I second that. I am pretty sure that in most jurisdictions the punishment for a DUI convicton is pretty darned severe by itself. As for compensation, the insurance gets the car and your med taken care of. Just don't forget that you don't need to take their offer of settlement. It's your car, your health. Decide what you need to be made whole and stick to that. You also get compensation for rent-a-car (and you don't have to take a Geo no matter what they say), time off from work to go to the doctor, all medical expenses, and it sounds corny but you are entitled to "pain and suffering".

If you have long term pain you can be compensated. This gets abused but if you really are in pain the insurance company will compensate you, with doctor visits etc.

If by some strange chance they decide to fix your car, all the parts that are taken off are YOURS. Don't let the body shop tell you different. That's your car. Ask for ALL the parts back. I was told that I was not getting back a $500 wheel because it had a barely visible scratch on it and they were returning it for the "core charge". I called the parts department and found out the $500 charge they put down to get a reconditioned wheel was equal to the cost of a new wheel. It was a bogus claim. The body shop was going to flip the wheel or somebody there was going to take it home.

I took other parts too, things that aren't sold separately but can be used to fix minor damage. They missed damage that I had to point out and insist be fixed. Things that were non-stock that they didn't initially include in the repair estimate. You have to be a firm advocate for your personal interests.

The insurance company wants to get in and out for the lowest cost. They tend NOT to tell you what you're entitled to. They tend to "steer" you to what they want you to do even when you are entitled to other options that might be in your best interests. For example you do NOT have to take aftermarket, 3rd-party replacement parts. They will sometimes try to steer you in that direction by defaulting that choice on the repair work order that you will sign. Read that paper carefully and make sure you both understand and agree to all terms. If it's not written down, it's not going to happen - even if the shop tells you they'll "take care of it later".

All in all, the consumer today is at a distinct disadvantage when dealing with insurance companies. The average consumer doesn't know what their policy covers, what is, and what is NOT up to the insurance company.

If the accident is not your fault and the other party is insured, you do not have to spend a nickel to make things right. No towing bills No rent-a-car bills. No deductible (that only applys to the other person). No co-pays or other medical fees. No uncompensated time off from work. No living with injury that came from the accident.

But you can't lie, cheat, or be rude, mean, or deceptive. Stick to the truth, know your rights, and don't take no for an answer if you know that you are entitled. Stay away from the other person. Don't talk to them. Don't talk to their insurance company without your lawyer or at the VERY least, another person. Write down your most simple account of what happened, and stick to that truth. Don't answer questions about "What did you think when...?" Or "Did you notice...?" Or "Was it your fault at all that...?" Stick with something like what youo wrote at the beginning of the thread. "I was just sitting there at a full stop and I was hit from behind and pushed forward into the car in front of me. Speed at impact zero. End of story.

Good luck. Be careful.