Obviously I decided that writing in my blog needed to take a backseat to my current ventures. I made the choice after my ventures began demanding more of my time and I realized that my goal for blogging was not to make money; something which had to take precedence over the past few months.

So I suppose finances is where I should recap.

Progressive decided not to pay for the uninsured motorist claim I filed and that is why I am still in a lot of pain (neck and back). I was investing all I had into my ventures and there is no more left for all the doctor bills I was accruing. In order for me to be effective in the gym again, I know I will need to get my neck and back issues taken care of. Just before the two year statute of limitations, I had to file a lawsuit. They are playing games, though, by responding that they are not registered to do business in Georgia. That’s really funny seeing as how millions of people in Georgia are insured by Progressive. I wonder what their customers would say if they knew they were buying insurance from a company not licensed to do business here?! In Progressive’s eyes, that means that I cannot sue them. In the law’s eyes, however, it means that they are using unscrupulous means to avoid a lawsuit, very stupid on their part. The lawyers should have a field day with them. As I find time, I will push this forward.

My venture, ShrinkTheWeb (http://www.shrinktheweb.com), has really started to take off. I invested a lot of time and money into this venture, because I felt like “website previews” (as silly as it might seem to the average non-techie) would become a huge hit on the Internet. It seems that this is coming to fruition. Time will tell.

I have also been consulting to a previous client to analyze and develop their strategy. After much hard work and efforts, we have built strategic alliances that I expect will be very lucrative and I determined exact reasons why their business has been only moderately successful over the past several years. My proposal to correct those issues was accepted and will put them in to a position to strengthen their offering, boost their credibility, and usurp their competition by collapsing their niche market (much like ShrinkTheWeb did to the website thumbnails niche). I am hopeful that this will be lucrative for all involved.

In my spare time (hahah, right), I have also been promoting, ColorBuster (http://colorbuster.net), a fun puzzle game for the iPhone that was developed by one of my best friends, Attila Jancsina. This is my first time promoting an iPhone game and it is riddled with pitfalls and loopholes. This is definitely a learning experience but we did manage to get listed in the “Staff Favorites” section within just 2 weeks of launch! So that is fantastic. I have more plans to also promote through my third venture, a networking group I’m co-founding with Valerie and Frank. So I’m hopeful that our efforts will be productive.

So many more tough obstacles have come up over the past year that I doubt I will have time to write in my book for awhile. I really enjoyed writing but I have to get my ventures fully self-sustaining so that I can focus. A lot of people who are familiar with my life trials and tribulations have been eager to read my book, but I just have to get to a point where I can relax and let the thoughts flow. At the moment, they are all jumbled in my head.

And that really falls in to my last topic: writing in my blog. I may or may not (most likely not) write in my blog until I have several issues out of the way. I wish you all well.

Cheers,

Brandon

Because of my pending lawsuit against Progressive for not paying out on my uninsured motorist claim from last year, I got insurance from another provider.

I was told that as long as my MVR (driving record) didn’t have anything on it other than what I told them, I was approved and could pay my first two months. There wouldn’t be a problem. So, after I put down the money and got confirmation from them, I canceled my insurance with Progressive.

That’s all fine and dandy until a few days ago when I got a letter in the mail saying I was denied coverage because I failed to tell them about my “at-fault accident” in 2007. WHAT?!?! I was definitely NOT at fault and I can easily prove it.

However, I cannot get insurance, do not have insurance currently, and Progressive won’t call me back. Now, I’ve left messages with lawyers and am trying to get a copy of my MVR so that I can dispute it. This is exactly the kind of thing that keeps me from being able to focus on what’s important right now -my work. Ugh!

I HATE PROGRESSIVE.

I just got back from seeing the neck specialist.

First, the Great News: After a thorough review, the doctor (also a neck surgeon) has assured me that while my neck deterioration is on the worse side of the spectrum for my age, it is still within the acceptable norm. Basically, he assured me that my current pain and suffering is only a result of the original whiplash coupled with sitting at the computer all day and then worsened by not having had proper treatment for the injury.

That is great news because it means that I do not have a life-long neck injury -as I was fearing. Instead, I have a treatable condition that in time could cause me only minor pain or possibly no pain at all. Whew!

He also went on to say that while treatment and exercise might cause me a lot of pain for a while, there is no risk of further injury to my neck. Those of you who know me personally know that knowing this makes a big difference. It means that I can start back -without worrying- exercising, working out, playing racquetball, basketball, volleyball, and basically doing all the things I love!! woo hoo!

The Bad News: This means that I cannot sue Progressive for millions and millions. haha. Well, I could but I would be really stretching the truth. The problem is that I was willing to work with them in the first place and am not looking to be greedy anyway. I just wanted my neck taken care of. Now, it would seem that I won’t have to push Progressive for future neck surgeries or anything like that. However, I should still have my physical therapy, missed work, and medical co-pay covered.

My only real bone to pick with Progressive is that they dragged this out for so long. Now that I’ve been forced (due to pain and suffering) to shell out borrowed money to get these assessments and treatment underway, I see that this is mostly curable. What’s worse is that Progressive could’ve shelled out the couple of thousand dollars last year and avoided putting me through all this headache, wasted time, and suffering.

According to the neck specialist, I probably could’ve been completely better within a couple of months of the accident if only I had gotten treatment right away. Progressive refused to pay for anything and denied my claim. That caused me to delay and I was unable to afford proper medical care. So, I really blame them for this predicament in which I find myself.

If only they had done the right thing to begin with, I would’ve avoided all the unnecessary pain and suffering and their claim would’ve been resolved quickly and promptly and cost-effectively. Now, I suppose that I could push them on the fact that they caused me undue pain and suffering, but I really just want to move on. I just want my expenses and lost wages (minimal) covered and put this behind me. That way, I can focus on more important things like getting back into shape, fixing my neck, and getting back to working more regularly. I am about to write Progressive a “demand letter” with a reasonable amount to cover those expenses, so I suppose we’ll have to see what comes of it.

All I know is I am in a lot of pain now just because I had to stand there and hold my neck in certain positions, etc.  So, I hope it helps. I won’t know the doctor’s impressions until Monday. However, at least I now have the required x-rays that will also allow me to be seen by an orthopedic doctor. I am hopeful they can help me.

Since I do not want to show my hand to Progressive in the off chance that they find this blog (although not likely), I cannot yet discuss the paperwork I obtained today. However, I will say that I think Progressive has a VERY weak case and I’m very surprised that they would take the chance -when the truth is glaringly obvious from the doctor’s notes.  I guess Progressive is willing to gamble in order to save a few thousand dollars.

When they dragged out my claim for a year and then offered me $500 in compensation for my injuries, lost work, pain and suffering, and future medical bills; I can not express how insulted I felt. So, whereas I willing to work them before and settle out for a few thousand dollars, now I am compelled to make them do the right thing. Hopefully, the judge will see fit to punish them also and will award punitive damages.

Anyway, I guess we’ll see.

I didn’t get any work done -once again- due to having to deal with all of these personal issues. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to do some work to pay the bills. What a novel idea! Who knows?   lol.

I have been more than patient and more than “understanding” but enough is enough. I have always been too kind and lenient and I am always paid back with lies and deceit for my kindnesses. So, I have to draw the line now.

I have been waiting nearly ONE FULL YEAR to be reimbursed for medical expenses and badly needed physical therapy -which I have yet to be able to start. It would seem that Progressive is still giving me the run-around.

Last Friday, Leah and I called Progressive and we were told that they are STILL waiting on medical records that I was told by the Hospital would be sent at the first of the year. Granted, we called the Hospital and they said that they had just sent out the paperwork earlier that week, but this is still taking way too long. This should have been done long ago.

Besides, I am only being impatient now and rushing now because I am in so much pain. I do not want to become addicted to pain pills, nerve pills, and whatever else is required just to take the edge off. This is all just too much.

If only Progressive would’ve taken care of this last year, things wouldn’t be so bad now. Being my typical, easy-going self, I would’ve settled for a few thousand dollars to cover my basic medical co-payments and would have hoped that my severe neck injury wasn’t so severe. However, by pushing me and pushing me to wait, Progressive has given me time to see that my injury is much, much more severe than I had imagined and due to lack of money for treatment has grown considerably worse by the day. Since they have taken nearly 365 days so far, that means it has gotten MUCH worse.

