One Monday I wandered off to work as normal. Went into the office, dealt with a POS NetWare box that's about to be renamed Abend. Got that resolved and was on my way to another jobsite to drop in firewall when the phone rang.
her: You're not going to believe this.
me: Try me. (I work in IT, I hear that line constantly, usually it's followed by something really stupid....it's like "y'all watch this)
her: someone drove into the house.
me: you're sh***ing me, right?
her: no, there is a car in the foyer.
me: g** d*** it to f******* h***!
her: i thought you'd say it.
me: you two ok?
her: yeah, the driver isn't.
me: the driver isn't my problem. what happened?
Anyway, some kid who worked for a rental car company was returning a car back to the rental agency (he was a pickup and delivery driver) when he passed out. Not sure what happened but the guy's boss AND father said he had a history of blacking out (which I guess makes him a candidate for a pickup/delivery driver, wouldn't you say?). He was driving down the street that intersects with the one in front of our house and blacked out. The car drifted to the left, hit the curb, straightened up, then went across the road, over the curb, down our sidewalk and into the front door. I arrived as the EMTs were extracting him. He's ok but facing a few charges (I think they found some drugs in his system). Oddly enough this area is way the hell away from where the pickup and delivery points were, a good 5 miles away, so he was up to something.
Ouch.
They could have knocked.
The door is still useable, no broken glass or cracks.
Isn't gonna take more than putty to fix that.
Ye Olde Side Lights are now Ye Olde Broken Side Lights.
The insurance company had a fit when I showed them this. It's over 200 years old, solid walnut. Work several K, the appraiser said "why would you put that near the front door?" I asked her why her mother had children, she wasn't amused.
The insurance co. *sigh* Nationwide (they're on our side my butt) wouldn't send someone out because the people who hit us have insurance. Told us that in order to come out we'd have have to sign them the rights to fix everything and our rates would increase 25%. Thanks, Nationwide. I'm so impressed that I've filed a complaint with the state. So....if you're thinking of Nationwide, think again.
The people covering this were total jerks about it until I dropped the "if I have to call my lawyer again...." line. The floors, which had a nice pond of tranny fluid on them? Not covered. 1.5"x5/8" red oak, not something I can go to Lowe's and get. Said they'd refinish the area were the tranny fluid hit, which won't match everything else. Told us to go to Lowe's and get a solid door and to fill in the side lights. Lady, that door was over 100 years old, I'm not putting in some solid metal POS and I'm sure as heck not filling in the side lights. She got the quote for the replacement from Pella and almost had a heart attack.
I'm glad to hear you, or anyone in your family, weren't hurt by this freak accident. I'm sure dealing with the insurance company is painful in its own right. Unfortunately you have to play hardball with those people, they're a little tight with their money.
Wow! That totally sucks, and then to have your insurance company treating you like that! The ONE upside to this is that neither of you were standing at the front door when it happened! Hope everything gets resolved to your benefit. Good luck!!
Isn't it nice when the insurance company says you shouldn't have nice stuff? Of course it's not a problem when you're paying the premium.
It's all old family stuff. I have an attic full of things that I might not use but can't fathom selling them off, lots of glassware and silver.
The insurance has always been a problem. Those floors? The agent didn't want to cover them w/o jacking up our rates - to replace the first floor would be almost 8k, that's for 1400sq feet of the same size boards if we can find them.
The one appraiser won't even talk to me anymore. They're dragging their feet because they say it's the driver's problem. Yeah, he's in YOUR car on YOUR time, it's YOUR problem. I have the feeling we'll end up in court over this, esp since they aren't approving exact replacements.
If anything this keeps me in the gym. Instead of punching the insurance people I toss weights.
Glad the family is OK.
Nationwide sucks. We had a hurricane come though here not quite 3 years ago and anybody that is still arguing with their insurance company is arguing with Nationwide. I'm so glad that I dumped them when we moved into the current house.
I would document all conversations if you haven't already. My guess is that you'll have to threaten court to get them to step up. If you start dropping details and things that give them an idea that you have conversations and other stuff well documented, they might change their minds before it gets to the point of litigation.
Stick to your guns and get it fixed to your satisfaction.
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Those that can't do teach. Those that can't teach consult. Deserve aka Gabe
'8 replies before the gutter! Good job Clubhouse!!!!!' Ninjabookey
Rest and relaxation can be a powerful “nothing” to propel us to greater achievements. Mahler
Stop listening to your wiener. He may want to go for a swim, but you haven't checked if the waters are shark infested yet. Ninjabookey
My advice...find a lawyer...sooner rather than later.
