Yes after speaking with my insurance company, my insurance company feels that the other driver is more at fault, but that I also carry some fault and I can agree with that. However the problem is the other party told their insurance company that they were on the shoulder. This is blatantly false and the police report supports what I have said, that they were in the lane of travel completely. I know my insurance covers their damages, no problem. I’m more worried about what happens to me with my totaled vehicle (honestly not a huge loss and I have another, it’s just less suited for winter driving because it needs studded tires and it’s a 2wd SUV which is not the best for slick roads, and let’s face it, it’s Alaska the roads are questionable here 7 months out of the year lol) and more importantly the time I will have to take from work. Is it possible my liability insurance covers that? I do not know. They are still in the evidence gathering stage and will not tell me anything about possible payments or outcome until both sides come to an agreement on percentages of fault.
My first thought once I realized they were in my lane was that they were passing another vehicle so I thought slowing would give them space to complete a pass. Then my second thought was they were drunk and driving in the wrong side which was an assumption probably formed by my prior trauma from my husband being killed. I did not realize they were not moving until I had already begun braking and moving to avoid a collision. They were close enough to the curve that there was maybe a 30 second window to figure out what I was seeing and what I was going to do. This has been absolutely awful even without the injury as it has brought back up the nightmares and things I experienced being at the scene of my husband’s accident.
It is a dangerous road with a fatality rate 4 times the national average. But Alaskan drivers are a bit different. I have lived here for two winters now and I can tell you that 90% of the time I am driving far slower than the other drivers on this road. I get passed frequently in no passing zones. That particular area because of the uphill you do have to accelerate into it some or you don’t make it up lol. The curve itself is not overly sharp it is the combination of bend in the road and the uphill that makes visibility poor. I’ve actually made myself an appointment with the grief counselor I used before because I’m not sleeping well after this at all.
Another question, their insurance company called and left me a voicemail, and wants me to explain to them what happened. Is this the right thing for me to do? Or should I not agree to that?
