel airbag exploded. The back of my right hand and wrist was all red and blistery.

    I was wearing leather gloves, and the airbag explosion melted the inside liner in the wrist area. I didn't know those things actually blew up, as in fire explosion. I think if I hadn't had my gloves on, a lot more of my hand would have been burned.

    The cop came, guy #1 admitted to blowing the stop sign, and my car got towed. DH and I went home, I put ice on my wrist and called the doctor to see if they thought I should come in. Of course they did, so DH had to take a sick day and bring me in.

    We were sent up to a room in Labor & Delivery for observation. I got to wear a wonderful little gown and nothing else. They hooked my belly up to monitor the baby's heartbeat and contractions.

    The nurse took FOREVER to find the heartbeat, which totally freaked me out. Once she left the room, DH was like, "Worried there for a minute?" Me: "YES!" DH: "I know. I was thinking of all the ways I could kill that guy." Awww. Another proud protective daddy moment. Hee hee! We both laughed.

    I had Braxton Hicks contractions regularly, anywhere from 2-4 minutes apart. They aren't painful, but it feels really tight, like I have a bowling ball in my belly. It's normal to get them occasionally, but when they're regular, that's bad. And to top it off I was starving! I never got to eat lunch, and they wouldn't let me eat at the hospital in case I was going to have to have an emergency c-section. I finally got to eat at 5:45, and I felt so much better. I wolfed down every last bite. The contractions lessened a lot after that.

    To make sure nothing got torn/detached, I had another ultrasound, and again, the baby would NOT let us know the gender! Come on, kid, I've had a bad enough day already. Can't there be something positive? Nope. Not gonna tell. This kid's going to be born grounded. Wink

    I was hoping they'd let me go after 6 hours, but no such luck. They made me stay overnight. It sucked. That stupid bed was so hard. I was starting to get sore and stiffen up, and a hard bed does not help. I was uncomfortable all night. Every time I changed positions, the monitor thing wouldn't pick up the heartbeat, so an alarm would go off. I didn't get much sleep. And I missed my Rupey snuggles. Sad

    I feel better today, and they let me go around 11 am. My jaw, neck and back are sore and stiff. I have a bruise on my left elbow and knee. My wrist feels better, all the blisters have flattened out. It's still red and tender, though.

    I'm glad I'm ok, and the baby is ok. I'm just so bummed about my car! I know it's just a car, but it's the first new car I've ever had, and I've only had it since May. Sad

    Tomorrow DH & I have to get things figured out about a car for me so I can get to work next week. My car was towed to a body shop that gives free loaner cars. But I'm not sure what the policy is if the car is totaled. We stopped by the Sheriff's Dept today but the police report wasn't filed yet. My auto insurance said that guy #1's insurance would be contacting me. I have no idea how that stuff works. I want enough to pay off my car and have a down payment for a new car. I'm also losing 2.5 days of work. I hope I don't have to hire a lawyer.

    Ug. Craptastic.

    • Gold Top Dog

     OMG!  I am glad that you and the baby are alright.  That sucks about your car.  I didn't know that airbags went off like that.  Sounds like they can cause more damage.  I haven't been in a car accident yet, and judging by your experience, I hope I never have to go through that. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    OMG!  I'm so glad you are both ok.  And so sorry this happened to you.

    Normally when your car is totaled, the insurance will pay for a rental for 30 days, in my experience.  When DH was broadsided and our van totaled, the other driver was uninsured and MY insurance offered us a settlement to cover the vehicle loss, the lost time and medical.....medical had to wait until he was considered "permanate and stationary" since he WAS injured because our van rolled.

    Good golly, someone was watching out for you!  Thank goodness you're ok!

    • Gold Top Dog

    OMG!  Glad you and the little one are both OK. What a scary ordeal that must have been for you.

    Joyce

    • Gold Top Dog

    Oh my gosh Jan! That made my heart race just imagining what you went thru. I'm so glad you and the baby are okay, but like your DH, I'd have wanted to pummel that idiot. Man, what is wrong with people?????? Sorry..personal rant but it's bad enough that you now have to deal with the car and insurance, but you and/or the baby could've been seriously hurt. I think you should stay home now until the baby arrives. Really, I'd just feel better, k?  Big Smile

    • Gold Top Dog

    In total honesty, I would NOT talk to the insurance company until you contact an attorney.

    No, I know you don't want to sue him for everything. BUT ... you **ARE PREGNANT** and you could develop complications later and you want to make sure it pays for every dime of that hospital stay. 

