Don't know what I, as a Christian, should do about someone who cra

[irishcowboy]

something also to think about, some states have NO FAULT INSURANCE that is required, and this means (in some states, Hawaii is really strange) that with a no fault claim, your insurance covers you and theirs covers them... and if you do not have Comp, you out of luck.......

I understand, that if you have a car in hawaii insured, and your in an accident, you get the the payment as if it were one car, but if you have 10 cars in the back yard, insured, then you get the payment as if it were 10 cars involve..... i am not sure about this, sounded wacky when I heard it the first time too.... but for some reason there are many people that have several cars that are intheir back yards..... most not working..... hmmmm...... other states have other laws that pertain to insurance....

mike

[AnotherTraveler]

Depending on the law where you live, of course, but in some places you are required to report any accident that damages property to the authorities. Your duty as a Christian would then be quite clear, for you must obey the law of the land.

[carlos123]

Thanks for the input ya all .

Though I must admit to some disappointment that most of the input was focused on the practicals and legalities of what to do when someone hits you. Not on what I mainly asked for which was...what I, as a Christian, should do.

For the person who implied that I might have been parked illegally...I was not. I was absolutely legally parked where I was. I had never parked there before. I have no trailer or other appendage to my truck. It's just a regular truck (a Suburban to be precise) though quite old. I have legal insurance, registration, driver's licence, tag on the licence, and anything else that is legally required. There is no problem at all on my end. The hit was in broad daylight and witnessed by others.

The essential problem is that my insurance company will NOT pay me over $500 for anything that happens to my truck. I have been through this before with them when someone else hit me a while back. The damage done to my truck this particular time was way over $500. So if I file a claim it will be considered a totalled vehicle such that I will not be able to keep it. The insurance company will pay me all of $500, take my vehicle, and I will end wandering the streets trying to figure out how to get some wheels for $500 . That's no good.

So I've been hit again and now, in addition to the damage done to me by other hits, I must now go limping around with a door that is barely closable, a windshield that is cracked worse than ever from the impact, a front panel that is pretty much caved in, and a hood that is now slightly twisted (again from the impact). Aside from that the truck looks...well...like someone dropped it and rolled it around some . I have to explain all the more to my customers now why it looks so bad because it really does. I had been planning on painting the same door that got smashed. Now, it'd be a ridiculous waste of time to paint it.

I called the guy that hit me this morning and left a voice mail. No irritation or otherwise in my tone or heart. I know the Lord allowed this for a reason. I have been learning how the Lord usually has something good around every circumstances that appears, by sight, to be very bad. And I am learning to trust Him for that now.

I will leave it up to the guy to see if he is willing to pay something to me for the damage he did. If we work it out he is not legally obligated to report the hit, the insurance companies won't get involved, and it will be as if nothing ever happened. That seems best for him and as for me...well...whatever he is willing to give me is what I will have to settle for I guess.

If I am upset at anyone it's at the insurance industry. An industry that can take $80 of my money every single month. Month and after month to cover me for liability only and only give me $500 max on my truck. That's just downright ridiculous. But there is little I can do about that at this point. My truck is too old and too beat up to be insurable by anyone else and besides all the insurance companies are like that up here. Whereas I could insure it in the States for $35 a month (or even less) there is almost no chance I could get down that low here in Canada. Insurance companies up here won't even sell me the minimum liability that is legally required. They won't sell me any less than a million. Only $200,000 liability is required. That is another rip off but again...there is little I can do about that either. That's the just the way it is. The state requires $200,000. Insurance companies won't sell less than $1,000,000 coverage. The little guy like me, who is an excellent driver, ends up paying as though the state required $1,000,000! Unfair...yes. Almost like a racket...yes. But that's the way it is.

Personally, if I had the choice instead of being forced to get insurance, I would not pay for any insurance at all. I know, I know...that many think it's a grand thing to be forced to get insurance. But I am of the opinion that is not.

I'll wait and see if the guy that hit me is willing to offer me something. If he knows his stuff though he can deny me anything and I will be stuck having to go around in a worse, more beat up truck without filing a claim that would be utterly useless for me to file. His insurance company won't give me any more than mine will. $500 dollars. And it's either $500 and I give up my truck. Or I keep my truck and suffer. Not fair. Not good. Not honorable. But that is the way our society is.

I guess I may just have to swallow another hit and pray that the Lord will give me grace to just get over the unfairness of it. I mean it's ridiculous that someone that gets hit like me can't do a single thing about it. Until I am ready to give up my truck that is at which point I will accept the $500. A little better than what a junkyard will offer me but not much.

I will submit myself to whatever the guy who hit me thinks best for himself. I don't have much choice. I certainly don't have any illusions about him looking out for my best interests. It's very rare to find someone that will do that. Especially if the state makes it such, through their mandated no-fault insurance laws, that one does not have to take responsibility for their actions and make restitution.

Carlos

[carlos123]

Incidentally I forgot to mention that I will double check with the police as to what is legally required of us.

Last time this happened and I went to find out what to do from the police, they basically said that if we were working out things between us there was no reporting required if my memory serves me right. My memory hasn't been the best sometimes so I will check again but I'm pretty sure that is correct.

That last time I got hit the company that hit me offered me $750 for my truck but again, that would have meant having no truck. How ridiculous was that. From what I remember, they didn't offer to fix m.y dangling gas hose they broke off as a result of their impact on me. It would have cost way too much to get it reattached and fixed. They just offered me $750 for my truck. That was it. Take it or leave it. I had little choice then either. I decided to keep my truck. Dangling gas hose and all. It's still dangling. I hate the way the little guy is forced to buy into giving the insurance companies something for virtually nothing in return. But that's the way it is. Not much I can do about it short of devoting my life to turning the insurance industry upside down I guess but that would take away from investing my life in the gospel.

I'll get over this but it sure is frustrating. Please pray for me that the Lord would give me grace to get hit and get hit and get hit again and again and to respond with graciousness. Maybe I will eventually get to the point where I can stick my head out the window after the next hit and smiling say..."God loves you! Bless you." LOL.

Carlos

[MeCajunboy]

I hope it's okay to ask about this here because...well..I could really use some wise counsel about what happened to me today. If I can't ask about this here can someone please PM me about where I can? Or perhaps PM me and share some wisdom with me .

Someone crashed into me today. Or more correctly crashed into my truck when I wasn't there. They were in a hurry and backed out of a driveway right into my truck which was parked accross the street! Unbelievable! My truck is still driveable but just barely. The driver's side door almost can't be closed and is looser than ever. My radiator is leaking like crazy. It was leaking before but not like it is now. The impact apparently twisted it somehow and made the leak much worse. My windshield crack got much bigger. My hood is slightly twisted now. Let's see...aside from my door the panel on top of driver's side front wheel is completely mangled. The truck must have really been hit good since my battery was kind of on it's side even though the truck was hit on the other side!

Anyway my question is this.

Should I just forgive it and get on with life or should I demand some money from the person who crashed into me? As a Christian.

Jesus said that if someone wants to take your tunic give him your cloak as well or something to that effect. To turn the other cheek. And other things along those lines. I want to use this opportunity to grow in my faith and perhaps be a good testimony to the person who crashed into me. But I just don't know. I mean I don't want to put up a sign on my truck, in a manner of speaking, saying something to the effect "Hit me! I am a Christian and will get over it." .

My truck has been hit about 5 times like this. Through no fault of my own! In the city where I live. UNREAL! Twice it's been hit while parked legally and all.

My insurance company won't give me more than $500 for it EVER. It's too old. It's either $500 and they get the truck (and I end up without a vehicle) or else I just swallow the hit. That itself is ridiculous but there isn't much I can do about that.

But again...MY MAIN CONCERN...is NOT the unfairness of all this but rather WHAT should I do as a Christian to reflect Christ best in this situation. Some of you might have some tips on what to do practically about this sort of thing and such tips would be appreciated but I honestly want to hear more about what I as a Christian should do to reflect Christ in this, my present and latest hit LOL.

My truck is a real beater and still running so I am okay. But I could certainly use another $300 or so.

I honestly don't know what to do.

PLEASE...don't nobody start down the road of...well we can't give you advice about this because it has legal ramifications. I don't give a hoot about legal ramifications. I am asking as a Christian wanting to know how to reflect Christ better. I won't sue anybody over what they say. All advice to me on this will be considered personal, unprofessional opinion and nothing more. I hate to have to add this last sentence but things are getting so ridiculous and so many Christians are walking in fear of being sued instead of walking in faith that I figured I better say what I did. Hopefully there are strong Christians here who won't look at this through the eyes of fear but who will see my heart in just wanting advice about how to reflect Christ better.

So if any true Christians have sound advice for me...please pipe up and share. I have a couple of days before I have to call the guy who hit me. At least he left his number though it was kinda unavoidable since people saw him do it and told me what happened when I got to my truck.

Thanks.

Carlos

Blessings Carlos,

Shiloh is right on track with this situation. I will tell you that the party that hit you is responsible for "restoring you vehicle back to the original conditioin it was in before it was wrecked." That sounds fair to me and I pray that all will be well when it is fully restored back to its original condition, no more....nlo less. And If you go to person who is responsible for the incidents' insurance company, they should agree to do just that! You need your vehicle for you livelihood, to get back and forth to the store and/or work? No insurance company will deny you that one "insurance" right. That's why we take out insurance and most dealerships will obligate and honor into this agreement. And if they fight you for anything less, you need to persue an attorney, and seek legal help. I can't imagine them trying to settle with you for the value of the vehicle because you are not responsible for the accident. But an attorney will show you your legal options. Normally, you will have several options and you will determine what is best for your situation.

And God does take care of his people in situations like this, but if you shy away from what's rightfully yours, God can be just as disappointed because he want soldiers not people who will run away from situations just because they want to avoid confrontation.. God wanted you to have a running vehicle and you might be disappointing him if you settle for anything less....Do you agree? hope so!

[carlos123]

Thanks for your added response MeCajunboy (hmm...maybe I should change my name to MeTarzan LOL).

But...there's always a but isn't there ....

The insurance company will NOT give me more than $500. Period! Fairness does not enter into their deliberations. It's a matter of them saving money for themselves. The only option I have, which really is not a very good one, is to go around and try and get valuations about what my truck is really worth. Not just the paper book value. Let's see it's my home (how much is that worth?). It's my work truck. It's my personal vehicle. It's worth more than $500 I think. Then if I can get others to testify that it's worth more I can then take the insurance company to court and fight them to get more.

Hmm...not worth my time. Or should I say the Lord's time in me. The end result of all such effort is not certain. It could end up being a collasel waste of time.

By the time all is said and done I will have gotten a newer vehicle.

Here is what I have decided to do. I will lay it all out as I have laid it out here to the guy who hit me. And will see what he wants to do. It TRULY is better for HIM if he settles with me for say...something...like $400. But I will leave that totally up to him. I will love him as myself and give him the option to settle with me. If he chooses not to do that...I will file a claim in the Spring, get my $500 from the insurance company, and buy a newer vehicle. He will end up with a ticket, points on his record, and an increased insurance premium. He will pay much more than $500 if I file a claim. The insurance companies will rip both of us off. It will be up to him. I pray for him that he will choose to settle with me for his own good. I have no hard feelings toward him at all. May the Lord allow to happen what is pleasing to Him. I will not fight the guy who hit me, the insurance company, or otherwise get tangled and pulled away from something the Lord has laid on my heart to do and which I posted about in another thread. But I will also not sit by and do nothing. I will do what I can legally do to make things easier on myself. Namely file a claim within the year time limit. I will not contest the measly $500 the insurance company can get away with paying me. It's not worth my time. Life is short.

Carlos

[irishcowboy]

Thanks for your added response MeCajunboy (hmm...maybe I should change my name to MeTarzan LOL).

But...there's always a but isn't there ....

The insurance company will NOT give me more than $500. Period! Fairness does not enter into their deliberations. It's a matter of them saving money for themselves. The only option I have, which really is not a very good one, is to go around and try and get valuations about what my truck is really worth. Not just the paper book value. Let's see it's my home (how much is that worth?). It's my work truck. It's my personal vehicle. It's worth more than $500 I think. Then if I can get others to testify that it's worth more I can then take the insurance company to court and fight them to get more.

Hmm...not worth my time. Or should I say the Lord's time in me. The end result of all such effort is not certain. It could end up being a collasel waste of time.

By the time all is said and done I will have gotten a newer vehicle.

Here is what I have decided to do. I will lay it all out as I have laid it out here to the guy who hit me. And will see what he wants to do. It TRULY is better for HIM if he settles with me for say...something...like $400. But I will leave that totally up to him. I will love him as myself and give him the option to settle with me. If he chooses not to do that...I will file a claim in the Spring, get my $500 from the insurance company, and buy a newer vehicle. He will end up with a ticket, points on his record, and an increased insurance premium. He will pay much more than $500 if I file a claim. The insurance companies will rip both of us off. It will be up to him. I pray for him that he will choose to settle with me for his own good. I have no hard feelings toward him at all. May the Lord allow to happen what is pleasing to Him. I will not fight the guy who hit me, the insurance company, or otherwise get tangled and pulled away from something the Lord has laid on my heart to do and which I posted about in another thread. But I will also not sit by and do nothing. I will do what I can legally do to make things easier on myself. Namely file a claim within the year time limit. I will not contest the measly $500 the insurance company can get away with paying me. It's not worth my time. Life is short.

Carlos

Carlos, I have no idea what the insurance laws are in Canada, I have not driven anywhere in Canada since 1974, actually, i did not drive then, it was my Uncle that did the driving, and he had previously made sure he had what he needed for insurance.

I do not even know the traffic laws in Canada, or even if they are the same through out Canada, like in the States, some traffic laws are not the same from state to state..... and if we are talking country to country, that even makes a difference....

you asked for insight, advice, and thoughts, it sounds to me as if you are wanting more then what the standard (blue book) value of a vehicle of a certain age and type..

I fully understand, I have always maintained FULL COVERAGE insurance on every vehicle i have ever driven, but after the hail storm we had in may, it totalled my truck. they value the assesed it at was lower then what I believed it to be, and then if i was to keep it, i lost about 1/3 of that to have it repaired, if i allowed them to tow it, they would have parted it out for even more....

my truck is a 98 ranger, with beefed up suspension so to carry more then just 300 # before it squatted to the ground, it now can carry close to a full ton before it starts to squat...... they would not take that into consideration either, nor would they the new (yes, new) clutch and brakes ( worth almost 2 grand there).....

I settled for the buy back so that I had a vehicle i could trust, the hail busted two windows, and put lots of small and large dents in the roof, hood, fenders and bed rails.... not sure about the bed, like you have said, it is a work vehicle, i was hoping just to have them asses the windshield and back glass....

here is the funny part about it, the truck, the van were under a tree and the front glass on both were protected by the tree, my daughters care was in the wide oven and it did not loose any glass, my sons car had the front glass under a tree, he lost his front glass, but the sun roof, in the wide open did not get hit...... I know how hard that hail was coming down, for I was out in it, trying to get children into the storm shelter as we had a tornado heading our way the hail was ahead of the tornado... I had bruises on my thighs, calves, upper and lower arms, back shoulders, and cuts on my hands from it, as well as bruises on my hands...... my head was not touched...... and when i was going out after the children, I was getting pelted, but when I had a child in my arms, i never got hit, ( i made at least 1/2 dozen trips)..... no child was injured either......

anyways, if you think you need restored, go talk to the person that hit your vehicle, you might take several estimates with you for the damage that he did ( do not try to get it inflated for other damage).....

the main question I have is why is your insurance paying you and not his insurance, unless he was not insured or unless you share the same insurance company i do not see this being one where your insurance should pay you, it should be his..... and your insurance company should assist you in getting restitution....

by the way, was not incinuating that you were breaking the law, at least not purposely....

which ever way you go about it, I wish you well..... do not wait too long or you may be out of the game with it permanently, the longer you wait, the more questions arrise as to why you waited so long, it is best to get judgements early on, so that the facts of the issues do not get watered down, or forgotten or twisted....

mike

[Guest shiloh357]

The insurance company will NOT give me more than $500. Period! Fairness does not enter into their deliberations. It's a matter of them saving money for themselves. The only option I have, which really is not a very good one, is to go around and try and get valuations about what my truck is really worth. Not just the paper book value. Let's see it's my home (how much is that worth?). It's my work truck. It's my personal vehicle. It's worth more than $500 I think. Then if I can get others to testify that it's worth more I can then take the insurance company to court and fight them to get more.

that doesn't make sense. YOUR insurance company should not have to pay you anything if you are not liable. It is the insurance company of the person that hit you that has to pay for the repairs.

