Anyone here ever been forced off the road by another driver?

[K_W]

My wife had an incident today, she is fine.

She was on her way home from work and was next to a company owned cargo van when a car in front of the van slowed and stopped to turn left, the van moved right, into my wife's lane, then moved back to it's lane. Then it returned into her lane and around the stopped car, my wife was forced out of her lane into a right turn shoulder, which ended. She was forced off the road up and over a grassy embankment, passed between a tree and a landscaped business sign, and into a parking lot. She missed the tree and sign by a foot or two on each side. The van driver left the scene.

A witness got the van on camera at the next light and returned to check on my wife. The police took a report and witness statement, then found the van and driver. He claimed to have never saw my wife.

Her car has damage to at least the lower radiator support, a sheet metal engine guard, and a metal brace that runs from the lower rad support up to the upper rad support that also holds the outside temp sensor. Visually, the body and frame look ok, but will be checked by a professional.

We have full coverage but a $500 deductible. Since the van forced her off by violating her lane I assume it would be on their insurance.

Has anyone ever dealt with a situation like this? Who's insurance pays?

 

[hoosierdoc]

I was going 75mph on I70 in Ohio headed west. I was in the left lane in a honda civic. A huge RV towing a car got into my lane and forced me Into the grass at 75mph. I got behind him, eventually got next to him and saw he had headphones on! I was pissed but couldn't do anything about it.

 

[Trigger Time]

I was forced into the curb in greenwood by stupid old woman that probably shouldn't have had her license still. Bent my rim and blew the tire. It was afew years ago. I won't say what I wanted to do but needless to say I was so pissed after I got over the oh **** moment and maintained control without flipping or going into another innocent driver. I will never let it happen again. If you come into my lane prepare to rub metal.
and the lady looked right at me and never stopped.
Didn't get the plate because I was trying to stay alive.
i was on my way to something very important in a suit and it sucked. Bucked up changed the tire and went on.

 

[indyjohn]

If there is damage to your wife's vehicle, talk to your insurance agent on the premise of "I'm not ready to file a claim but here's what I have". My insurance company will, at no charge to me, go after the offending persons such as what you describe. OkieGirl got hit by another driver on one occasion, that person became difficult to contact and the insurance info they provided was bogus. Our insurance company went looking for the guy.

The video helps IMO.

 

[Hogwylde]

There's no such thing as someone "forcing" you off the road. You CHOSE to leave the road because you didn't want to hit another car. If she had stayed where she was, that van would have hit her. But, THEN you have fault you can blame on the other driver. You STAY in your lane and let them hit you. A side swipe is going to have way less energy than a frontal collision with some object because you chose to leave your lane.

 

[planedriver]

Sorry to hear about your wife's incident K W. The short story is if you have full coverage your insurance will pay the damages less your deductible. Your insurance carrier will also subrogate against the van insurance for losses. When and if the van's insurance reimburses your company you should get another check for your deductible amount. (Plan on months if ever.) If you have liability coverage only you have the option of contacting the van insurance company and with the policy holders permission, file a claim. If none of the above work it's time file a court claim and or contact the DMV. At least you will own their drivers licence.....

 

[Snapdragon]

I was once forced off a country road by an oncoming car who was straddling the center line. I swerved, hit the ditch, and then flew back across the road, through a barbed wire fence, and into a soybean field. I was going too fast-- probably 50 in a 35.

The oncoming car did not stop. I didn't file with insurance because all it cost was the $150 for the farmer to restring his fence.

 

[K_W]

There's no such thing as someone "forcing" you off the road. You CHOSE to leave the road because you didn't want to hit another car. If she had stayed where she was, that van would have hit her. But, THEN you have fault you can blame on the other driver. You STAY in your lane and let them hit you. A side swipe is going to have way less energy than a frontal collision with some object because you chose to leave your lane.

So my wife should have held her ground and forced the van to smash into the back of the stopped car?

 

[indyjohn]

There's no such thing as someone "forcing" you off the road. You CHOSE to leave the road because you didn't want to hit another car. If she had stayed where she was, that van would have hit her. But, THEN you have fault you can blame on the other driver. You STAY in your lane and let them hit you. A side swipe is going to have way less energy than a frontal collision with some object because you chose to leave your lane.

So my wife should have held her ground and forced the van to smash into the back of the stopped car?

Don't get distracted with the drama. Contact your insurance company and see if they'll pursue the offender on your behalf.

 

[churchmouse]

So my wife should have held her ground and forced the van to smash into the back of the stopped car?

NO. Save yourself.
Insurance companys will twist things around to share the blame. I have been told it was partially my fault for being in the area of the parking lot where my truck was hit. Can not say what my response was.

