Okay so let me tell you about this mess I ended up in last Tuesday. Got rear-ended pretty good right on I-15 near Draper, guy wasn’t paying attention. One minute I’m singing along to the radio, next minute my car’s smashed up and my neck feels like it’s on fire.
The Immediate Panic
First thing, totally froze. Hurt like hell, car steaming. People honking behind us. Other driver stumbling out looking dazed. Did what everyone says: called the cops. They showed up eventually, asked questions, wrote stuff down. Gave me a paper slip – the incident report number. Felt useless holding that paper while everything hurt.
Then the ambulance showed up. Paramedics asked a bunch: “Does this hurt? How about here?” Decided I should get checked out, so off to the ER we go. Lights flashing, whole nine yards. Felt kinda stupid, but man, that adrenaline crash made everything ache.
The Mess Aftermath
ER was a blur. Long wait. Doc poked me, said “probable whiplash,” take painkillers, rest. Sent me home with a stupidly huge bill already forming in my head. Couldn’t even turn my head to drive. How was I supposed to work? Car’s totaled. Just… stuck.
Started realizing I needed actual help. Insurance guy called, sounded nice at first. Asked for a recorded statement. “Just tell us what happened.” Felt weird about it, but I did. Big mistake? Maybe. They kept saying, “We’ll review,” but weeks were passing and bills were stacking up.
Knew I needed more than just waiting around:
- Medical Stuff: ER doc basically said “rest.” Needed real check-ups. Found a local clinic, but the billing forms… my god. Lost track of which paper was for what.
- Car Disaster: Towed to some lot charging daily. Insurance lowballing the value. Had to scramble finding another car with zero cash upfront.
- Missed Work: Tried working from home, neck screaming after 20 minutes. Boss was sympathetic at first… but then the “When you coming back?” texts started.
- Insurance Nonsense: Their offer finally came. Barely covered the car’s scraps, said my medical bills from the ER might not be fully covered cause I went to the ER?!? Like I had a choice? Said pain wasn’t “debilitating enough” yet. Debilitating enough?! Couldn’t sleep!
Trying to Find Actual Help
Got desperate. Started asking around. Friend knew someone who got hurt years ago. Said they used some local resources. Called Utah’s Office of Victims Services or something like that. Long wait on hold. Lady was nice, gave me a list of approved docs for follow-ups, but said they might not cover everything. Confusing.
Thought, okay, maybe a lawyer? Everyone warns you about ambulance chasers, right? Got a call out of the blue the other day – “We heard about your accident, we can help!” Sounded like a script. Hung up fast. Asked that ER doc if he knew anyone legit, he shrugged. “Try the Bar Association?” Did that online search, huge list. Felt overwhelmed picking one.
What Actually Helped… Sorta?
- Started a Journal: Grabbed an old notebook. Wrote down every single thing. Pain level morning/night. Every doctor visit. Every call with insurance. Every penny spent on meds, Uber, the damn storage fee for my wrecked car. Dates, times, names. Saved every voicemail.
- Pestered People: Stopped being polite with insurance. Called daily. “What’s the update? Who’s reviewing it? When do I get the report?” Asked the doctor’s office for EVERY report, every scan result, personally. Had to sign stupid release forms for everything.
- Found a Chiro (Not Sure Yet): Someone recommended one specifically used to accident stuff. Went. Expensive. Praying insurance eventually covers some.
- Just Said “Yes”: When folks offered help? Rides, groceries, grabbing mail? Finally stopped saying “I’m fine.” Took them up on it. Pride didn’t pay bills.
- That Law Firm Search: Still looking. Met one guy who looked at my journal stuff, mumbled something about “building a picture.” Didn’t promise magic. Said it might take time. That’s where I’m stuck now.
The Current Headache
So yeah. Here I am. Car gone. Medical bills piling up. Neck still a mess. Fighting insurance who act like I planned this. Trying to find a lawyer who doesn’t seem like a cartoon character. Using the victim services list for appointments. Wish I’d known from minute one to write everything down like evidence. Wish I’d known insurance being nice on the phone didn’t mean squat.
Honestly? Feels like I did all the “right” things right after the crash, and it didn’t do crap. Now I’m just grinding it out, one annoying phone call, one appointment, one page in that damn notebook at a time. Utah accident “help” feels less like help and more like a second job fighting everyone. Still hurts. Still broke. Still wondering if anyone actually will help. The “top 5 ways” right now feels like: scream into a pillow, then keep making the calls.
