Beethoven In Trance - Episode 34

So we had our very first car accident in the US yesterday evening.

We were driving on the main road, and we switched the lane to the left after signal. Right after that I noticed another silver car just ran out from another side of the street. I honked and it didn't help. Before my next move, it hit my car on the left side of my car's rear bumper. I came out, and he came out. He said 'you changed lane on me'. 'What?' All I could think of at that time is what happened to my car. I looked at my car, left side of the rear bumper was scratched and jacked out of place. I said 'let me call the insurance company and we will see what next.' I went back into my car, paused, pulled out my wallet, and found my insurance card. I didn't know if I was shaking or not, but I suddenly know I was when the policeman came around. I sat back into the car, dialed 911, and told them my phone number and give them the location (which was not the correct as it turned out). Then I dialed the insurance claims number only was told I might want to call agent first. Well, ok, it was 5:40pm, and I didn't believe any insurance agent worked that late. The guy said 'let's get out of the road'. Ok, let's do that (ding, ding, ding, ding ding!!!, big mistake). We drove to a small parking place on the side of the road, and waited the policeman. He asked what police department I called, and I said I might called the wrong city. He got the number for the correct one, well, we called again, and I let him do the talking, he gave the location and he said 'it's a fender bender'.

We waited, and it started to rain. I called my best friend Mark, and was told the other guy would get a ticket because he didn't yield to the traffic on the main road. I was somehow relieved to hear that. Policeman finally arrived (two eventually). I talked to the policeman, described what happened, and I was asked to fill up a police report. I did. I wrote down what happened the best I could (quite tough for a Chinese to write down a car accident in foreign language for the first time when I was still in shock and shaking, and it was raining). The best thing I did though in the report is to draw a picture of what happened. Then, the second policeman came and I asked him some questions like what the green dividing section in the middle of the road is called, and what the left lane called in this accident (it's called left through lane, and right through lane). He also corrected a street name for me. When I was talking to him, the first policeman went to talk to the other guy in the car. Both parties filled out the forms.

Then he left first, the first policeman gave us his card with report number on it, and told us to call insurance agent tomorrow and give them this number so that the agent can get the report. He also told us that he pretty much decided who was at fault and gave the ticket to the other party. We were relieved and drove away.

Though it was 'small accident' but I can't believe how stressful and intense it was. The car just didn't feel right afterwards.

So this morning I called the insurance agent. The agent asked for the other party's insurance company information and I didn't have it. Well, we didn't exchange insurance information at the accident. So we have to wait for the police report come out before we can do anything. I called the police department noon to check on the status and I was told it needs to be approved, and it might be done by the end of this week. This week? It's only Wednesday, how many rubber stamps need to be put on there? Then I asked the lady over the phone nicely about the other party's insurance company information and she was glad to give them to me. Thank you!.
I called the agent again and gave her the insurance company information. She called the other insurance company and filed the claim, then she called me and gave me the claims number, adjuster's name and phone number, she also told me that the adjuster would call me today or tomorrow.

The adjuster did call. I picked up the phone and was asked what happened. I told him what happened the best I could over the phone. He told me a different story he got from his insured. I was shocked and enraged. I was in the office, and I couldn't talk loud, and I kept my temper as much as possible. I asked him again about the story and I picked out something I thought wrong. The adjuster said he needed to look at the police report before he can decide what to do next. And we hang up.

I was still in fury when I got off the phone and I had to walk outside for a while to calm me down. I talked to Mark again and told him about the story I heard from the adjuster. I told him how disappointed I was. At that point, I probably misunderstood some details about the story, and thought the guy lied to the adjuster. Come to think of it now, he did what he could to make the best case scenario.



So what are the lesson learned:

Take Picture!!!!!!!!!Take picture before move away from the scene of the accident!!!! That's the single most important evidence I can have!!!! Got a Camera Phone? Time to use it! No camera phone? Get a disposable one from CVS, Walgreen or Walmart and put it in the glove compartment at ALL TIME!

Exchange insurance information!

In police report, write down if anyone turns left or right, switches lane, drive straight on mainstreet or speeding. In my case, I should emphasize he was turning from a small road into a main traffic without yielding.

Write down not only what happened, but also what was said and told through out the accident.

Write down the name of the road and travel direction, and draw the picture!

Ask policeman to prove read your report, make sure he understands you completely. Ask him to repeat if have to.

Before the adjuster called you, prepare your story, and prepare for hearing a different story.


Keep a bottle of water in the car. I was dehydrated throughout the accident(I guess due to stress).

Ask for a copy of police report as soon as it's available.

Drive defensively!