I was rear ended today, how fast was the other driver traveling?

[spotbird]

My car is a Mercury Mariner the car that hit me as an Acura SUV. I was stopped in traffic and the impact came with a good back wards wallop, maybe because it was unexpected (I had my seat belt on, but I don't think it caught me). I didn't hurt initially, but I'm achy now, but not horrible.

My car's bumper is dislocated into the rear lights, which work, and off to the side. The reverse sensors were broken and the trailer hitch is pushed in, I think the hitch was the point of impact.

How fast was the other driver traveling? I'm not going to sue, I'm just curious.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Too fast

[slackmaster]

33. Perhaps, but inattention was certainly a factor

[Fumesucker]

2. How badly was the other car damaged?

If they hit your trailer hitch it probably put a good hole in the front..

Cars are roughly same size/height, yes?

[spotbird]

5. There was a hole in the front of her car at the hitch point,

now that you mention it. Cars are the same size, but the hers was much better quality.

[Fumesucker]

7. The impact energy goes up with the square of the speed..

Twice as fast is four times the energy, three times as fast is nine times the energy and so on..

To a big extent the car is *supposed* to break on an impact, that absorbs energy and keeps it away from the occupants, too strong is more dangerous than just the right strength in the right place most of the time.

[spotbird]

10. Are you able to translate that into simpleton speak?

So my car thankfully did a good job at dispersing the energy of the impact, but I wonder what the impact was. From my description, is there any way to guess?

[Fumesucker]

14. So much depends on conditions..

The angle of the impact, whether the brakes were on hard in the impacting vehicle (lowers the front) et tedious cetera.

30 mph would probably result in destruction of both cars and ambulance rides for everyone..

15 mph the car or you may or may not drive away.

7 mph will shake you up and result in minor damage most of the time, I agree you should be checked out by a doctor.

[spotbird]

17. Thanks. It sounds like 7 mph or so is closest

Which is somewhat surprising because it seemed powerful. A truly fast impact must make a person feel like a rag doll.

It was dry and sunny, but I have no way to know if she hit the breaks, I didn't hear them. Since we were on a busy street I suggested we pull onto a side street while we waited for the police since it didn't seem to be a big deal.

[Fumesucker]

19. Anti lock brakes have kind of done away with screeching tires..

ETA: Yes, fast impact makes you feel like rag doll, good analogy..

The computer doesn't let the wheels lock up so the tires never slide which produces the screeching.. In most cases you can stop faster with the tires *almost* about to start sliding than when they actually slide..

I hope the rest of your day is better..

[spotbird]

21. Air bags

I'm fairly sure hers did not deploy. Someone below pointed out that that is an indicator of the maximum speed.

I'm going to soak in the tub, which will make what's left of the day much, much better.

Thanks for the wishes.

[Fumesucker]

24. Correct about the air bag..

I rather thought you would have mentioned it if it either one had gone off, it's pretty obvious..

[emilyg]

35. I was hit by

a 90 year old driving a Mustang. Friday the 13th. Soaking definitely helps.

[Rhiannon12866]

37. Yikes! You, too?! I am so sorry...

This might become a good story sometime in the distant future, but right now it must really suck. I was once hit broadside by a jackass who raced through a red light and I hurt all over for quite awhile. He was late for the opera. I hope you're feeling better and this turns out favorably for you, as much as it can...

[emilyg]

39. Thank you. She

kept telling the police that she had the green arrow - police kept telling her there was NO arrow. I'm hurting all over but grateful it wasn't worse.

[malaise]

3. Check out your neck and back at a doctor's office or hospital as soon as possible

Do not wait.

[aikoaiko]

28. Malaise is correct. Plus you get a little in compensation from the other car's insurance company.

You'll have to pay out of pocket, but let the doctor look you over. Even if you're sure you're ok you should do this. Plus, you'll get a least 3x the money you spend.

warning: I am not a lawyer.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

41. You actually don't have to pay out of pocket.

If you have an atty, they set it up for you and it's worked out at settlement, IIRC. When stuff like that happens, pay NOTHING ever without your atty being involved.

