Poppy Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Bad year so decided to put cost on Credit Card (First time in 30 years) and run away to Spain. Just 10 kilometres before Spanish border the driver in car behind fell asleep and ran into us we started spinning and got hit again. It was on the Autoroute so guess got to be grateful only three cars involved. Gendarmes arrived took details of driver who was very quick to admit he had fallen asleep. Nobody tested for drugs or alcohol and no ambulance called. Two weeks later we are still aching from head to foot and heads mentally are all over the place. We paid top price insurance and bought a decent car so we would have trouble free motoring. We are now stuck without transport therefore no food etc. Insurance will give us a valuation for car on Thursday. We will have to walk 20 kilometres to the office.All thoughts good or bad, helpful hints or whatever gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Hire a car on the same CC you were using for the holiday - if you are lucky you might be able to claim it as a reasonable expense from the insurance of the guy who dozed off.....if not at least you would be eating and not have to walk 20 kilometres....Sorry to hear of your plight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Been there, done that, got the wheelchair.Clearly, you cannot assume that you are going to be considered blameless by the judiciary and thus the insurance companies but it sounds as if there's a good chance. Thus any expenditure you make you need to limit, just in case it doesn't come out in your favour. However, you may have some cover or protection which allows you to hire a car whilst you are without so check your policy and check with your insurer.Note every ache and pain and every inconvenience and/or expenditure which was a direct or indirect result of the accident and keep a detailed diary. If the other driver is confirmed as being at fault, you will be able to claim all this back and make a claim for medical expenses and compensation and it's up to your insurer to negotiate all this for you.Tell your insurer that you have no transport and that s/he must come to you. Mine visited me several times in hospital at no cost to me and the settlement cheque for my car was delivered a week after I regained consciousness.It's grim and unsettling but you are both still alive. Bon courage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 26, 2011 Author Share Posted September 26, 2011 Thanks RH . The insurance did pay for a hire car to get us back to our nearest town. We realised we still had to get home and rented the car for another 5days to go the insurance, doctor etc. The cost to us was 440 Euros, insurance said they will try and claim from sleepy driver but no guarantee. At that cost there was no way we could continue to rent. We did get some food in before returning car but hubby passed out in the supermarket. Really feel like hitting somebody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Try you local SUPER U . If you're not going too far in the car they will be a good deal cheaper than that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 26, 2011 Author Share Posted September 26, 2011 Thanks Coops - have been listing expenditure but will start noting every ache and pain and inconvenience. It's silly things like not being able to make the bed.Will also tell them we can't get to the office. Insurer at present doesn't seem interested in anything other than value of car.We were in a Micra C+C lovely car and looking online it seems that because of the weight of the folding glass roof the chassis is reinforced plus 3 times so guess that was what saved us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 I'm sure that my Micra saved my life. That's 2 up to Nissan (I bought another with the cheque, as you might guess, although a Note this time as I need room for the chair.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 26, 2011 Author Share Posted September 26, 2011 3 up to Nissan. Probably 30 years since our last accident, black ice in a 260ZX lots of spins and a demolished lampost but we got out unhurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEO Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 [quote user="Poppy"]Bad year so decided to put cost on Credit Card (First time in 30 years) and run away to Spain. Just 10 kilometres before Spanish border the driver in car behind fell asleep and ran into us we started spinning and got hit again. It was on the Autoroute so guess got to be grateful only three cars involved. Gendarmes arrived took details of driver who was very quick to admit he had fallen asleep. Nobody tested for drugs or alcohol and no ambulance called. Two weeks later we are still aching from head to foot and heads mentally are all over the place. We paid top price insurance and bought a decent car so we would have trouble free motoring. We are now stuck without transport therefore no food etc. Insurance will give us a valuation for car on Thursday. We will have to walk 20 kilometres to the office.All thoughts good or bad, helpful hints or whatever gratefully received.[/quote]Hi Poppy ,sorry to hear about your mishap.I assume you had French car insurance.I had a similar mishap at Tarragona peage two years ago, on a trip to southern Spain I had english insurance with SAGA,,who immediately offered taxis ,hire car until repair was complete and they pursued the other drivers insurance to repay my 500 pounds excess.I could not fault the service SAGA provided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 26, 2011 Author Share Posted September 26, 2011 Thanks Leo and good to hear that SAGA were spot on.We thought we had all singing all dancing French Insurance but appear to be arguing for everything. After lots of discussion they did provide hotel and taxi for the first night then rental car just to get us to nearest town. We are so disappointed that we spent a lot of money on a car and insurance that we thought would give us independance and trouble free motoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Don't suppose it was AXA by any chance? Just heard a similar story from friends of ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 26, 2011 Author Share Posted September 26, 2011 [quote user="Jay"]Don't suppose it was AXA by any chance? Just heard a similar story from friends of ours.