(no subject)
A year ago, I was in a horrible car accident. Typing that entry was the most I could do, and even then it was under the pretense that I didn't share it with anyone (they didn't know I wrote it specifically for livejournal) as it could affect the lawsuit...or something. I was unable to share names or post pictures, though by now I've forgotten the name of the boy who hit us anyway. So all I have left are the pictures of the car Jon took on his cell phone that I helped him upload. I kept them saved in my gmail for whatever reason - some combination of morbid fascination ("wow, did I really survive that?") and a grim reminder (not like I need it).
We went to physical therapy for a long, long time afterwards. We were only recently cleared to quit coming, mostly out of insistence of my mother as we knew we weren't getting anywhere. Up until a month or so ago, Jon still had inner ear balance/vertigo issues. It magically disappeared one morning, much to his relief, as he had been avoiding taking his vicodin pills.
We haven't gotten any money, and I don't think pursuing it is very high on my mother and Jon's list of things to do. Insurance paid for the essentials, the rest would just be compensation for our trauma (which is not to say we don't want, or need, it). So, I've decided to post the pictures. I think it's a little more real than a wall of text.
The back of the car, the place of impact. A Lincoln Navigator is a pretty hefty car, and sports 3 rows of seats (driver/passenger, backseat, far backseat).
The impact compressed the car all the way to the back of the second row, aka up to my back. I'm not sure whether it affected anything or not, but you can tell it was not a directly centered hit - it's skewed to the right slightly, and I was on the left.
Front right and left side. The minor damage on the front is from the third car Jon hit while trying to swerve out of the way. The guy was pushed onto the median and as far as I know his car did not suffer extreme damage.
As the hit was largely to the right side of the car, the left looks largely unaffected with the exception of the crushed backside.
Back left and back right. The left back wheel is bent outwards, and the whole bumper is pushed in. Apparently that's where the spare tire is!
I realize the paper-crumpling affect of the car frame is designed specifically to minimize and absorb as much of the impact as possible, but it really makes everything look quite spectacularly painful. Which, it kind of was.
Today, we made holiday cookies, just like we were trying to do last year. This time, we didn't leave the house.
VerusMaya II
We went to physical therapy for a long, long time afterwards. We were only recently cleared to quit coming, mostly out of insistence of my mother as we knew we weren't getting anywhere. Up until a month or so ago, Jon still had inner ear balance/vertigo issues. It magically disappeared one morning, much to his relief, as he had been avoiding taking his vicodin pills.
We haven't gotten any money, and I don't think pursuing it is very high on my mother and Jon's list of things to do. Insurance paid for the essentials, the rest would just be compensation for our trauma (which is not to say we don't want, or need, it). So, I've decided to post the pictures. I think it's a little more real than a wall of text.
The back of the car, the place of impact. A Lincoln Navigator is a pretty hefty car, and sports 3 rows of seats (driver/passenger, backseat, far backseat).
The impact compressed the car all the way to the back of the second row, aka up to my back. I'm not sure whether it affected anything or not, but you can tell it was not a directly centered hit - it's skewed to the right slightly, and I was on the left.
Front right and left side. The minor damage on the front is from the third car Jon hit while trying to swerve out of the way. The guy was pushed onto the median and as far as I know his car did not suffer extreme damage.
As the hit was largely to the right side of the car, the left looks largely unaffected with the exception of the crushed backside.
Back left and back right. The left back wheel is bent outwards, and the whole bumper is pushed in. Apparently that's where the spare tire is!
I realize the paper-crumpling affect of the car frame is designed specifically to minimize and absorb as much of the impact as possible, but it really makes everything look quite spectacularly painful. Which, it kind of was.
Today, we made holiday cookies, just like we were trying to do last year. This time, we didn't leave the house.
VerusMaya II