A week ago yesterday, May 5th, I was in a car accident. i had just finished a meeting and one of the members, actually a couple that are friends of mine, asked me if I would like a lift home. I said sure as I was tired, it had been a long meeting and I had to work the next day. So I head to the car, the husband get in the driver's seat and the wife in the front passenger seat. The back seat was covered with papers etc so I proceeded to move the stuff and put my bag and purse into the car. I had turned and had just gotten my left foot into the car, still holding the back door with my right hand, when the driver inexplicably decided to drive away!
I screamed and I could here the wife saying she not in the car! I ended upon my back with extreme pain in my right arm and shoulder (the arm holding the door). Thankfully I hadn't hit me head. The couple took me to the hospital (Thank goodness for medical), where they fast tracked me into the ER. Otherwise it would have been at least an 8 hr wait. WE had gotten to the hospital shortly after 9:00 pm. It turns out that nothing is broken however there is concern about
rotary cuff injury. They called TrogL, who I must say kept his cool, he was furious over the stupidity of the person.
So here is the issue, the driver hadn't gone to his insurance. In fact hr didn't even think about until TrogL asked him about it yesterday. You see it turns out that I am unable to go back to work until June 11th. I had to get a dr.'s letter, a new sling (that gives better support) and more pain meds. Now I have had to deal with chronic pain most of my life and I have had many surgeries. With the surgeries, I am usually off the morphine by day 2, and the Tylenol 3's by day 5. If I need to take anything afterward it is usually just extra-strength Tylenol. With this injury I was on Percocet (aka Oxycodone) for 24 hrs, Tylenol 3's (30 tablets) for 4 days, nothing for 12 hrs. By the time I went into see the dr at the medical clinic, I was in so much paint that when the dr tried to check some things out I almost punched him from the pain. I am now on Tylenol 4's.
I had asked TrogL to deal with the driver regarding the insurance because he doesn't have a vested interest in the couple, I do. He doesn't really get along with the husband and does only marginally better with the wife. I happen to like both people and the wife is also my AA sponsor. So I don't need anything to interfere with that. Also because of some past issues I have abandonment issues that I deal with. I am scared that if I approach them about the insurance that I could conceivably lose their friendship. So I do have a vested interest in what happens.
So we are trying to figure out the insurance thing. I have lost wages to deal with, as well as extra medical expenses that we wouldn't have had deal with if this hadn't have happened. I guess some of the question that I have are:
1) Do we have to make a police report? This wasn't done the night of the accident.
2) if he refuses to get a claim started, then what?
3) Should we be talking to our insurance company about this?
4) Could we sue the building owner where this happened?
If anyone has some suggestions it is greatly appreciated.
CraftyGal