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DMParker

Guest
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? NC
I'm a Navy corpsman stationed with the Marines here in Camp Lejeune, NC. Last August (2003) I got a 96 for Labor Day Weekend, and I'm not much of a drinker, but I decided to go out with a few buddies of mine to this resturaunt/bar type of place. We had a few drinks, it was getting late, and my wife (she was out of state at the time) called me on my cell but it was too noisy to sit in the lounge and talk to her. So I walked out of the resturaunt to sit in my buddy's car to talk to her. I walked out to the car and it was locked, so I turned around to go back in and get the keys from. As I was walking back to the resturaunt, across the parking lot, I passed a truck with the tailgate down. So instead of walking back and getting my buddy's keys, I decided to sit on the tailgate of this truck and finish my phone conversation. Now this is where time gets a little hazy, but I was sitting there I'd say about 10 minutes or so, maybe a little while longer, I hear tires screech, and right when I look up, a car backs right into the back of this truck I'm sitting on. At first I didn't feel anything, but when is pulled off, my left leg felt like it was on fire. I looked down, and my calf had been degloved, muscle and all, halfway down my leg, and my heel was almost completely ripped off my foot. The guy that hit me fled the scene, but a cab driver got his liscense plate #, and the police got him a few miles down the road. He was charged with D.U.I., Fleeing the Scene, and get this he had no insurance. Meanwhile, I'm getting life flighted from Jacksonville, NC, to Wilmington, NC for surgery. I spent 3 months in the hospital, 2 at home on Convalescent Leave, not to mention all of the money I spent in travel from my home in Oklahoma, to Portsmouth, VA (where I am stationed, there weren't any military surgeons that could facilitate the surgeries that I needed, so the Navy sent me to Portsmouth, VA) and then back here to Camp Lejeune, NC. I am married and have 2 young children, and this has put on a lot of strain on my relationship with them. My career has been put on hold for over a year now due to the extent of my injuries. And I was wondering how I would go about and get some retribution for all of the pain and suffering I've had to go through not only for all of the time and procedures spent in the hospital, but all of the lost time with my family and career. My leg will never be the same again. I was very active before this incident, now I have limits to the amount of activity I participate in. Who is liable? Is it my fault? (wrong place, wrong time?) Since this guy has no insurance am I entitled to anything? Oh and by the way, he was an off duty Military Policeman, and he blew a .14 on the breathilizer. I got his name and where he works. :( :mad:
 


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DMParker

Guest
I really don't know much about the law. So if someone could please explain what I may be getting myself into I'd appreciate it.
 

racer72

Senior Member
What part of "talk to a personal injury attorney now" don't you understand? Every case is different and only your very own attorney can tell you what lies ahead.
 
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DMParker

Guest
I understand that. But, I've already talked to one lawyer, and he wanted me to claim the accident on my insurance. I don't know if he just wanted to pursue money, or what, but I'm not claiming responsibilty for something until I understand all the facts. Besides, I thought this forum was for free legal advice, and that's what I'm searching for.
 

stephenk

Senior Member
DMParker said:
I understand that. But, I've already talked to one lawyer, and he wanted me to claim the accident on my insurance. I don't know if he just wanted to pursue money, or what, but I'm not claiming responsibilty for something until I understand all the facts. Besides, I thought this forum was for free legal advice, and that's what I'm searching for.

Well if you aren't trying to get money for your injuries, what do you want to have done? Since the other guy was not insured your attorney will then make an uninsured motorist claim on your own insurance. it has nothing to do with you claiming responsibility for the accident.
 
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DMParker

Guest
Well, I can't get a lawyer to represent me anyway. No one wants to represent me because the driver had no insurance. I got a copy of my policy, and I only have 50,000 in noninsured motorist. But my health insurance company is going after the 3rd party, and a lawyer advised me that they'll probably get that too.(hospital bills $200,000+) Looks pretty dim. Talked to the prosecutor of this case yesterday, and he told me the guys charges were reduced to misdemeanor Hit and Run, and he served 30-40 days active sentence. So he was in and out before I was out of the hospital. In any case, once again law abiding citizen takes it up ass, and criminal gets a slap on the wrist.
 
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