Now, I’m finding it difficult to concentrate or focus. The pain has me repeating things over and over because I cannot remember what I’ve done. My brain is basically “shutting down” on me -it seems. I don’t know. I’ve been ignoring it for months and months because that’s what I do. I persevere through anything that comes my way, but this neck injury is more than I can bear. I cannot fight this without help and Progressive doesn’t seem interested in making good on their end of the bargain. I paid my dues but they won’t pay theirs.

Today, I finally broke down and contacted the insurance commissioners office and they listened to my plight. Basically, I was told that it sounds as though Progressive is hoping to push me past the two-year limit after which they will just tell me to “get lost.” My claims adjuster did mention a two-year limit but told me that they are required to have presented me offers and settled within that period. It would seem she exaggerated in that dragging it out that long works to their benefit.

Anyway, I won’t let it get to that point.

The insurance commissioner spokesperson informed me that it is unlikely that Progressive will come back with an offer or else they would’ve already done so. He said once it’s gone on for this long, it’s up to me to push them. Now, I must write them a letter and set an amount that I would like for reimbursement. My dilemma is what to ask for? How much? What is a lifetime, severe neck injury worth? What is all the additional pain and suffering they’ve caused me worth? I have no idea.

My father instilled in me a sense of not asking for any more than I deserve. And, I think it was society that instilled in me to feel guilty asking for even that much. I have to keep reminding myself that I am the victim here, because I find it a struggle to press on and push people for money. I know I deserve something and because of the way Progressive has treated me and caused me all this extra pain, I think I deserve quite a bit more. Still, I feel guilty in asking.

But, I cannot feel that way any longer. I have to take a stand. I am contacting a lawyer -finally- and will be getting advice on what I should ask. Wish me luck. If anything, I just want to get some physical therapy on my neck to get me through these painful times. Leah says she may know someone who can help me out and I sure hope so. All I know is that I don’t want to suffer -needlessly- for the rest of my life and be hooked on pain meds just because some insurance carrier didn’t want to pay a few thousand off their bottom line. Now, it will cost them considerably more.

It’s 3:30pm and I’m just now catching up enough to take a lunch break for 30 minutes or so. That’s not unusual but today, for some reason, I’m really hungry!

Anyway, I spoke with my insurance claim adjuster about my uninsured motorist claim and she is working to pull my medical records. So, it shouldn’t be more than a few more days before they make their first offer. I just hope it’s reasonable, although I know -deep down- that it won’t even be close to being fair. So, I’ll have to negotiate like always, but we can always hope for something to be easy. You know, one day, maybe something will just work out naturally on its own. Maybe.

DriveTime is also not doing me any favors and is making things tougher than they ought to be. As many of you probably know, dealing with a used car dealership is a true nightmare. They insisted that I provide them an updated list of new references with phone numbers (i.e. so they can harass those people too), and I refused. So, they told me the application for the deferment could not be approved without it.

Oh well. After talking with the lady up there, I realize now that it won’t really make that much difference anyway. I made a 1/3 partial payment in December and they are only approving a deferment in the amount of $300. That will append to my loan, so as far as they see it, they aren’t even “giving” me anything anyway. They are just extending the loan by a month and charging me a $50 penalty. Now, I do realize that I “agreed” to all of this when I purchased the car, but I had no choice at the time. Sometimes, we gotta do what we gotta do. That is how DriveTime makes its money anyway. They take advantage of those who cannot get a car elsewhere and charge 23% interest (25% in my case) and then 99% of everyone defaults on the loan eventually. So, they repossess the vehicle and sell it at auction for roughly the amount they originally paid. So, they make their money off of the payments and interest to the tune of several thousand dollars per car. In the process, they help destroy a lot of people’s credit. C’est la vie.

In my case, they will be getting back a car worth MORE than when they sold it to me. The reason for that is my recent $1,242 repair bill that was only necessary because DriveTime LIED to me when they sold me the vehicle (always get it in writing!). They told me the 60,000 mandatory service had been completed. It had not. The car had 62,252 miles on it when I bought it and I specifically asked about the service. So, that’s not good.

So, anyway, the point is that regardless of a contract, any good business who wants a good reputation and repeat business would be willing to work with its customers during hardships such as mine (i.e. uninsured motorist accident still not being covered after 6 months financially drained me). Obviously, DriveTime doesn’t care about their reputation or repeat business. There are enough people with bad credit out there to burn.

