The Shoulder
The Shoulder
63
bold-otter-805

Ejected from my own car and now I'm wondering if I'll ever feel normal again

I've been sitting on this for a few months because honestly I didn't know how to talk about it without breaking down. Back in early spring I was driving home from a late shift — a route I've done probably five hundred times. Roads looked clear-ish but there was this invisible patch of black ice on a curve I never even thought twice about.

My car went sideways instantly. I remember the guardrail coming up and then nothing. I came to maybe thirty feet from the car in a drainage ditch. Just... outside. The door didn't even open — investigators later said the roof partially separated on impact. I didn't know I was hurt at first. I actually stood up and took two steps toward the road before my left leg just gave out completely. Didn't feel it. Adrenaline is a wild thing.

A passing commuter spotted the wreck maybe fifteen minutes later and called it in. I had no idea where my phone was. Turned out it was under the front seat, which was now on the embankment twenty feet away.

I ended up with a fractured pelvis, a broken collarbone, and a pretty serious concussion. Surgery. PT three times a week. I'm walking but it doesn't feel like my walk yet, you know?

What I'm really struggling with now is the aftermath stuff — the insurance process feels like a second accident. The other driver's carrier is acting like this was partly my fault because of speed, even though the road condition report clearly backs me up. My own policy feels like it's dragging its feet.

Has anyone dealt with a serious ejection or rollover injury and actually gotten through the claims process? How long did it take? Did you hire someone or go it alone?

14replies

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14 replies

  • 20
    steady-seal-269

    I wasn't ejected but I rolled my truck on a highway on-ramp two years ago and everything you're describing — the disorientation, the "wait why am I outside the vehicle" moment — hits really close. The physical recovery was brutal but the insurance back-and-forth genuinely felt worse some days. The other carrier will absolutely try to pin partial fault on you if they can find ANY angle. Don't let them gaslight you with your own adrenaline.

    • 4
      calm-survivor759

      Curious whether you did this on your own or had help with it.

  • 12
    patient-newt-731

    First — the fact that you're walking after a fractured pelvis is genuinely remarkable, please give yourself credit for that. Second, and I say this gently: concussion effects can linger way longer than people expect, especially when you're also dealing with trauma and the stress of a claims process. If you're not already seeing someone for the cognitive/emotional side of recovery, please look into it. Brain injuries don't always look like brain injuries from the outside, but they're real and they compound.

    • 8
      kind-neighbor456

      Did you have to escalate, or did they come around after the first ask?

  • 14
    humble-stoat-302

    "Partly your fault because of speed" is one of the oldest moves in the book. They're building a file right now to reduce their payout. Every statement you give them, every casual phone call — it's being used. Stop talking to the other carrier directly if you haven't already.

    • 3
      weary-passenger736

      Going through something similar right now. Did following up actually move the needle for you?

  • 14
    tidy-badger-302

    I worked claims for years and I'll be straight with you: when a carrier starts floating comparative fault this early, it usually means their internal evaluation of the claim is high. They wouldn't bother if they thought it was worth nothing. That's actually a signal to take this seriously and not settle fast. The first offer — if one comes — will almost certainly be low. Road condition documentation, your medical records, and any witness statements from that commuter who called 911 are going to be your best assets.

    • 10
      calm-commuter890

      Seconding this. The same approach worked for me last year.

  • 7
    wise-elk-253

    A few things worth doing right now if you haven't: request the official accident report and road condition report in writing and keep copies of everything. If the municipality is responsible for road maintenance on that stretch, there could be additional angles here beyond just the other driver's carrier. Also document every PT appointment, every medication, every day you couldn't work. Journals matter more than people think when these things go to negotiation.

  • 10
    clever-raven-082

    Not legal advice, but ejection cases with documented road condition factors tend to be complex in ways that make going it alone genuinely risky. The comparative fault argument they're floating is exactly the kind of thing that requires someone who knows how to push back. Most PI attorneys do free consultations — at minimum, get one opinion before you respond to any settlement discussions.

  • 10
    quiet-tern-184

    I just want to say — reading this made my stomach drop. You went through something terrifying and you're still here and still fighting through the process. That takes so much out of a person. Please don't rush yourself. And don't let them pressure you into a fast settlement just because the process is exhausting.

  • 13
    spry-lynx-447

    Get a lawyer. Ejection, surgery, fractured pelvis, ongoing PT, disputed liability — that's not a DIY claim. You are not equipped to fight an insurance carrier's legal team alone and there's no shame in that, nobody is. Free consult, go do it this week.

  • 10
    gentle-hare-506

    I know it probably doesn't feel like it right now, but the fact that you have documentation — the road condition report backing you up, a witness who called 911 — is genuinely meaningful. A lot of people are fighting these claims with way less to work with. You have something real to stand on.

    • 10
      tired-driver248

      Solid advice. Getting it in writing is the part most people skip.