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Guavagto

Dec 11, 2008, 7:30 PM

Post #1 of 10 (2326 views)

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Finally The Big Car Wreck

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Today we were entering the main road from the street into our develoment. It is very dangerous since there are only toppes on the road coming from Celaya.

I looked towards Celaya and there was no traffic coming. My husband was on the driving and said nothing at all was coming down the road coming from town.

We entered the road, turning left and the impact seemed immediate. The driver's side of the car was hit knocking the front wheel under the car. People stopped and helped me out of the car since there was smoke coming from the engine. I knew I was hurt. The pain of the safey belts, a major problem with my right leg.

The other driver had not been wearing a safety belt and hit the front windsheild. Someone interpreted for us but I was really disoriented. Cruz Roja (and the local TV station, slow news day) arrived . Cruz Roja put the other driver and me back boards and transported us to the hospital.

The traffic police took pictures, looked at the cars registration card, looked at my husbands drivers license and offered to drive him to the hospital. My husband requested he just go back to out house to get our other truck. Luckily the neighbor I had requested the hospital call met them and went with John to the hospital.

No ticket was given. Both cars were hauled to the impound lot. The other car was a company car of some kind. We have full coverage, medical and legal.

Someone called the adjuster this morning and a neighbor followed up with a call tonight.

So what happens now. Tomorrow most of the civil offices will be closed.

Should we worry about John being arrested? I am sure the other driver is not going to die.

Two people have said that who ever hits the other car is automatically at fault. Is this true? The guy driving 60 miles an hour (at least) in a 25 mile amhour zone.

Any advice would be helpful.

Do we need to contact the local US Consulant?

sioux4noff

Dec 11, 2008, 9:23 PM

Post #2 of 10 (2298 views)

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Re: [Guavagto] Finally The Big Car Wreck

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First, I'm glad to hear you are OK and that the other driver should be OK, too.
If it were me, I'd contact the consulate just to let them know. They may have some advice.
If anything bad comes about, at least they will already know of the incident.

IslaZina

Dec 12, 2008, 4:22 AM

Post #3 of 10 (2273 views)

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Re: [sioux4noff] Finally The Big Car Wreck

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Call your Mexican insurance agent ASAP and have them get on it so it is settled immediately.
http://islazina@blogspot.com

Anonimo

Dec 12, 2008, 7:23 AM

Post #4 of 10 (2246 views)

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Re: [Guavagto] Finally The Big Car Wreck

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That must have been a shock. Hope that you and Mr. Guavagto are recovered quickly.

wendy devlin

Dec 12, 2008, 5:08 PM

Post #5 of 10 (2178 views)

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Re: [Guavagto] Finally The Big Car Wreck

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When visiting my brother in Mexico, last winter, who works for a mining company, there, he described his big car wreck the week before.

At a busy corner on the highway, another car, had run the red traffic light and plowed into the passenger side of the company truck. The man's car was totalled and the man, thrown onto the side of the road. The side of brother's truck was dammaged to the extent, that it was undriveable.

Shaken but not hurt, he immediately fast-dialed his Mexican manager's cell phone number to come to the accident scene(about 7km from the accident scene)and to phone the insurance adjuster. Seconds, later as he got out of the truck, ready to take the next step, a police car was already on the scene, with an ambulance soon behind. The man from the other car, was amazingly, relatively unhurt, able to move and talk. He was, however packaged up and taken to a medical facility for examination.

Meanwhile the office manager had arrived and helped my brother might a statement to the police and also speak with the insurance adjustor. Now my brother speaks good Spanish but he and his manager had already decided, beforehand, that a native Spanish speaker like the manager, would be on hand to make sure, everything said and written down was accurate.

Some time was passing while, other traffic police had taken charge of the accident scene, rerouting traffic, arranging for towing of vehicles etc. Within, the hour, the other man involved in the accident had returned to the scene, to give his statement.

My brother's company had automobile insurance coverage on the truck. The other man, had not. However he was uninjured except for minor bruising. The chief officer investigating the accident, upon evaluting the testimony and the evidence, gave each party a ticket*not expensive* for failure to drive with caution.

The company gave my brother a different truck to drive so he could return to work. And the insurance claim went ahead. At least as far as last heard.

Guavagto

Dec 28, 2008, 6:39 PM

Post #6 of 10 (1991 views)

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Re: [wendy devlin] Finally The Big Car Wreck

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The last post I made was before I was loaded into the back of our truck (with camper top) to be driven to Queretaro to see an othopedic surgeon for a second opinion. The first hospital had said I had torn tendons, immobilized my leg with a strap on cast and sold me a cast for 7,500 total. They wanted me to spend a night in the hospital on a drip for pain.

