"David Cunningham" <cngnhmwa@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:4091B9D9.4060903@spamcop.net...
> my wife was hit by a japanese driver while we were visiting near nara
> last xmas. she was crossing at a lit intersection by a woman driving
> over the speed limit, according to the local cops.

IME, insurance companies anywhere will try to give you the runaround as much
as possible. If you are outside the country, it makes it a lot easier for
them.

I'm not sure what you mean by the cop not citing the woman. I suppose he
didn't want to charge her with negligence (kashitsu), which is a pretty
serious offense.

However, unlike the US, in civil cases the driver is guaranteed to be at
fault, even if you don't have a police assignation of fault. So these
arguments that maybe she ran out into the crosswalk and the like just don't
hold water. She could have been about to break the olympic record for the
100m dash and the driver would still have been at fault. You should let the
insurance people know that you know that.

My mother in law was hit by a car while riding on a scooter. She was about
70 at the time. The other driver's insurance did pay up, paying for the cost
of replacing the scooter, and medical bills, including rehabilitation. There
was no apology money or anything of that sort. However, 4 years later she is
still going to rehab for her leg once a week, and the insurance is about to
run out, so after this it will be on our nickel.

> she spent 3 weeks in a japanese hospital with a majorly munged left
> ankle and broken ribs, the ankle unset, until she was well enough to fly
> back stateside. the japanese doctors didn't want to operate to set the
> ankle because they "didn't want to be responsible for the fact that she
> would not be able to walk again."

The good side of Japanese medical care is that it's cheap. The bad side is
that it is lousy.

Good luck.

-- 
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom