5 Things I Learned From Having An Auto Accident

by eviehodge1549 | Jun 3, 2018 | From the Heart | 4 comments

Last August, I was on my way to the vet’s office with Gio and Vinny for their annual checkup. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it there. As I drove down the interstate; the traffic had slowed in front of me. Not having enough time to stop, I ran into the back of the vehicle in front of me. While the lady’s car was only moderately damage, our 2001 Jeep Cherokee was totaled. Thankfully, despite the extensive damage, the doggies and I were not injured.

I was crushed. We had our Jeep for sixteen plus years; and I thought it would last forever. It had only 114,000 miles and was in great condition. It ran good and looked great; even though the air condition hadn’t worked for a couple of years. We planned to keep it for a few more years before planning to a new(er) Jeep.

Through the ordeal of the accident, dealing with the insurance claims and looking for a new vehicle; I learned five important things. I wanted to share them with you.

Pay Attention To The Road
The traffic on the highway had slowed in front of me. Rush hour traffic was winding down; but there were still a lot of cars on the road for 9:15 in the morning. We were approaching an interstate interchange; and the vehicles were slowing and moving into the exit lanes. I had been paying attention to the road; but it was not enough to prevent the accident. It so important, especially when a five-lane interstate highway, your eyes are always alert and watching the road: in front of you, to the side of you and in back of you. You can never be too careful!

Be Up Front With Your Spouse
I dropped off my wife at work on the way to the vet’s office. I told her that I would be checking with her throughout the day. She was executing an important meeting and I wanted to tell about the appointment and asking about the meeting.

However, after the accident, I did not tell her for several hours later because I did not want worry about me and the meeting at the same time. When I finally told her about what happened, she knew something was wrong because I had not called her or sent her any messages for more than three hours.

In addition, I had not told her why I was taking the doggies to the vet on a work day without her. I had been planning a little getaway for our anniversary and the doggies needed the annual shots to stay at the kennel. But I didn’t tell her about my plans until a week after the accident.

I learned that it important to tell my wife everything. She should have known why I was going to the vet’s office and she should have known about the accident as soon as it happened. She deserves to know the truth even if it is not the best news.

You Have To Move On
In the days and weeks following the accident, whenever I was driving or even if I was walking in the backyard, I kept reliving it in my mind. I would see the Jeep slamming into the back of the lady’s car. It became extremely difficult for me to not think about what I had done to this lady and her car and my own vehicle. It took about a month for me to fully clear my mind and not think about it. Even though it was a serious thing, I could not undo what happened. I had to move on with my life. I could not move forward without letting go.

Make Sure You Have Good Insurance
While having automobile insurance is required by law; it makes a big difference if you are working with the right insurance company. Following the accident, I filed a claim and they went to work for me immediately. The Jeep was towed to the collision center for assessment and I didn’t have to pay any upfront money. When it was determined that it was a total loss, the agents worked with me to ensure that I would get the best settlement, even taking into consideration the new tires and battery that was added the month before the accident. They worked with me every step of the way, making sure the process went smoothly and answering any questions that I had.

God Can Restore To You More Than You Can Imagine
With the accident, it meant my wife and I were down to only one vehicle, a 2003 Jeep Wrangler. While having only one vehicle would work temporarily, it was not meant to be a permanent solution. After my own healing process, I started the search for our next new vehicle. Jeeps have proven to be an excellent vehicle and there was no doubt that we would be getting another one; but it had to be the right one. I looked a variety of models, from Grand Cherokees to Cherokees, to Libertys to Patriots. After doing my own research and determining the monthly payment that I wanted to be at, I decided that the right vehicle for us would be a slightly used Cherokee. The Grand Cherokees would have been ideal, but prices were higher than what I wanted to pay. The Libertys and Patriots didn’t have the size or features we wanted. I had seen several Grand Cherokees that were in our price range, but they were generally seven plus years old, or had well over 100,000 miles on them. I did not want pay that amount of money for a vehicle with those conditions.

As I began in earnest my search for used Cherokees, I kept my eye on the Grand Cherokees, praying that one would fit our needs at the price I wanted to pay. The more I looked at the Cherokees, I was not convinced that it was not the right vehicle for us. It reminded me of a car and not an SUV; and it was much smaller than what I had wanted it to be, even though we had not drove one.

On a Sunday afternoon in late February, as I was scrolling from a used-car app on my phone, I came across a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was in our price range at a dealership that was only a few miles from our house. I thought that it must have been in accident or had high mileage. Looking at the vehicle’s details, I found no evidence of any accidents and it had only 46,000 miles on it. I immediately knew that I wanted to take it for a test drive. I wasn’t able to call about it until that Tuesday morning. When I called, the salesman told me that it was still available and wanted to know if we wanted to take a test drive. My wife and I left work early that day and arrived at the dealership at 5pm. By 7pm, we were driving home in with our new vehicle.

In only two hours, God worked it out where we took the test drive, talked with the salesman about our concerns/needs and then finished the deal with the finance guy. The Grand Cherokee’s final price was $4,000 less than its fair-market value and the finance guy worked an agreement for a five year, bumper-to-bumper extended warranty for the exact price that I was expecting to pay for the a used Cherokee without any additional warranty.
It was hard for me to imagine that we could get a used Grand Cherokee at a Cherokee price. The Grand Cherokee was what I wanted; but I knew the monthly payment was more than I wanted to pay. However, God worked out a plan that allowed to get the vehicle of my dreams. He has restored to me and my wife more than I could imagine.

God Is Good!! Hallelujah!!