Hey all. Just wanted to share a little story on here. Yesterday morning I was stopped in traffic when a brand new Dodge Ram Crew Cab 4X4 slammed into the rear of my car at about 55MPH, which in turn shoved me into the utility truck in front of me, and then into oncoming traffic. I went instantly into shock and was rushed to the hospital to check for injuries, but thankfully everything checked out pretty well. I've got a lot of soft tissue damage and am very bruised and sore today, but here are the pictures. The front and rear ends are obviously destroyed, the rear windshield shattered on me, the drivers seat was bent and destroyed, etc

http://photos-167.facebook.com/ip002/v62/132/100/22606069/n22606069_31501167_7130.jpg

http://photos-515.facebook.com/ip002/v62/132/100/22606069/n22606069_31501515_7033.jpg

http://photos-516.facebook.com/ip002/v62/132/100/22606069/n22606069_31501516_7293.jpg

http://photos-518.facebook.com/ip002/v62/132/100/22606069/n22606069_31501518_7816.jpg

http://photos-519.facebook.com/ip002/v62/132/100/22606069/n22606069_31501519_8077.jpg

http://photos-514.facebook.com/ip002/v62/132/100/22606069/n22606069_31501514_6742.jpg

http://photos-517.facebook.com/ip002/v62/132/100/22606069/n22606069_31501517_7562.jpg

Jesus; glad you're ok man! Any idea why the Ram hit you doing 55mph?

The guy "didn't see me" although it was a straight, two lane road, and traffic was all stopped...except for him obviously. Not quite sure about his story.

I am surprised there aren't more serious damage for a 55mph :eek2: collision the way you described it :egads:
Glad you checked out OK though, & hope you recover quick from the aches & pain. Take good care of yourself. :)

Glad to hear you're not seriously injured.

I'll join the others here in my appreciation for your safety. :)

Testimony to how well Toyota isolated the fuel tank and filler pipe in this car and protected it from rupture......and maybe some help and protection from the Man Upstairs.
In some cars, getting hit like this in the rear could have produced a fireball....especially by a big Ram. You also could have gotten a severe whiplash, with neck or back injuries.....fortunately you seemed to have avoided that as well, but I hope you got a thorough spine and neck examination at the hospital.

Unless the driver of that Ram can come with a good excuse......and I mean a DAMN good one.......why he or she hit you at that speed, you've got an excellent civil case against them for the cost of replacing your Camry ( at least with another equivalent new Camry ), particularly if it was a DUI or DWI, and for the cost of your treatment at the hospital....which, today, is anything BUT cheap. Of course, if they are insured, their insurance should cover that, and you won't have to sue, but insurance will not always cover a DWI. If it doesn't, or if the driver was not insured, then you DO have a case...a good one. ( and, believe me.....I am not one for frivolous lawsuits...I believe the system is often abused ).


I won't give you a sermon......that is not my place....... but if you or your lawyer decide to sue ( and you may have a good case ), my advice is to be honest, and don't ask for more than you really need...or entitled to for your inconvience and suffering. God was very kind to you in sparing your life when that car could have been a fireball, and He likes honesty in return.

And, last, other drivers may have a case against that Ram driver as well....especially the one that got hit by the front end of your car whan it was pushed out into traffic.

Damn, that's ugly. I, along with everyone else here am very thankful you are here to tell that horrific story. You survived the hardest part better days are coming to you. I wish you a speedy full recovery physically or otherwise.

I'm glad you are okay! Considering it was a 55mph rearend from a Ram, your Camry crunched up rather well. Keep safe, and I hope you recover to be 100% again.

Jesus thank God your ok though bro...Have a quick recovery :thumbup:

Damn, that's crazy. Glad you're ok for the most part. Good luck with getting everything resolved.

My uncle works on body damage along with being a general mechanic, and I see some wild stuff he brings in from accidents, including sometimes going to the actual scenes. In about 1 in 5 of the times I go with him, somebody is dead at the scene often with damage as you have shown in your pictures. I am thus very happy that you are alive. :thumbup:

Glad your okay!! The car held up very well.

Glad to hear your okay!

From the impact it looks like you would have been slammed all over the place but the cockpit looks intact.. Glad your ok... Got to admit though if it was any other car injuries may have been worse.. GL bro,,, :thumbup:

Good to hear that you are safe out of the hospital.