However, since they are not willing to work with me, then I cannot be very willing to work with them. They made their move, and they feel they have won. However, my contingency plan is about to come into effect and will end the game in my favor. I offered them a way to make even MORE money off of me and then continue to get my on-going business, but their attitudes have made me not want to humor them any longer. I offered them a win-win and they chose what they thought was a win-lose (win for them). Unfortunately, I still have one move left to bring me out on top. I will know soon if I have to pull out all the stops. I will update soon…

Update: Ok, they are really pushing me to my limits. I gave them a way to make money (above) and they turned it down in lieu of threatening me, pushing me, and talking down to me. I offered them a win-win and they turned it down. They think they will get over on me, have earned $3,000+ profit on the car, have gotten $1,242 in repair they claimed to have already made, ruin my credit, and still get the car back to sell at auction. But, I still have a checkmate in hand by filing bankruptcy. Despite how that sounds, bankruptcy isn’t the end-all-be-all and isn’t so bad, if you’ve planned it out carefully. (To be Continued)

I was traveling onto an on-ramp onto a freeway whereby the lady in front of me in an SUV began to swerve slightly and slammed on her brakes. I was following at a decent distance considering the speed and although I was caught off guard a bit, I managed to stop with a few feet to spare. I was driving an Acura 3.2 TL-s at the time, and it does handle very well, so I gotta give props to Acura on that one. The lady behind me in a van rental, however, was not so prepared to stop.

Side Note: I did own an Acura NSX-T at one time, so I already have respect for the A-team (A for Acura, that is.. haha).

She was traveling at an estimated 40 miles per hour and did not really have time to slow down. Once I had stopped my vehicle, I remember thinking, “Oh God. I bet the person behind me won’t be able to stop.” And, as I looked up at my rear-view mirror, I saw her just finishing something she was doing with the radio apparently and she braced for impact. It was quite an impact too. I was flung backward so hard my necked crackled against the headrest (arching back at a harsh angle around the corner edge), and I remember hearing the screeching of my car’s tires as they slid several feet into the car in front of me with such force that the front bumper of the car was impaled all the way up to the radiator by the tow hook on the SUV in front of me.

My sporty car was badly damaged in the front and the rear as it was crushed between the two bigger vehicles. Surprisingly, my car -once pulled free from the tow hook- was able to be driven off eventually.

The real problem, however, was that the whiplash really injured my neck. I was raised to be “tough,” though, and that has not been the best thing in some cases. In this case, for instance, I just told myself that the neck pain would wear off. I didn’t really feel it right away anyway -most likely because of my pumping adrenaline. So, I declined the ambulance and said that despite my neck pain, I didn’t think I needed to go to the hospital. A part of me wanted to go get checked out, but I also felt bad for the lady who hit me because she was literally freaking out and having a nervous breakdown.

So, I was comforting her and the people in front of me who I was slammed into. Those people didn’t speak any English, so I ended up translating at the scene between the spanish-speaking driver of the SUV and the police. She explained that someone swerved into her lane and she slammed on her brakes. She heard tires squeal (mine) and then heard more tires squeal for a split second, heard a crash, and a few moments later, she and her son were jolted hard. So, that coincided with the fact that I managed to stop and the driver of the SUV only felt a single jolt once my car was slammed into hers. Had I been unable to stop, there would have been two jolts.

At any rate, I was kind of in “hero” mode and trying to calm the situation and basically forgot about myself. I tend to do that in tense situations.

Boy did I pay for being noble! The next day, I really hurt. The pain got worse and worse, but I try to avoid doctors and medications at all costs. Eventually, however, the pain got so bad and I began having other symptoms, so I went to the after-hours care. Aside from the pain in the month or so following the wreck, I also began to space out a lot, have memory lapses, very localized, throbbing migraines, and have random nose bleeds (gushing) that would last for 30 minutes. That can’t be good.

So, I went.

It took a few months of diagnoses, a CT scan, and an MRI to determine that I was truly in some serious pain. Actually, I should re-phrase that. It took the doctor’s all of that to determine my level of pain. I had been telling them from the beginning that I was in extreme pain but I have a fairly high tolerance level for a male. They thought that since I was not writhing in pain or crying that I must not really be in pain. Ah well. After the MRI, though, they were amazed at how every vertebrate in my neck had some soft of protrusion or herniation. My neck is in really bad shape now.

