"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote in message
news:elmop-9DFE8F.20133721022004@news.usenetserver.com...
:: Man, you drive 25K miles/year? What do you do?

Work from home, design computer trading systems. Drive on the weekends. :-)
Typical trip is from NJ/NYC to Maine or Ohio or Virgnia.

: You can (a) pay for all the repairs out of your own pocket; your
: insurance company would like that. Or (b) take what they offer and put
: that toward the repair of your choice, paying any extra out of your own
: pocket. Or (c) demand of your insurance company that they pay the extra
: for Honda parts.
:
: C is not really practical. Most people would do B (and then simply not
: fix it, or fix it minimally, and pocket the difference). A is your best
: bet if you can swing it; the less the insurance company has paid out
: against your policy, the better.

Appreciate your advice. This is my first accident in 17 years of driving.
Even if I go (a), will this appreciate my premiums just because I had an
accident?

: My *personal* opinion is to get an estimate for OEM parts, repaired by a
: shop you like, and tell your insurance company that's where you'll take
: it--and to have them simply write the check to both you and the body
: shop. The body shop loves having business in hand like that, and is
: more likely to accept what the insurance company offers, or at least
: drop their price, or otherwise negotiate directly with the insurance
: company.

I will follow your *personal* opinion. :-)

: What were you doing that you weren't paying attention to the car ahead
: of you?

Nope. Not the case at all. I was driving on a 3 lane road (1 lane going
against me, 2 lanes on my way.). I was in the rightmost lane when car number
1 turn onto my lane from a 90 degree intersection. Car number 2 followed car
number 1. Both cars did not come to a full and complete stop even though
there was a stop sign at that intersection. They both just swung onto the
road as if it was just a curve. No big deal as I was several car lengths
(perhaps 10) away. I was doing 35 and the speed limit was 35 (I know because
I had just passed a cop in hiding and I looked at my speedometer just to
make sure I wasn't speeding. Cops in NJ can get nitpicking in a construction
zone.). Anyways, I switched over to the left lane as both cars were slower
then me. Car number 2 decided to do the same thing in attempting to pass car
number 1. She accelerated and was about to pass number 1 when he decided
(for some unknown reason) to switch over to the left lane. He nearly hit car
number 2. Car number 2 had to brake and came to a stop. Meanwhile, I tried
to brake and with Honda's brake being what they are (notoriously weak), I
couldn't stop in time. I tried to swerved into the empty lane but couldn't.
I hit car number 2 and whacked her rear bumber. No airbags were deployed.
Just a damage hood, front light (left) and bumber for me - rear bumber for
her. There was plenty of daylight and roads were dry. Of course, car number
1 drove away as if nothing has happenned.


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