Off-duty firefighter rear-ended my parked truck while I was inside eating breakfast — now what?
Still kind of in shock writing this, so bear with me.
So last Tuesday morning I'm sitting at my kitchen table having coffee when I hear this massive boom outside. I run out and my pickup — totally paid off, parked right in front of my house on a residential street — has been shoved up onto the curb and into the back of my roommate's sedan that was parked ahead of it.
The guy who hit both vehicles? An off-duty firefighter driving a personal SUV. He told the responding officers he dropped his phone and reached down to grab it. They documented that in the report, at least.
Neither vehicle is driveable. Mine is almost certainly a total loss — the frame looks bent and the whole rear end is crushed. My roommate's car has significant rear damage too. We're on the same policy, which I'm now realizing is either convenient or complicated — I genuinely don't know which.
Here's where it gets frustrating: the adjuster called me within like 48 hours, was extremely friendly and chatty, and kept emphasizing how 'straightforward' the claim was. That friendliness is making me nervous for some reason. They're sending someone to inspect both vehicles this week.
I also tweaked my lower back when I ran outside and slipped on the wet grass — nothing serious I think, but it's been bothering me for days and I haven't seen a doctor yet because I didn't think it was a big deal at first.
Rental car runs out in a week. I have no idea what my truck is actually worth or how hard to push back if I don't like their number.
Anyone been through something like this? Especially curious if the firefighter being a public employee changes anything at all.