[aikoaiko]

44. that's interesting.

I too was rear ended. My car was totaled and I was banged around a bit.

I called my doctor the next day and she I needed me to pay out of pocket for the visit (and she wouldn't bill me). They said my health insurance coverage wouldn't cover the accident examinations and treatments because it was the at-fault party's insurance's responsibility to pay.

Fortunately, it was just a couple of hundred dollars for which I received about 3 times back in settlement.

I suppose its a good idea if you have an attorney on retainer, but I didn't. I would have gotten one quickly if there were injuries beyond bruising.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

45. When my car was totaled when I was 18...

...My atty told me to never do that. Regardless of it going beyond bruising, apparently you need to go to the doctor several times. Sometimes it take a while for you to be sure everything is OK after a wreck. It is like if someone comes into the ER and tries to get money after the accident, you don't give them anything if it wasn't your fault. I don't have anyone on retainer, but I'd be calling my aunt (who does have one on retainer) to get someone started on the accident. After the horror stories I've heard, I'd never have an accident and try to work with the insurance company on my own. They are evil and they will take advantage of you because you most likely (in their mind) don't know your rights. They are hate people who get attorneys because they know that they can't take shortcuts.

[zappaman]

4. 80 mph?

but it depends...

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[spotbird]

6. Or 18? Who can tell? nt

[Politicalboi]

23. LOL!

This why straight people shouldn't be able to get married. They might have children.

[Meiko]

8. I hope his

text message went through OK....

[spotbird]

11. I think she told the cop that I stopped abruptly,

which is false, but doesn't change her liability anyway. You hit on what really happened.

[rustydog]

9. Go see a doctor ASAP! I failed to do this after being rear-ended

by a ford Excursion. My neck felt fine, it is so messed up now.
I should have followed my co worker's suggestion that I be checked even though I felt fine.

[spotbird]

13. What can they do?

The wreck wasn't the worst thing that happened today, but an evening in the er as a non trauma patient would make the day truly horrible. If I feel worse in the am, I'll go torture myself.

Oh, the woman who hit me is a doctor, and this is a small town. So I'm fine.

[Brickbat]

12. Probably 20-30. I got rear-ended in a Taurus; the other car was some piece of shit Kia that was

clearly totaled. I didn't hurt at all, but ended up going to the doctor just in case to establish a case if I needed it. She sent me to physical therapy for a strained neck/light whiplash which became apparent the next day, so I'm glad I went.

[leveymg]

15. If your airbag didn't deploy, it probably wasn't terribly fast. Probably < 15 mph.

The vehicle that gets hit absorbs most of the energy. Most bumper caps are designed to unhinge at impacts greater than their 2-3 mph design limit. The fact that you had a trailer hitch probably prevented additional damage to the rear of your car.

Mercury Mariner? Didn't Steve McGarrett on Hawai on the original Five-Oh drive one of those? That thing was a tank.

[spotbird]

18. That's my ride!

If you can't see how cool it is, you don't know cool..

[bluesbassman]

27. McGarrett's ride was actually a Grand Marquis.

Used in the '70s. The earlier shows used a Park Lane. All tanks. (spotbird's Mariner is a crossover SUV)

[onethatcares]

16. was she texting or only on the phone?

or perhaps having a drink of coffee while changing the radio station?

Go to the doctor, you have no excuses not to. The hell with suing, if you're

injured you want to begin the documentation within the shortest amount of

time from the moment of impact.

BTW, I'm not a lawyer, doctor, or indian chief but I did stay at a comfort inn once.

[NotThisTime]

20. I was hit February 8th, similar story, the fact the car first hit the hitch which is attached to the

frame, my body took more of a beating than my car, it wasn't helpful that the car was lower than my vehicle so she hit underneath the bumper with the hood of her car after hitting the hitch. I was hurt badly from the initial blow, I knew right away that something was wrong with my neck and in fact there was, but I did not in any way anticipate the back pain that would come 2 weeks later.... You would be surprised how long pain from an impact can take to show itself... see a doctor.

