1. Glad to know you're OK.
2. Sorry to hear we've lost one more fine old truck to someone's stupidity and negligence.
3. In response to a comment above, I know several officer's and they all go above and beyond to "protect and serve" and sincerly hope that this officer's lack of willingness to do his job is an isolated occurance. There's no excuse for this type of behavior.
***NOTICE: I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV but I do have some experience along these lines so I'll share some things I've learned along the way.***
1. Document, document, document. Have a journal of every little ache, pain, etc. that you've experienced since the accident. Also include every doctor visit you've had and what the outcome was of those visits. Include dates, times and persons present (if applicable - like if you get a sudden pain in your back). This information goes to making your claim against the other party stick in court (if it gets that far).
2. Take pictures of your truck, the accident scene and the other truck (if you can get them). Keep all the loose parts, especially from the other truck. Get a copy of the accident report (it is a public record) to put in your file. This helps make the case that it was him and helps make the claim stick as well. Again, document as much as possible.
3. More documentation. For every call you make to the state or local police (or any one that you talk to in regards to this matter - including TV and radio stations); make sure you keep a log of the call including person(s) talked to (ask for their name from the start - that tends to get their attention), the date, time and duration of the call and a brief note on what was said to help jog your memory. Make sure you note every time you called and left a message. Be resonable in your expectation of a call back - police officers have very fluid schedules and it may take some time to get back to you. But, if you call more than twice without getting a response, leave a message that you are going to escalate to his/her supervisor and pursue it at that level - and escalate as far as necessary - follow through is essential in these cases. My experience has been that if you follow through by escalating more than twice something will get done - and soon - the higher ups don't like these kinds of calls.
If you think it's worthwhile, have someone else listen in on the conversation (with everyone's knowledge) as a witness to the call. Everytime you try to contact the investigating officer, I'd recommend having a witness listen - just to be able to back you up. It's just a just "he said - he said" thing unless there's a witness. And people tend to go with the officer's version of events when given a choice - it's that thing about trusting the police that we were taught as kids.
I'd also request a meeting with the officer to have him explain the investigation process and what he's accomplished so far in that process and what the expectations are for the remainder of the process. Ask that his supervisor attend and definitely bring a witness of your own. I'd also bring a voice recorder (or video recorder if you have one available) as well and explain that you just want to make sure you fully understand what is said so you want to keep a recording for review as necessary. Just lay the recorder on the table in plain site so there's no question that the recorder is there. Also, before the discussion starts, make an introductory statement that the conversation is being recorded, state the parties at the meeting, and the date, time and place of the meeting. The police use the same justification to make recordings of interogations to make sure the evidence is admissable in court so you should be able to do the same. If they refuse to participate under those circumstances, state that on the recording and stop the meeting - nothing said to you during the investigation should be off the record. Tell them that your attorney will be contacting them for further discussion. Also, ask that any information provided to you be followed up as a letter or report in writing - this helps prove your case as well as their position if it goes to court. Again, all this does is help you make your case if it goes to court and with any insurance company involved. Stay focused and let them know your serious about this matter and you'll pursue it as far as needed.
***ABOVE ALL, DURING ALL DISCUSSIONS, PHONE CALLS AND MEETINGS, STAY CALM AND RESPECTFUL TO ALL PARTIES. Losing it just weakens your case.***
***Again, I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV so take this as a lesson learned from someone that's been through a similar experience.***
I'd do some of the "pot stirring" as well that others have suggested just to let people know how poorly you're being treated. I don't think there's a TV or radio station out there that wouldn't like to get their hands on a story like this. They all like to put the "guuberment" on the spot from time to time. Also, you should be able to find an attorney that would represent you as most would jump at a chance to go after law enforcement for abuse like this.
Of course, this is all easy for me to say since I'm not on the front line with you. Just believe that my sympathies are with you (as are most bolters I would guess) and we all wish you luck in pursuing this. Sorry for the long winded post but I thought you might find some of what I've learned useful.
Oh yeah, have a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
