A Pain in the Neck

An eye for an eye...a neck for a neck, so to speak. Back a couple years ago I was rear-ended outside my son's school as I was sitting at the stop sign. Now...I have a BIG red van...this was daylight and not a light-refracting cloud in the sky sat between me and the person who smashed right into me...as if I wasn't there. Now, I'm only speculating here, but considering the first thing out of the person's mouth I told in the school's office right after it happened was "I bet they were on the cell phone...they are ALWAYS on that thing". Well, it had to be something...as if you can't see my van...you certainly don't have close to 20/20 vision and there's no way you should be on the road, even if you did pass Chicago's Driver's Ed for the Blind .

Now, besides the obvious inconvenience of having to contact the police, the insurance company, get my car fixed, getting the rental, and having to see a doctor ('just in case' as the EMT on scene suggested)...I was one of the "lucky" ones who happen to be blessed...or in this case, cursed, with having a long, slender neck...as according to a couple doctors I saw subsequently, had I been given a short thick one, this probably wouldn't have happened. The "this" is that my neck got screwed up from getting hit. Now, I've never been IN a motor vehicle accident before and didn't realize the protocol. See lawyer first..THEN doctor. Oh, silly me...I went to the doctor beforehand and he suggested therapy...therapy which I thought would "cure" my neck ailment. It didn't.

Mind you, this was therapy twice a week, like forever and a day. So, twice a week, I had to trudge on over to the therapy place, get "worked on"...then make another appointment, then go upon my not so merry way. I say this because I was totally inconvenienced...and not only because of the pain. I had to take time out of MY day for an accident that I didn't cause and the person who caused it went about THEIR merry way. I have mentioned this to quite a few people and I've not had one disagree with me yet...maybe you will. The way I see it, the person who CAUSES said accident should be made to be inconvenienced as well. "Oh...you don't LIKE to come to therapy because you have OTHER things scheduled...and you have to find someone to come and watch your child, drive you over, take off work, etc.? Well, TOO darned bad, isn't it? Guess you shoulda PAID attention when you were driving, huh?"

Seriously...why did I have to be made to interrupt my life on the inattention of another? Why do countless people? This just isn't fair. I believe if they changed some laws which mandated that the person who caused the accident has to also tag along to all the doctor's appointments, therapy sessions, etc., at the time the victim sees fit...maybe there would be less accidents. Face it, tagging along with someone for nearly two years to therapy would be a tad more harsh sentence than, say...walking away without a scratch?

Now, I'm not insensitive, I realize that accidents DO happen, that's why they are called "accidents"...but a lot of them are purely inattention, inexperience, and distraction. Again, I make no claims as to the cause of it in my case, because I certainly don't need to be drug into court and sued for more than I managed to "walk" off with, my mere pittance, for my neck...this is purely all conjecture. So, everyone, put your legal pads and pens back in your desks. But if you've got a card you can hand me...