[spotbird]

22. I will in the morning,

but there isn't anything they can do to help, so I don't see the urgency in going tonight.

[Politicalboi]

29. You need to get some documentation started

You never know if she may stick with, you stopped too abruptly, and blame you. Call your auto insurance agent, and go to a doctor. Don't be afraid to sue someone if you have injuries. That is what insurance companies are for.

[RebelOne]

25. I hope you are making a claim with the other driver's insurance.

It should pay for the damages to your vehicle.

[roamer65]

26. I was in a full force frontal offset crash.

Other guy was stupid moron who simply wasn't watching the road. I hurt for a week at least. Go to the hospital and demand an MRI to make sure that all is well...IMHO. The auto insurance company covered what my health insurance didn't on it.

I am alive today because seat belts and air bags work and I was also driving a car with higher crash test ratings.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

42. If it was the other guy's fault, you should have gotten an atty...

...and never paid a dime with your health insurance.
To anyone who has an accident that wasn't your fault and there is damage and possible injury, get an atty. SERIOUSLY.

[REP]

30. My front end was clipped at 45 mph last year - deformed the rim, destroyed suspension, etc

I had deep muscle trauma from the seltbelt retracting. I was hit by a much larger and heavier car running a red light (and she was also out of her lane, hitting my right front as I made a with-light forced turn). The damage to my car was immense: bumper, quarter panel, tire, suspension, washer bottle, headlight housing, etc but fortunately she missed the frame and the airbag sensors.

File a police report and contact your insurance agent as well as the one of the prick who hit you. I did get paid for the damage to me as well as getting my car restored. And see your doctor! Hope you're okay!

[bluesbassman]

31. Glad to hear you're relatively unharmed. Rear end collisions can be nasty.

My son got rear ended two weeks after he got his license. He was in a full size Bronco and a MB SUV hit him. Bent the Bronco bumper - totaled the Benz. Son was fine, drove the truck home.

Do make sure you get yourself checked. To be achy this soon should not be dismissed.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

32. Did you take pictures?

An SUV doesn't have to hit you that hard to do that kind of damage.

Also don't assume you weren't hurt just because nothing's broken. If anything like this happens to you again always accept an ambulance trip to the hospital. Then take the X-rays to a chiropractor or someone who knows about spines. It can take a long time for the true extent of spinal injuries to manifest themselves (in my case about two years) Much better to get if fixed up before your neck starts locking up.

[RZM]

34. Same thing happened to me last Friday

Typical dumbass. Wasn't his car and he has no license and no insurance.

The owner showed up and I got their information (they do have insurance). Hopefully their company will take the claim. If not, I'm screwed, since the damage is minimal and I have a high deductible.

[lithiumbomb]

36. no more than 5-10mph

As others have said, this was a low speed collision. 5-10mph will cause cosmetic damage or even total the car, and give you a jolt. You should probably get checked out just to be safe.

Much over 10 and the rear of the car would be pretty messed up. Something in the 30mph range, as someone else said, would destroy both cars and send people to the hospital.

Ultimately, the car did what it was supposed to do which was start to crumple.

[JVS]

38. Above 2.5 mph

Bumpers used to be designed to take a 5 mph impact without damage to the car. But Reagan rolled back the regulation.

[bemildred]

40. Not very fast, but maybe still under power.

Happened to me, much as you say.
Leaving a stop sign, waited for oncoming traffic, some guy plowed into my hitch.
Get your frame checked, it bent mine.

[Liberal_in_LA]

43. happened to me 2 months ago. didn't seem like too much damage but car was totalled due to damage to

frame. glad you are ok

[Bake]

46. You don't have to sue. That's your choice.

But if you're achy today, you probably ought to go to a doctor and get checked out. The other driver's insurance (assuming he/she was insured) will cover it.

I wouldn't be too hasty to make the sue/don't sue decision.

Bake