    Adjusters can be brutal -- and you can wind up signing away benefits you didn't know you had ... call someone reputable (if your family has ANY kind of an attorney -- like for estate planning or business or anything -- call and get a referral).  This guy blew a stop sign that resulted in a 3 car crack up.  YOU hit someone else - that makes things all different.

    Don't be noble -- be smart.  Let an attorney do the negotiating for you.  You don't need the stress, you don't need the down time from work -- this is pretty clear cut and you were hurt enough to have to go to the hospital overnight.  CALL AN ATTORNEY.

    It won't cost you -- you can do something like that on contingency (meaning the attorney gets paid out of the proceeds if there are any, and no charge to you if they don't win - but when some guy blows a stop sign and 3 cards and a preggie lady get damaged there WILL be "proceeds", trust me!!)  You aren't trying to make a million bucks - but you have too much to lose here **because of the baby and braxton-hicks, etc. etc. etc.* -- you won't know that the baby is crystal IN THE CLEAR until after it's born and that will be too late if an adjuster reams you.

    You don't often hear me pull the 'I'm a legal secretary, I know what I'm talking about' card -- but I am here.  My guy is a real estate attorney and I can hear him hook you up with someone GOOD in a heartbeat if you were in Florida.  Just call a reputable attorney and let them refer you.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Oh maaaaan, Janice!  How scary!  I'm soooooooooooooo glad that you & the baby are okay.  I love that DH was so protective of you.  How sweet.  Um before I forget, Aspen is bugging me.  I think he REALLY wants to tell you that he hopes you feel better soon.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Thanks everyone. Smile 

    Callie, will you be my lawyer? Big Smile  I've never been in an accident before so I have no idea what to do. I've never hired a lawyer before. I guess I'll start calling around this afternoon.

    Here's a fun little visual for those right-brained like me:

     

    • Gold Top Dog

     I think I need to take two Aspen and call you in the morning. Stick out tongue

    • Gold Top Dog
    Two Aspen and one Pirate? If anything Pirate can bounce around with Rupey while Aspen snuggles.

    But seriously, that was so scary to read! All I thought when I read the title was "not one of the preggo I-doggers! not one of the preggo I-doggers!" :( I'm glad you are O-K.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Oh my how frightening. Too bad about your car, but what's important is that everyone is okay. Cars can be replaced. A few years back, we had our new car totaled....my husband swerved for something and hit a tree. Those airbags sound scary, but if he hadn't had them and or had his seat belt on, he most likely would have been killed. I wasn't with him. I had to laugh when you mentioned you would never feel the same about pinball again. Big Smile

    • Gold Top Dog

    janobonano

    To make sure nothing got torn/detached, I had another ultrasound, and again, the baby would NOT let us know the gender! Come on, kid, I've had a bad enough day already. Can't there be something positive? Nope. Not gonna tell. This kid's going to be born grounded. Wink

    That baby boy/girl had probably curled up in a tignt little ball after what had happened and probably won't uncoil till it's time to come home. I'd start buying yellow stuff Wink

    • Gold Top Dog

    I am so glad you are OK.  How completely and totally scary.  Thank goodness Rupert wasn't with you!!  Not sure if he wears a safety harness or not.

    I agree with Callie, talk to an attorney.  Do not talk with their insurance company.  This isn't a little fender bender that you are trying to exaggerate.  Your car was probably totaled while you were pregnant and had to spend the night in the hospital.  If nothing else happens they should at least reimburse you for EVERYTHING (car, hospital, tests, etc. etc.), down to the cost of your vacation days. 

    We had a car that was totaled (while it was parked) by two pot smoking morons right in front of our house (they just stood out there like two drugged up idiots thinking it was funny).  Their insurance paid for everything up front, the towing, etc.  What happened is they gave us a rental car (make sure it is of equal type i.e. SUV for SUV) while the truck was being evaluated.  Once they decided to total it, we had to find a new car within x days of receiving the payoff.  So if you think they are going to total it, you will need to start looking right away.

    Again, thank goodness you and the baby are ok!

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    OMG JANICE!!! ***HUG*** I'm sooooo glad you're not worse.  What a horrible, scary expereince, I'm just soooo glad that you and (grounded) baby is OK.  (I think it's a girl, just fyi :)  

    I have you, baby and the insurance situation in my thoughts and prayers, I hope everything turns out well.. and soon. 

    Wow, I'm just SO glad you're OK, reading this it was killing me.  I'd help DH plot ;)

     Hang in there and take very good care of yourself.  Let Ruppy give you many snuggles, I'm sure he was really upset you were gone.
     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Take 2 Aspen every 8 hours as needed.  ((gentle hugs))