After the Accident...

Recently, our older vehicle had been damaged in a car accident. After being evaluated by the insurance adjuster, it was deemed "totaled", and it was up to us as to whether or not we wanted to fix it.

Let me just say that the driver of our vehicle was basically unscathed, save for a concussion that lasted for about a week, and some serious neck and shoulder issues that have recently resolved.

In any event, we opted to fix the car. I couldn't justify purchasing another used vehicle, if only to inherit someone else's headaches. I knew what had already been replaced in our vehicle, and I realized that as long as it was safe to proceed, I was going to have our car fixed.

The insurance company always looks to recommend their repair shop, for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is because they state that it is easier for an adjuster to get the information about the vehicle. I didn't want just any repair shop to fix the car. I wanted someone who was going to make sure that my car was safe, and who would guarantee their work. After all, my daughter was going to be driving the car, and I wanted her to be in a vehicle that had been repaired properly. I also wanted someone who was highly recommended. I contacted our mechanic, who immediately recommended Cannon Collision of Hicksville, and advised me to ask for "Paul".

Once a car is "totaled", the owner has the option of taking the value of the vehicle, which is an average of two different book values (one being NADA, the other being the Red Book or Kelly Blue Book) for what the car would sell for in whatever condition the adjuster had deemed it to be, pre-accident. Things are considered, such as options on the car, the type of vehicle, and other minor details that you wouldn't think go into figuring out how much your car is worth. If the owner opts to take the cash value, the insurance company buys the car, sends the owner a check, and the owner is left with the job of looking for another vehicle, less the deductible, if any. If the owner opts to keep the car, the insurance company deducts a "salvage cost" from the total amount, less the deductible, and the owner is presented with a check for the balance.

Since we opted to keep the vehicle, we contacted Cannon Collision of Hicksville and spoke with Paul about what our options were. Paul had previously seen the car, and went over everything with a fine tooth comb. I have to tell you, considering the amount of damage that the vehicle sustained, I was having serious doubts about how the car was going to exit the shop. And I was concerned about safety, above everything else. I wasn't even sure if it was safe to fix.

During the time that "Betty" the car was tied up in the shop, we were able to get a rental through the insurance company for several weeks. However, once we were told that the vehicle was going to either be totaled or salvaged, we were given approximately seven days to continue with the rental, after which time we were either going to have to pay to continue renting, or we were going to have to come up with another way to juggle driving arrangements. I have to also tell you that Paul of Cannon was kind enough to call around to a few of the local rental companies to get us the best rate. In case I don't say it enough, this guy knew his stuff, and he was not only professional, but a regular guy.

Since money is tight these days, we took the rental back at the end of the seven days, and I spent the next few weeks, driving my daughter back and forth to college. I'm not sorry for that choice.

Accidents are experiences that most of us would like to forget, but they bring about lessons that we too often take for granted. Driver's education and defensive driving course lessons come to the forefront of our minds as we get behind the wheel. Yes, these learned things should always be in our minds as we drive, but there are times that all of us forget. We are running late for an appointment, and we speed. We take a call on our phones because it could be one of our kids. I do not text or speak on the phone at all when I drive, but I have seen many adults who break this law, and it infuriates me that most of the time, kids get blamed, when adults are breaking the very rules that they berate their kids for. However, everyone is liable to forget the law once in a while. Hence, accidents happen. And hopefully, we learn from them.

I've been driving my daughter to and from school for the past two weeks, and the experience has actually helped us to bond even more. I've enjoyed every moment of it, and when I picked up her car tonight, the reunion was a little bittersweet, because I knew that my days of driving her to school were drawing to a close. Our giggles and joking all the way to school and back, including our quoting "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "The Wizard of Oz", would have to wait until she returned home from school, or until the next time we got the chance to be alone together. I'm a little sad that it's over, but it's fine - I'll get over it. :)

The car, by the way, looks better than it has looked in years. Detailed inside and out, it looks and smells like it had just driven off the showroom floor. I can't even believe that it's the same car that I left in the lot a month ago. Paul inspected the entire vehicle and found that a control arm had shaken loose; had he not seen it, the wheel could have fallen off the car while someone was driving it. (We noticed clunking in the right side of the car, whenever we went over bumps, after the accident.) When I tell you that this man is thorough, I am not kidding. He was in touch with us regularly, and updated us with information about the car as he got it. I was truly amazed at the wonderful job that he did. I highly recommend Cannon Collision; they're at the back of Robert Chevrolet in Hicksville, and they are A++ in my book.

The experience could have been a lot worse. The driver of our car could have been seriously injured, or the other driver could have been hurt as well. There could have been a lot more damage, or the car could have been unfixable. I am grateful that there was so much to learn from the accident, but I'm even more grateful that everyone is okay. I'm so grateful that I was recommended to such a wonderful repair shop. It made all the difference. Remember, if your insurance company tries to tell you to use their shop for their own convenience, you do have the right to choose a shop of your own. Remember to follow those rules of the road a little more carefully tonight, too. Be defensive, and try to anticipate what someone else is going to do. And steer clear.

Stay safe out there, campers.