This was my first time in a private clinic. The doctor wanted to know if I wanted to speak in Spanish, German or English. The clinic had state of the art equipment. More x rays and the doctor said no torn tendons just severe pressure trauma. He also said the cut I had on the bottom of my foot did not need any stiches, and gave me the correct technaus shots. he said to walk around as much as possible.

The bruising from the impact including the safety harness was really severe. My leg was really swollen but I managed to get around the house. Christmas day I was actually back in a pair of my own shoes. Cost 750 pesos. My insurance company was appaled at the first bill but will pay it. We were given a voucher to go to San Jose in Queretaro for any addtional medical care needed.

My husband and a neighbor got in touch with the adjuster. We had full coverage including legal. The adjuster came from Queretaro. The attorney called from Queretaro.

We finally managed to get to the municipal court (DA's office) the day after Christmas. We were there from 9 AM untill 12:30 PM. We admitted it was our fault since we were entering the road. I had to show my passport etc. There was no problem except the traffic police had written the report up saying I was driving. That probably made sense since I was the one injured although the impact was on the driver's side of the road. The other driver was not seriously injured and it was a company car. The court allowed my husband to enter the impound yard to retreive some items left in the car. He took pictures of this process.

The other car was a company car and the lawyer for their insurance company has to go to the DA's office to sign a release. Christmas is not a good time to get anything done in mexico.

So both cars remain in impound at 30 pesos a day. When the car is released it will be towed to Queretaro to see if it can be repaired. The adjuster thinks there is no reason to think they can repair the car. Then we will argue about the amount of money needed to pay for the car.

We leave from the states on Jan. 1 and while there will buy another car. Something heavier with a V6 engine. I shudder to think what would have happened if we had been driving a tiny subcompact that lots of people use to navigate the Centro much less a three wheeler.

No fines were given.

The moral is always to have excellent insurance.

Another mile stone in our life in Mexico.

Sorry about the spelling.

TlxcalaClaudia

Dec 29, 2008, 7:42 AM

Post #7 of 10 (1948 views)

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Re: [Guavagto] Finally The Big Car Wreck

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what insurance do you have? Name of company and type please.
Glad to hear you are ok and hubby not arrested.
Claudine

Guavagto

Dec 29, 2008, 12:50 PM

Post #8 of 10 (1909 views)

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Re: [Guavagto] Finally The Big Car Wreck

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AIG believe it or not. We bought the car from a neighbor a couple of years ago and continued with the poicy he had obtained through his company.

I will report back on how we make out on the value of the car and how long it takes for them to pay the claims.

We need toppes or lights on this streach of road but it will have to come from the state level.

One thing I have decided for sure is to up my yearly contribution to Cruz Roja.

JohnnyBoy

Jan 2, 2009, 4:22 PM

Post #9 of 10 (1804 views)

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Re: [Guavagto] Finally The Big Car Wreck

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I, for one, even though I do not know you, am glad you have survived this accident and are in good enough repair to go back to the USA to buy another car.

I am struggling mightily at the moment with a car issue. I am wondering, if you don't mind saying, how you can buy a car in the USA and bring it back to Mexico, getting it legally and properly registered and insured, all the while, in the USA and in Mexico?

I too am in need of another car and would prefer to take my old one back to the USA and trade it in on another one. But I have no legal domicile in the USA and have no idea how I can buy a car up there, register it, tag it, insure it, without a domicile.

Just curious, if it is not too imposing, how you deal with these issues.

Guavagto

Jan 7, 2009, 7:12 PM

Post #10 of 10 (1730 views)

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Re: [Guavagto] Finally The Big Car Wreck

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Buying a car in Texas is going to require a Texas address. We have one in Laredo through our mail service. We also have one in Austin which we maintain through a relative.

Last time we bought a new truck we used a bill of sale to get the new FM3 sticker and had the license plates mailed to us in Mexico via our mail service. This time we will be able to pick them up before we return to Mexico.

One peice of advice is not to buy in a border town. prices are going to be higher, the trade in less etc. We wandered into a Niassan dealer in San Antonio and were able to buy a new (2008) Xterra for the same price we were quoted for a 2009 Ford Escape in Austin. Our truck only had 13,000 miles and we made sure it was in perfect condition. We paid cash for the difference so that helped.

Now we will see if AIG pays up for the car we think was totaled in the crash. Even if they repair it we will be able to sell it since it was a Mexican plated car. I know they had reached a settlement with the other insurance company and had a check ready for them.

Any one with any experience with AIG in Mexico?