Damn, Wes! Sucks some sweaty ones that it happened but glad to hear you're okay for the most part.

Hang there man and pain meds are your best friend for a while.

I had a friend who's dad died when his car fell on his chest.

Glad you came out ok, mostly. It could have been worse.

You know what they say... "You're not a real man until you drop a car on your foot"... Welcome to manhood.

Seriously though, FUCKING OUCH! Make sure to take pics of the xrays!

One day I was leaving my buddy's house and the neighbor guy says, "Hey buddy, can you do me a favor?" I walk around to where he is at, the other side of his car where I heard the voice and I see his ankle firmly pinned between the rotor and the ground. He's smoking a cigarette. Luckily the ground was soft, on grass, and he says, "You mind jacking this car up for me?" I reposition the jack and get it up and off of him so he slides out and gets up with a limp. Asked if he wanted to go to the hospital, he didnt. He said, "I can't even afford the ambulance ride, let alone the medicine and x-rays." Fair enough.

From that day whenever I change brakes or tires or anything I always make sure that all my appendages are entirely clear from the vehicle just in case.

Probably feels worse than it looks. Get well.

Hope you heal up quick and don't need surgery.

I have a similar incident with those terrible scissor jacks. I was in a parking lot changing a flat so I had no other choice. Got the car up, start taking off the flat and I notice something isn't right. Out of the corner of my eye I see the jack about to give out, so I quickly shove the tire into the wheel well jumping backwards (fade-away style). Managed to keep the car frame from hitting the ground.

Like someone else said, watch for compartment syndrome. You might also consider asking your doctor about Combunox, which is ibuprofen/oxycodone, instead of Percocet, which is acetaminophen/oxycodone and doesn't help with the swelling like the ibuprofen component of Combunox would do.

And I don't know anything about cars (or jacks), but I'd count you as one lucky b*stard that you crushed your foot and not something else, like your head or hand.

I hope you have a speedy recovery!
I'll bet that your story and pic will serve as a reminder for the rest of us and make us more safe.

The best way to learn something is from someone else's mistake.

Thank you for serving as a warning to the rest of us.



Damn Pete... I didn't know you were disadvantaged that way... Terrible inconvenience when folks that need a flipping off are located on your left side.

I feel for you man.

As a mechanic for over 40 years, I've seen it all. Only scissor jack worth anything are the ones placed in large trucks or the ones sold to use to separate equipment/parts, car scissor jacks cause more damage and injury then should be allowed.
Had a buddy die at the race track when his car fell on him and he was only 4 or 5 pit stalls away, another friend lost all front teeth an broke jaw, another had a bus fall on him WITH STANDS but shifted, he was in a coma for over a month and with all the broken bones and internal damage said he had no chance, woke up but pays dearly in pain for rest of his life.
Gravity isn't worth screwing with, I don't trust anything over my head period.

Glad you're (mostly) ok.

Note to self: Sometimes it's not worth saving a few bucks to try and do it yourself.

This is a true statement if the task is absolutely beyond your ability- but my motto in life comes from one of my favorite periodicals.

"If you haven't taken it apart, you don't truly own it yet."

There are variations along this theme.

MAKE magazine... Dig in folks. Make. Do.

I also hate bottle jacks, who ever thought of those needs to be kicked in the nuts. Useless on any ground that isn't flat. I've also almost been crushed by a failing jack. Luckily I shoved the wheel into the wheel like Ruso and fell back cartoon style.

I'm thinking that a cheap small floor jack is the best bet.


ETA, when I worked at Les Schawb, one of our lifts leaked a bit and would drop without notice. I almost got crushed not only by a car but the lift it was on. I had to roll out from under it.

Gravity is... Dangerous!

My favorite lifting devices are the very old-time screw jacks... No hydraulics, but still small footprint.

Wait, whoa there. It's damned nice to have a backhoe/loader and crane for changing tires. But even lifting with a crane still requires a good block underneath. I lower the vehicle onto the blocking until I can see the cables relax, but not sag.

When you work with logs regularly you develop a bit of respect for both gravity and inertia.

I hate logs.

Hope you're doing better Itchin, not fun at all.

It should be banned, for the safety of the kids.