Did you have insurance on your car? If you did there should have been no horror.
Yes I did and still do have full insurance on my cars. The horror came also from being blindsided by this Mexican fool who couldn't speak a word of English when the police arrived to investigate the "accident". It wasn't an accident since the drunken (or stoned) fool was 100% negligent.
There were complications on down the line with my insurance company (based out of state) even with the uninsured motorist coverage I carry.
In contrast, I was struck from behind a few years later on an interstate by a clean-cut, very respectful young man ("yes sir" and "no sir") from Lubbock. While an accident is never enjoyable, this one was a downright pleasure in comparison. He spoke English just fine and was fully insured. There were no complications whatsoever with my insurance company since everything was handled by his insurer.