Thanks everyone for the nice thoughts. I am glad to report no bones broken in this accident. I have soft tissue damage in my thumb and right wrist - the airbag will throw your hand into the gear shifter when it deploys. I am about 30% better than yesterday, which is very good for me considering what I went through in 2005. The best I can describe it is a bad muscle pull. Writing is impossible, but I am doing okay pecking with my two index fingers for a limited period. I *think* things will be physically more or less back to quasi-normal by Monday, we'll see how fast the hand heals. Ibuprofen does help.
The airbag experience is always bizarre. They open so fast. The old Malibu had giant round balloons that blow into your face. The new one had this horizontal bag in the steering wheel that was designed to keep your body out of the steering wheel. The passenger side one was larger. You get this cloud of corn starch and the nasty gross smell, and your ears ring. After they go off, your car basically goes into dead mode with the emergency flashers going. I couldn't turn my car off and it dumped all of the fluids into the road. We had fire trucks, an ambulance and two sheriff cars respond.
I was essentially in shock for a good part of yesterday, initially contemplating doing my usual shopping errands post-accident. But when I got to the grocery store, the employees who knew me took one look and ordered me to go home. I was in zombie mode. It's very odd when you get into this daze and things just seem to happen around you.
I have been dealing with State Farm Insurance for the car matter and as soon as personal injury is involved in NY, you get a lot of calls from them. I delivered my sworn recount of the accident last night by phone. On Monday, the car will be towed from its current location to the car dealership's collision center to determine if they will repair it or "total it." I will try and get some pictures and post them (we still have some pictures around here of the 2005 accident).
I'm being told that since the car is only two years old, the inclination is automatically to try and repair it unless the damages near the value of the vehicle. If it's too expensive to fix, then they "total it" meaning I send the title papers for the car to the insurance company and they basically buy it from me for market value.
The biggest thing is the amount of irritation this causes me during the busy holidays. If it's going to be repaired, it will probably be there three weeks. If it's totalled, then I have to go play the car buying game (which I loathe). I buy new cars and try and keep them as long as possible. I may eschew Chevrolet and go towards a Hyundai or Honda or Toyota if I am forced to buy a new one. GM cars are cheaper upfront but their quality over time still is not what it should be.
But for now I'll wait and see what I learn next week.