i guess anyone who feels or would have acted differently regarding to this particular situation are idiots? if so, i am proud to be one.
you are correct in noting that every accident is different. by your pictures, your accident appears to be very minor. but i dont doubt the pains you are reporting. i've seen a lot worst, vehicle damage-wise, while the driver (often only one of the two) came out fine. it really depends on the positioning/angle/speed. but who is to say the old man suffered not? physically. it's possible he was in too much shock to notice the pain. for the same reason you and your gf's pains were not immediate.
in my my accident, the initial response given by the insurance company was refusal to pay. but they ended up paying for everything. it didn't take much for me to correct their refusal, just a long phone conversation. i am pretty sure in the end, you wont have to pay for anything, even for any therapy session you may need from this accident.
as for my comment about the old man suffering more than you, perhaps i am presumming too much that the old man thinks like me. i've been involved into a total of two accidents, one due to my carelessness and one due ot the carelessness of others.
physical pain i can bear. but the consequences of hitting someone, to me, is a lot worst. truth is, if someone hits you and you walk out of it with your life and no real harm...you are relieved. but if you hit someone you are more likely to suffer psychological "pain". i felt horrible aftering being involved in the accident i knew i was responsible for. no feeling is as prolonged as that of guilt. shock and fear are often short and instantaneous. to top it off i had to pay for some of the damages, and my insurance went up.
most of my friends share this same philosophy. in fact, one of my friends in highschool felt so bad aftering hitting someone, she didn't drive her car for a year and half...not until she went to college and had to drive to class.
anyways, good luck...i do wish for the best of things, both for you and the old man.