[/quote]How did you guess !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Our friends had an accident which was not their fault and one of them is in hospital in a very bad way, the other is in obvious shock etc. and without a car. To get to the hosptal he has had to rely on friends until this week when that very same caring company offered some piddling daily amount you couldn't hire a pushbike with!I really can't understand it. They are going to claim everything back from the insurance of the person at fault - unless they are insured by the same company of course. When you consider the amount we pay in premiums it makes me see red when something like this happens.I sincerely hope you and your other half feel better soon - fight the bar stewards for every penny you can get, threaten them with publicity and legal action if they don't pay up, I would! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 26, 2011 Author Share Posted September 26, 2011 Thanks Jay it's nice to know we are not going mad. Husband is in a very bad way mentally, he wakes up every hour saying he wants to kill somebody and obviously isn't sleeping. At the minute I do not care whether I live or die never felt so low but I guess that it not really me so will continue fighting.I do hope your friends recover well. Nobody realises what a nightmare it is until they are in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemonimo Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 I'm really sorry to hear of your troubles, Poppy and I wish I could do something to help. I can only hope your neighbours are able to help with shopping but it must be a miserable time for you both. Just follow the advice given by other posts because they know what they are talking about. Look after yourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 [quote user="Jay"]I really can't understand it. They are going to claim everything back from the insurance of the person at fault - unless they are insured by the same company of course. [/quote]Very astute of you!Its sad to see a two tier system when people who having paid the premium and deserve to be treated as well by their insurers that Cooperlola are given the adversarial treatment by the very people who should be fighting for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Poppy, It seems to me as a layperson that you should both probably see a Doctor - it sounds as if you have some sort of post trauma stress as well as the aches and pains.....Bon Chance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 PM'd you Poppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Without doubt see a doctor. If nothing else, once blame has been apportioned, any "comptes rendus" from treatments you receive under the state system, will go to backing up your claim for compensation when (not if!) you make one. They can also refer you to professionals you can talk to if you have sleep or other problems and the more care you are deemed to need, the better your case once you come to make it.My company is in negotiations with AXA as they are the lorry driver (guilty party)'s insurers and they have paid out some money already, plus they have bought me a new, adapted, bathroom so they will pay out if forced to do so. For proper, professional advice (free at first contact and possibly beyond) you can talk to:http://www.fnvictimesdelaroute.asso.fr/who are very helpful.The problem with insurance companies here is not only might your insurer and the other driver's be the same, but even if they are not, they sometimes use the same inspection corporelle departments (the bods responsible for hammering out any settlement and the officials you should get hold off at AXA - foget the idiot agents in the office - they are just glorified sales people). It seems to me to be an even more incestuous business here than it is in the UK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Many thanks everyone for your kind words and advice. I really appreciate it.We did go to our doctor. He didn't examine us just said we had whiplash and accident trauma and that was perfectly normal.I think the main problem is no transport, making us feel isolated and means we concentrate 24hrs per day on the accident. Just looked on the websites for local garages and there are a couple of cars which might be OK. The garage salesman just lives a few km from us so he is going to take us to the garage tomorrow.Will try and enjoy this lovely sunshine today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Maybe if you are still feeling awful, which you clearly are, you should go back to the Doctor, it may be normal, but that doesn't make it pleasant or even untreatable...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Thanks RH, will make another appointment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 Thank you so much Coops for your link. I telephoned AXA yesterday morning and quoted the site and today forms arrived with covering letter 'vous été victime d'un accident corporel.' My set of forms are double OH so I'll have to be careful I am not sueing him.Feeling a bit better, your bravery is inspiring me.Many many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Glad to be of any help I can. I'm not brave in the least, just pragmatic. Not much one can do about these things once they've happened but get on with it.I'm glad they have responded positively - at least once the ball is rolling one feels less abandoned. Bon courage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 No Coops do not undermine your bravery. It takes more than pragmatism to rise above 'why me' and to fight the French Health Service and now all your additional 'challenges'You really are a 'one off' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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