The wheel came off!

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woodbon
woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
edited 29. Apr 2009, 02:01 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi, I'm really fed up today. I've just got back from the gym. I left my care outside in the car park and spent a good hour having exercise. Whe I'd finished I went out and got in the car and drove out of the car park. Turning right onto a busy road, waited and when the road was clear turned, as turned the wheel, the car made an awful noise and the steering went. Luckily I was only going very slowly and managed to break hard and drift to a holt. I got out and people from the local physio came running out. The drivers side was down on the ground with the wheel at a strange position. The after being breathalized by a nice policeman, negative at that time of day! I tried to phone the RAC and couldn't get through so phoned husband. The upshot was the car was taken to our local garage who looked at it and showed me that it had been it in the side by a green care (paint in situ) and the wheel ball or something broken. If I had been going any faster, the car would have lost control and heaven knows what would have happened to me! I thought I had hit the central island, but when the car was moved the policeman and the engineer said I hadn't got as far as the island. I feel very shaky now, my insurance company are making life hard by insisting on examining it before work starts or I have to use their Garage, which is somewhere I have'nt heard of. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I'm fed up. the shock of the car hitting the road and me trying to steer it when the steering had gone has made my arms sore and my neck ache. I also feel very silly, I should have noticed before driving. :cry: I have to see my GP this afternoon and my husband is coming home early from work to take me. Luckily its a late appointment, so he won't have to take too long off. And I got cold. :(:(:( . Sorry a long moan. Sue

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  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Oh Sue thats not good. I hope you soon get over the shock and I promise you short of the wheel already being off and the car on the floor I'd not have noticed either so please don't beat your self up over it.

    Good luck later and i hope the aches are a very short term thing. Take care, Cris x
  • nearlybionic
    nearlybionic Member Posts: 1,899
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Sue
    Gosh that must have shook you up!! :shock: Glad you are safe and not seriuosly hurt as a result.
    What a scumbag, hitting your car and driving off without a thought for what damage they`ve done.
    When I was a teenager my mum was driving her car and the drivers side wheel rolled off!! We were at the top of a hill, but luckily the wheel hit a kerb and fell flat before going down the hill. This happened as my mum had had the car in the garage for nerw tyres and they had only put 2 nuts back in afterwards :shock: They got a mouthful from my mum I can tell you.
    It was scary, and I wasn`t even driving, so I can`t imagine what was going through your mind.
    I hope you don`t ache too much as a result, and your gp appointment goes well.
    Take care :D
    NB
  • colinone
    colinone Member Posts: 1,039
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Sue
    Well at least your OK and thats the main thing, cars cost so much to repair these days.
    Colin
  • ninakang
    ninakang Member Posts: 1,367
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Sue,

    That's awful but I'm thanking God that it wasn't more serious. Insurance companies are a right pain the @rse too. They're perfectly willing to take our money but when it actually comes to giving some back...? Why can't they just take your bill and refund you that amount??

    Anyway, I'm glad you are OK and that your OH is taking you to the GP. Please let us know how you get on.

    Nx
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,417
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Sue!
    So glad you are ok.
    Hope you are warm now too.
    To think I was going to have a moan about my flat tyre which was flat when I got to school.
    Called direct line breakdown and they came straight out (7 mins?)and put on that silly little space saver! :oops:
    So I can't moan, but I can empathise as I got v cold and v wet too!
    Hope all goes well at the Drs
    Take care
    Toni xx
  • Wonkylegs
    Wonkylegs Member Posts: 3,504
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Sue,

    so glad that you are ok - quite understand your shock!

    Don't dwell on not noticing before you drove off. It is easy done, we all have our minds in different places, and we of course don't think that someone will have been so horrid as to crash into our car and leave no note!

    hope you get the ok from the GP and that the insurance is sorted out soon.

    hugs for you both (((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Thank you all for your kind messages.

    I feel a bit better now, it still is a bit scary thinking if I'd got a bit further on and driving slightly faster, (I must have been doing about 5- 10 mph as its a sharp turn. It was such a horrible noise and the pain of the jolt down my arms as I tried to steer........ Still, no-one hurt, I could't bere it if I hurt someone. The policeman was nice, he had to stand in the road in the end because although its a wide road and he put up a warning sign traffic was still going really fast and up on the pavement even though his blue lights were flashing! I think I've sorted out the insurance as far as possible.

    Anyway, alls well :oops: Love Sue
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    frogmorton wrote:
    Hi Sue!
    So glad you are ok.
    Hope you are warm now too.
    To think I was going to have a moan about my flat tyre which was flat when I got to school.
    Called direct line breakdown and they came straight out (7 mins?)and put on that silly little space saver! :oops:
    So I can't moan, but I can empathise as I got v cold and v wet too!
    Hope all goes well at the Drs
    Take care
    Toni xx
    Sorry about the flat tire :( It was a cold windy day, my husband said I should have done last week, in the sun!
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,417
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    To right Sue we could have caught some rays!!!
    Still all's well that ends well!!!
    Take care
    Toni x
  • livinglegend
    livinglegend Member Posts: 1,425
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    woodbon wrote:
    my insurance company are making life hard by insisting on examining it before work starts or I have to use their Garage, which is somewhere I have'nt heard of. Sue

    That is normal procedure for car insurance repairs as it cuts down on fraud. So, they are not really making your life hard, just being sure about the repairs needed.
    r010.gif

    From what you say about it being a ball joint. Ball joints are suspension bits so that when the road wheel moves up and down on the front springs, the ball joints keep the wheel vertical rather than it tilting inward and allows the wheels to turn to steer as well.

    Joseph 8)
    Josephm0310.gif
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Thanks Joseph,
    I know that now, and it is my benifit really, I don't want to pay for other peoples scams! :) I was just not feeling quite calm when I talked to the insurance people, I appologised later and today had a phone call to say the inspector is going today. So thats good news. The only bad thing is I woke up with very stiff joints especially the neck! At least thats all. :)
  • ninakang
    ninakang Member Posts: 1,367
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Sue,

    Well done for being so positive. I have a feeling I would still be at the "Muttering-to-myself-and-telling-everyone-and-anyone-what's-happening" phase!

    Nx
  • lindah
    lindah Member Posts: 445
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    No chance of CCTV picking up the green swine who hit you?
    Hope you are feeling O;K now.
    I find that after an event like yours my imagination goes to work with all the worst case scenarios playing through my mind.
    Linda H. 8)
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I've rung the leasure centre but my car was parked at the back. Typical!! :( They have checked, but can't see the area I parked in.

    This evening we picked up a loan car from the garage and I'm driving my husbands. :wink: The only trouble is its lower than mine, which is a Landrover(We live in the middle of nowhere and the lanes are icy and muddy in winter, honest) and I find it harder to get out the lower car.

    The good news is the inspecter has OKed the repairs and it should be back the end of next week, fingers crossed! :) Love Sue
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,417
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Well done Sue
    Sounds like it is sorting out ok.
    Hope the post-incident-pain has settled today for you.
    Take care
    TOni xx
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