The Shakedown

Let me vent a little, will ya?

In 1973 I was at a stop sign and it was really early and when the left turn lane went so did I. That was exceedingly unfortunate for the little car in front of me because we weren't in that lane. I was going about 4 miles an hour and it cost me out of pocket $300 to have their bumper replaced. My car, I left with the dent. We left insurance out of it.

The same scenario happened with a couple of parking fender benders up until the 1990s. My only real live accident was in 2006 when several cars were primarily involved and mine was collaterally hit. A gentle collision is a weird description with freeway speeds, but we were going about the same speed and I kept control of the vehicle as we went off road, slowed and stopped. No one needed an ambulance which was remarkable with a dozen cars involved and strewn on both sides of the freeway. And then this guy who hit me claimed an injury and fabricated his story to make it appear to be my fault.  Fortunately reason prevailed and I was exonerated but only after a court battle and more expense. The whole thing was ridiculous.

As the century turned, the boys were driving and one of them was involved with hitting a stopped car just over a hill but he was able to slow down significantly before they collided, down to, maybe, 10 mph. It didn't even dent his hood or the lady's bumper, but she had injuries. It was insurance all the way. And what of the other time one of the kids backed out of a stall and slightly nudged a car in the school parking lot, no damage to either vehicle, not even a scrape, and later the person sitting inside reported a neck injury?

I understand people really do get hurt but clearly the people we've (literally) run into are involved with a shameless shakedown of the insurance companies. Keep on comin' - we'll take ya for a ride.  And now again, I just got off the phone with the agent over this week's stopped-at-the-gas-station accident where they were going, oh, a mile an hour ... from them walking around talking to me for an hour and admitting to both insurance companies there were no injuries ... and now they are claiming an injury. You have GOT to be kidding. Such nice people ... how discouraging.

What's the chance that the only unethical people out there are the ones we've met? Houston, we've got a problem.