 

[Hogwylde]

So my wife should have held her ground and forced the van to smash into the back of the stopped car?

YES. Better them than her. She's lucky she missed that tree and sign. You'd be whistling a different tune if she was dead after wrapping her car around that tree she barely missed. I'll bet you real money that the paint she would have traded with that van is a WHOLE lot less damage than what she ended up with. AND, she wouldn't have risked her life like she did.

 

[Vigilant]

I hate to say, but having been in the same situation, you are probably going to eat this one! I was a passenger in a vehicle that the same thing happened to, LAST (as in 2013) May, and the insurance companies are still fighting it out! The driver of the car I was in had her insurance company pay for the damage to her truck, but they are still fighting over fault, to get the other insured's insurance to pay, even though the other vehicle was ticketed for improper lane usage!

 

[Vigilant]

And, on a side note, I may or may not have, in the past, taken up more lane than I should have to keep a more important person closer to the grassy area next to the road than they needed to be because they were being a douche nozzle!

 

[planedriver]

NO. Save yourself.
Insurance companys will twist things around to share the blame. I have been told it was partially my fault for being in the area of the parking lot where my truck was hit. Can not say what my response was.

It's called comparative negligence. It may not be the best system but imagine two cars both riding the center line and crashing head on. All other factors being equal you would have to agree the fault was 50/50. More ludicrous*** a gas cap can be an attractive nuisance and you can be held liable for a 7 year old dropping a lit match in your gas tank blowing themselves up!

 

[churchmouse]

It's called comparative negligence. It may not be the best system but imagine two cars both riding the center line and crashing head on. All other factors being equal you would have to agree the fault was 50/50. More ludicrous*** a gas cap can be an attractive nuisance and you can be held liable for a 7 year old dropping a lit match in your gas tank blowing themselves up!

I was backing out of my parking spot in my service truck. Wally world attendee came flying down the lane. I stopped leaving more than enough room for clearance and the idiot ran into my truck. There was a lot of obvious damage from some earlier altercation and this was all blamed on me.
No, I did not back out in front of the fool. He was flying when I saw him and I stopped. My insurance got the video from the store showing he hit me. I am sure it was an attempt to fix an already battered car.

 

[SMiller]

There's no such thing as someone "forcing" you off the road. You CHOSE to leave the road because you didn't want to hit another car. If she had stayed where she was, that van would have hit her. But, THEN you have fault you can blame on the other driver. You STAY in your lane and let them hit you. A side swipe is going to have way less energy than a frontal collision with some object because you chose to leave your lane.

Word! Had a d bag try to put me into a telephone pole, I wasn't having it and he ended up going off his side of the road through a ditch, airborne over a culvert, and landing in a field. Bent up the side of my vehicle a little and had to replace the mirror but all was well, much better then hitting a light pole head on!

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

One time, I was in a smallish car in the middle of 3 (three) (!) left turn lanes, next to an big 'ol RV in the left of the three. He decided he wanted to be in the middle one. I had little room to maneuver other than to move into the right. Then he decided he wanted to be in the right one. Obviously not paying to attention to the mirrors, as I was not in a blind spot. Somehow, I managed to stall everyone behind me and get behind him, otherwise I would have been in the gravel. He might have heard a little bump, but I'd've been tossed like a ragdoll.

I will admit, once I got my first Mustang, I presented a few people with the choice: stop, hit me, or go into the dirt; when they'd try to poach my lane where two go to one, formally or not. I'd make sure they knew I was there, keep it in first, and stay right next to them. I'd speed up or slow down as needed until they surrendered or lost. It was unbelievably gratifying to look in the rear view mirror at the farthest I could still see, and see some schmuck sitting there in the dust, with nobody else letting him in. The free range rude, as the man says. I don't eat them, merely discomfit and humiliate them.

 

[bwframe]

I think in today's day and age of cellular communication and left lane lurkers, it pays to always be on your game.
Know where you are gonna go if...
To survive driving without incident today, one moment might require a passive response, the next aggressive.

 

[femurphy77]

Me in my car, forced off the road by a semi changing lanes oblivous to the world, 2 miles down the road he was wheels up in the ditch. Once on my bike when some as5hat decided he wanted my lane. I left a good sized dent in his quarter panel at the next light, or so it's been said.

 

[churchmouse]

Me in my car, forced off the road by a semi changing lanes oblivous to the world, 2 miles down the road he was wheels up in the ditch. Once on my bike when some as5hat decided he wanted my lane. I left a good sized dent in his quarter panel at the next light, or so it's been said.

I have never ever done anything like that.........