If he chooses not to do that...I will file a claim in the Spring, get my $500 from the insurance company, and buy a newer vehicle.

Most insurance companies have a very limited window of time that they will allow you file a claim. Usually, if you have not filed the claim promptly at least within two weeks, from the time of the accident, they have a clause in the policy contract that removes any obligation to pay.

The reason being is that if you wait too long, the damage may worsen and it will be more difficult to know how much damage was caused by the accident and what has been caused by leaving the damage unmitigated. So if you are going to file a claim, now is the time, but do it with the adverse carrier, and not yours.

I will do what I can legally do to make things easier on myself. Namely file a claim within the year time limit.

On homeowners insurance, you have a year to file, typically, but not on auto insurance.

Though I must admit to some disappointment that most of the input was focused on the practicals and legalities of what to do when someone hits you. Not on what I mainly asked for which was...what I, as a Christian, should do.

Well, that is what the situation calls for. This is a situation that requires a practical solution.

The essential problem is that my insurance company will NOT pay me over $500 for anything that happens to my truck. I have been through this before with them when someone else hit me a while back. The damage done to my truck this particular time was way over $500. So if I file a claim it will be considered a totalled vehicle such that I will not be able to keep it. The insurance company will pay me all of $500, take my vehicle, and I will end wandering the streets trying to figure out how to get some wheels for $500 . That's no good.

Like I said, they should not have to pay anything. You need to go to the adverse carrier and file your claim through them. By all means, you need to report the accident to your carrier, but they should be enaging the adverse carrier as well.

His insurance company won't give me any more than mine will.

If their driver is 100% liable, they are required by law to restore you to pre-accident condition. If they don't your company can file suit against them. They have attorneys they select and compensate for that very purpose. If your company is not going to go to bat for you, you have a very sorry insurance company.

[carlos123]

Hi Mike,

the main question I have is why is your insurance paying you and not his insurance, unless he was not insured or unless you share the same insurance company i do not see this being one where your insurance should pay you, it should be his..... and your insurance company should assist you in getting restitution....

Good observation Mike! I should have said that his insurance company would probably not pay me over $500. It is indeed true that MY insurance company won't pay me anything for an accident that was not my fault (unless as you say he is insured by the same company as moi).

Boy...you sure sound like you went through the ringer with that hale and all. Wow! Thank God those children had you around. Your wife must have been very proud of you Mike!

Thanks again for your input. Much appreciated.

Carlos

[carlos123]

Thanks for the added input Shiloh. Much appreciated.

You are correct in pointing out that his insurance company is the one that will pay. My goof!

Most insurance companies have a very limited window of time that they will allow you file a claim. Usually, if you have not filed the claim promptly at least within two weeks, from the time of the accident, they have a clause in the policy contract that removes any obligation to pay.

Ah...but this is Canada. Everyone and everything is more trusting up here. I have a whole year to file a claim. Doesn't make sense to me either but that's the way it is up here. I haven't read the fine print mind you but that is what a claims adjuster told me the last time I discussed a hit with her.

If their driver is 100% liable, they are required by law to restore you to pre-accident condition. If they don't your company can file suit against them. They have attorneys they select and compensate for that very purpose. If your company is not going to go to bat for you, you have a very sorry insurance company.

I wish that was the case up here Shiloh but it ain't so. Along with being more trusting here they are also less prone to get involved in lawsuits. Much less prone to that. The last time I got hit and ended up with a severely damaged gas hose that got knocked loose from the body they weren't willing to pay to fix it unless I gave up my truck. I still got a dangling gas hose to this day .

My personal opinion is that insurance companies in Canada are...well...yes...quite sorry. The same exact insurance companies down South can't get away with half the stuff the one's up here seem to do routinely. That's just a gut level impression so I could be wrong about that but it does seem like that is the case.

Carlos