I was in extremely good physical condition at the time, and I was boxing regularly. Unfortunately, I had to stop boxing -of course- and I could not even work out. I had no desire to even walk -since even sitting would be killer pain in my neck. So, I lost my hard-earned physique and am in the process of turning into slush.

Anyway, I digress.

I obtained the police report shortly after going to the doctor -since I now realized I would have to file against the at-fault driver’s insurance. Before, I was just going to “let it slide.”

However, I was told by her insurance carrier that they had no policy or record of her. I called the police who handled the incident and they said that there was no valid insurance and the lady was no where to be found. Great.

So, I filed an uninsured motorist claim with Progressive, my auto insurance provider.

A few weeks went by with no word and then one day, I got a letter stating that my claim was denied because the vehicle I was driving was not on the policy. “Umm… do what?”

I never received a phone call to discuss my claim, and I never even got to explain that I wasn’t attempting to collect damages to repair the car. I just wanted my neck fixed. Discouraged and running out of money fast, I focused on my work and tried to make money to cover my new medical bills and my regular bills. Naturally, though, in time the pain became unbearable. I had to call Progressive or somebody.

Ironically, I received a call from a Progressive claims agent the next day after I decided to do something. She (name purposely omitted) was incredibly helpful and told me that my claim was not handled properly. She could not say much because she was not the handler of my claim, but she advised me on steps to take in order to get my claim processed. Those steps were:

1. had to attempt to claim on the at-fault persons insurance -of course.
2. had to attempt to file an uninsured claim against anyone else’s insurance of anyone who lived with me -regardless of whether they had anything to do with the wreck!
3. had to attempt to collect my auto insurance reimbursement from my health insurance -how ridiculous?!
4. had to explain in my claim that I am seeking medical expense reimbursement.

It took me a couple of months to gather all of the required information and go through the steps. In the meantime, I paid out-of-pocket for my medical expenses. It definitely adds up quickly, doesn’t it?

I opened a new claim and this time met with a claims adjuster about their medical exposure in my case. She seemed very helpful, interested, and eager to listen. I am still awaiting word on an offer, so I’ll have to write an update once I know something.

It’s likely she thought I wouldn’t be able to reschedule, but the only good thing about my current predicament financially is that my hours are very flexible. So, I will still be able to meet with her -provided she doesn’t come up with another excuse.

My neck problems really can’t wait until after the holidays. It’s not like I want to be in agonizing pain during the holidays and still have no idea of whether I will be able to get therapy or anything like that. Fortunately, the Amitryptilene I’m on is helping quite a bit and has given me back the ability to look to my left without excruciating pain. So, that’s good. I just don’t want to stay on a drug -especially one with so many side effects- any longer than I have to.

I hope we can get something going today…

Update: The claims adjuster did call me back at about 4pm yesterday and we actually got to meet with her from about 5pm until 6pm. She was actually fairly helpful -it seemed- and I am hopeful that she will make me a fair offer in regards to my medical bills and also potential bills for surgery or further expenses in this matter.

As a side note, she mentioned something else interesting to me. Many states in the US have a policy whereby insurance companies offer “Med-Pay” insurance. That is low-cost (like $4/month) insurance that will pay all of your medical bills if you’re in an accident where no one else will pay your bills. That could come in real handy, and would’ve saved me -had I known about it. But, with Progressive, there is no possible way to know about it unless someone there tells you about it. You can’t even update your policy with it online –you have to call them and specifically ask for it.

What they will most likely do in my case -and they’ve already hinted to it now that I’ve re-opened my claim with a pile of documents that they cannot ignore- is to make me an offer for my expenses incurred so far. Then, they will try to get me to sign a waiver or tell me that by cashing that check, I am absolving them of any future liability for my injuries. That would be a very BAD decision on my part -regardless of how bad I need the money. I can’t stress that enough. A life-long injury can be more devastating than not being able to pay a few bills right now!

So, if that’s the case, I will have to turn them down and give them back the check (voided out and torn in half, of course). They may ask what it would take and I guess I would throw something out like 100 times what they offer. So, if they offer $1,000, I will ask for $100,000. At least then, I know I could make enough from that to cover any expenses I might incur in the future. Besides, they won’t give in that easily.

So, I will probably have to wait even longer to get my money back and might have to get the “Insurance Commissioner” involved to get it done. I guess we will see.