I hope you make a full recovery. Keep safe!

Wow, glad your ok man! Hope everything is straighten out.

WHOA... thank goodness all you got were some soft tissue injuries! Here's to a quick and full recovery!

Javier

Hey guys thanks so much for the responses so far. I really appreciate it.

mmarshall- I'm not really sure about suing. My dad wants to, mom doesnt, but I have other people saying that I should. What kind of a case would I have?

Oh man, what a horrible expeience...glad to hear you didn't sustain any major injuries.

crap !! good to see your ok

oh, man, that looks real bad. good to hear that you're doing fine. get well soon.

Thanks to God and the good folks at Toyota you are alive to tell the tale! Those soft tissue injuries are probably starting to really hurt this morning - be sure to stay close to your doctor and follow his/her advice. As to that other driver, it is rather ironic that his choice of vehicle was a Ram.

OMFG! That is some scary ish.
Minding your own business and then WHAM!

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Thankfully you are ok man.

:sad: Glad to hear your okay:sad:

OMG I am glad you are okay!

Thank goodness you are fine with no serious injuries.:thumbup:

However, don't take it lightly with your "soft tissue injuries". Get yourself checked out properly. In addition to seeing your family doctor, get referral for therapies so these problems won't haunt you later on.:)

Everytime people get into an accident, they never "see" you:rolleyes:
Yeah, if you pay attention do your driving, then you would see me:thumbdn:

Glad to see that you're alive and on the road to recovery. I can attest to the consequences of your accident as I was in one myself last August. It's no easy path when dealing with the aftermath of such an accident, but that's what insurance is for, so let those guys handle the political/financial issues while you consider going for medical/physical treatment (highly recommended). Good luck.

Dude, that is like the typical govt crash test video scenario, Im glad you are fine!!

Sorry about your misfortune. That was a nice Camry; Supercharger?

Wish you a speedy recovery

Mousiee

Wow Michael, glad you were able to escape your Camry of any major injuries. Writing estimates on cars on a daily basis, I always wonder how the passeners survive such a mess. Toyota did a good job with engineering the Gen4 Camry and absorbed more of the energy instead of transposing it to you. Glad you're well and alive. It's time to upgrade....LEXUS. ;)

Thanks again guys.

Ryan- I'm trying to get the parents to go for an IS or GS based on safety ratings, and they also aren't that expensive when you look at '01/'02 MY's. I'm also thinking 4Runner, but I'll let you guys know and I really appreciate the posts so far.

Whatever you get keep us updated. I know you will keep it in the Toyota family. :thumbup:

Glad to hear you're doing relatively well. Those soft tissue injuries can really be painful so stick close to the Tylenol, or whatever you've been prescribed.

Did you see the Ram approach, or was the collision totally unexpected? If the latter, that helps to explain your health. If you'd tensed up anticipating the crash you could have been more seriously injured.

Hey guys thanks so much for the responses so far. I really appreciate it.

mmarshall- I'm not really sure about suing. My dad wants to, mom doesnt, but I have other people saying that I should. What kind of a case would I have?


Like I said earlier, depends on the Ram driver's insurance company, whether that driver was insured at all, your medical and car-replacement bills, and how much they are willing to settle for what you and your attorney think should be a fair and just settlement for your injuries and the loss of your car.
At a minimum, I would look for the cost of replacing your car with an EQUIVALENT new Camry ( let's be honest and not try to get a new Lexus LS460 out of the deal ), whatever your hospital bills were in the emergency room ( the way hospitals operate nowadays, you may not know that total amount for months...the paperwork can be endless ), and a fair amount ( not excessive ) in addition to compensate you for your inconvience and suffering....only you can determine that amount honestly, without screwing either yourself or the other parties involved. And don't forget, other drivers may also have cases against the Ram driver as well, so you may not be the only plaintiff involved here either.

IMO, don't just let the Ram's driver ( or the insurance company ) hand you a check for KBB or NADA value on your totalled Camry. That, alone, will not replace it....nor cover the cost of a rental car until it IS replaced. IMO you are entitled to a new equivalent-model Camry........NOT just take the check, add your own money, and go auto shopping for a new car on your own ( but of course, you can do that if you are just tired of a Camry and just want to drive something else ).

Of course, I can only give you a general piece of advice.....I am not an attorney, nor do I know the tort laws of your state in detail.