Sometimes ya just hafta vent

On Sunday, I was backing out of a slanted parking spot, going very slowly because I couldn't see around the cars beside me. A black pickup truck passed me in the lane. I continued backing out. And came to an abrupt halt when my vehicle collided with something.

Now, at the time, I was well flustered. I didn't get all the information I should have. I didn't get the addresses and phone numbers and drivers license number of the driver or her husband. I didn't get their VIN. To be fair, they didn't get my address or phone number either. We had apparently backed into each other. Their bumper was scratched. My wheel well was dented and the corner of my rear passenger door was bent.

It wasn't until I got home and was talking with my sister that it hit me. Their bumper hit my rear wheel well. I was farther into the lane than they were. My door was bent. It's steel. I crawled out of my parking space at about 2.5 mph. You can't bend steel at 2.5 mph. So they must have been going faster than I was. So if I was out further than them, and going slower than them, it logically follows that I was backing out first.

So, logically, I had the right of way. Logically, they ran into me, hard. Logically, it would seem to follow that the other driver didn't look before backing out.

Apparently, logic has nothing to do with insurance claims. Their insurance says fault is 50/50. My insurance company, when this morning they seemed to be on my side, now says fault is 50/50. The other company's representative even said, and I quote: "The factors of speed and right of way are not an issue here." Because, apparently, being in a parking lot means there are no laws. Go figure.

And logic, it seems, has nothing to do with insurance rates either. I asked how this would effect my rates. My claims adjuster couldn't tell me. I had to call a different number. And they said was I at fault or not at fault. There was no provision for 50/50 here. Either the other company pays more than 50%, in which case, I'm considered "not at fault", or they pay 50 % or less, in which case I'm "at fault". And therefore have to pay the penalty.

Lovely. Needless to say, I'm not happy about this situation. Unfortunately, my insurance company still has the best rates (Progressive, by the way), so changing would only cost me more. The best I can be, at this point, is resigned.