Car Accident Update

I don't always have a lot to say.  There are gaps in my writing.  I am sorry.  There are just some days that aren't that interesting to write about.  I am not egotistical enough to think that the world wants a blow-by-blow of my daily life, so if I am not inspired on any particular day, I won't write.

My last post was pretty depressing.  That was a truly rough day.  It seemed as though life was trying to beat me down with wave after wave of bad news and conflict.  But, as with most dark days, it couldn't last.  The next day was better.  The bad news didn't go away, of course, and we're still faced with it, but it is not in my nature to brood, mope, or hold a grudge.  Ah.  My redeeming qualities.  I knew I'd figure them out someday.

First of all, an update on the car situation seems to be in order.

Bill, Steven, and Erik all looked at the car and thought it would be a total loss.  My insurance company came out to my school the day after the accident to take pictures and assess the damage, but I didn't hear from the insurance of the girl that hit me.  That got me wondering, so I ended up calling her insurance to report the accident myself.  She had never called them.

Throughout the week, I got multiple phone calls from her insurance, my insurance, and a tow company.  Every call ratcheted up my stress level because I felt like I needed to act NOW and I didn't know what to do.  About mid-week, her insurance sent someone out to my school to take pictures and assess the damage.  He sent me a text to tell me that he was coming, then another to tell me that he had LEFT A CHECK ON MY WINDSHIELD for the cost of the damages!  A check for over $2,400.00 left in the open in a public parking lot?!?

Excuse me?

I called him back and asked him what in the world I was supposed to do with the check?!?  He gave me some garbage about being told that I didn't want to repair the car and just wanted the money for damages.  I gave him an earful and told him I had no intention of cashing that check.

My insurance company has decided the car is a total loss.  They want a towing company to pick it up and take it directly to an inspection yard.  Her insurance company wants me to choose a repair shop and have it repaired, though they admit that once the shop begins to work, they will probably reassess and claim total loss, too.

I have stressed all week about what to do.  Do I go with my insurance or hers?  Option A or option B?

We're going to do option C.

We're going to keep the car, after all.  The insurance will give us a salvage $ amount (which will be more than the amount on the check the moron left on my windshield).  It isn't as much money as the total loss $ amount.  It seems crazy not to go with the biggest payout amount, but bear with me.  The total loss amount requires that we give them the car and find a replacement for it.  The amount will not be enough to buy something decent.  At least, not without a whole lot of looking and luck.  We don't want to end up with a car payment on a car that we intend to send with Helena to college.  We know the Alero.  We know that we've taken good care of the engine and that it should last a good long while, still.  We can pull the rear end of the car back into shape without worrying about cosmetic details for not a lot of money.  I can put the rest into a 6 month CD and sit on it until spring.  Then I'll use it as a down payment on a car for me.  I don't want to get  a car for me in the middle of the holiday season, because then its renewal will hit at the holidays every year.

So, there you have it.  Helena will end up with a knock about salvage title for college and I have 6 months to work out exactly what I want to get for myself to drive.  I really want a sports car, but it will probably end up being an SUV or crossover of some kind with 4WD and room for a bike and/or skis.  I live in Utah, after all.