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Two Bears Dadda? Two Bears Benno, just two. ______________________________ ___________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971
It's amazing that the kid drove straight down your sidewalk and dead centre into your front door, missing the brick wall on either side. I bet he couldn't have done that if he'd tried.
Hope it all works out with your insurance companies. Now you know how they make their profits ....
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"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
He did a great job of centering it. When he nodded off his car drifted to the left and brushed the curb. That straightened him out. He wasn't going very fast when he hit, probably just cruising (foot not on the gas). The lirope on next to the sidewalk kept him straight too. Pretty amazing. Amazing that no one was hurt.
Got some quotes today, 1900 to refinish the floors. Pella said 1500 for a door (Seems too cheap compared to what I saw at Lowe's). A new stoop isn't gonna be cheap.
I already told them that if I was put out or my so/child felt threatened in anyway I'd call a lawyer. I already did (friend of the family). If I have to do that the price of everything goes up. They thought 10k for everything was too steep, wait until I go after Enterprise and the driver. Not too many juries will side with Enterprise when my really cute 7yo daughter starts crying about how scared she was.
Nationwide will be getting a bitchslap from the State of NC shortly. It's nice to have friends in the proper places.
Glad to hear the family is ok, wow that some crazy s***!!!! It's unbelievable how stupid some people are! One the company for hiring someone to drive with a history of blackouts ( in my job if you are diabetic you have to have perfect health records w/o episodes for a min of three years before you can drive) and that stupid kid for getting losded up and driving. Lucky job no one was hurt or killed. I hope you get what you are asking for from the insurance company, good luck
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"My darling," she said at last, "are you sure you don't mind being a mouse for the rest of your life?"
"I don't mind at all," I said. "It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like so long as somebody loves you."
First off, I'm glad your family is okay. Second, this is the kind of thing that makes me understand why someone goes postal. Sorry you're in such a big mess, but take it as far as you can! You shouldn't be penalized for some dumb shit kid. Good luck!
E
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"It's what you've got inside that matters. The details and technological things will take you only so far. You still have to pedal the bike. Some people are always looking for the magic secret. There's no secret. Just bust your ass." -Dave Zabriskie
What? Someone in Asheville with drugs in their system? The hell you say Glad to hear everyone is okay, and might I say, that's a STRONG F***ING DOOR
Oh, man, it's so. 20% of the population here live in substidized housing and the rest (like myself) work to pay for it. APD set up serious stings and arrested a lot of the high level dealers that were operating in the projects. The dealers moved into the residential areas...we had one guy dealing on the side street next to me. Mr Brainiac had no clue that I was filming him until I dropped off a DVD to the drug squad. Within 2 days he was behind bars. Still is, over in Polk County. I should send him a card.
I'm working in Charlotte now, covering a NC DPH office in Concord. We gotta grab lunch sometime. Include Java too.
The door amazed me. It's old and solid considering it's mostly glass. Everything in here is solid, esp those lath (plaster/wiremesh/wood) walls.
-=-
An update.
Called the insurance co today and she said that she's received all of the quotes and will be getting back to us on Wedneday (if not sooner). She's ready to approve the brick guy. First the bricks, then the door, then the floors once it cools down.
I wouldn't even waste a minute on the insurance company. Hire a good lawyer and go for their fucking jugular... Especially Enterprise's! They talk really tough until they are dealing with lawyers. I wouldn't take their shit about putting in a solid door and spot finishing your hardwoods.
I can totally relate because I live in a 98 year old house, and I know what kind of work it takes to get them to the point that you have yours. Those worthless bean counters wouldn't know something of value if you hit them with it. If a car hit one of their homes it might damage that $9 print of flying ducks they got a Walmart and stain their cheap, easily replaceable carpet. Or it probably would have done more damage to their suburban tract home because the door frame wouldn't have stopped a speeding car. It would have wiped out their TV room/kitchen, causing $5000 worth of damage!
Okay, you can see I'm a bit bitter. I won't hijack this thread with my own stories, but suffice it to say that I can relate completely. I'm just glad that none of you were hurt.
Glad everyone's ok.On the insurance company.... They just do that talk to discourage all the walkovers and boost their take. Make a lot of noise and take no shit! They'll come around ok....
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Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -- Sidney J. Harris
They could have knocked!
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