Wondering?

I just wrote a lengthy update, but the computer froze up, and I had to restart. So you're just going to get the abbreviated version now.

A week ago, it was looking like the insurance company was going to under-value our car and total it. We were warned that fleet insurance (the guy who hit me was driving a company car) is typically difficult to deal with, and we should be prepared to get a lawyer.

However, the sub-contracted appraiser assigned to evaluate our car made the other guy's insurance company's adjustor furious by not showing up for appointments he made with us, not communicating with us about it, finally showing up very late, then not sending any information to the insurance company, and not communicating with the insurance company about his supposed repeated computer problems. We found out the last part of this yesterday when Jon finally called the adjustor to learn what the insurance company's decision was. They still had not received any information from the appraiser. The adjustor was very sympathetic and apologetic. We've told everyone from the beginning about our upcoming trip and were assured this would all be settled by then. Now that's impossible. But we are going to drive our dented and scraped, but very functional Suburban to South Carolina and have it repaired there. The insurance company will provide a rental car there and will send the check to our "vacation" address. Although we haven't issued any threats, they aren't ignorant. I don't think they want to be responsible for the pain and suffering of 7 children who would have to miss being with all of their grandparents for Christmas. So now it appears that an appraiser who laid down on the job has made our claim process easier than it might have been.

...and again

For the fourth time in 5 months, we had another car accident. It was snowing, and I was slowing down at a stop sign when another car came sliding around the corner into the side of our (newly acquired) Suburban. The other driver was very polite and kind - no problems there. His insurance company is one we've never heard of, and our company's adjuster said that the person she talked to there was the rudest person she has ever dealt with in her business. We are hoping this is not a foreshadowing of an insurance battle. We were scheduled to drive this Suburban back to South Carolina on December 17. We'll see what happens with those plans, but we're sure hoping they don't have to be changed. We're also hoping (more than hoping) that insurance doesn't decide to total our car because of the damage. Perfectly maintained, leather upholstered, four-wheel drive, nine-passenger SUVs within our price range are rare, and we don't want to have to start looking again.

I was very bothered by the accident, but then, after all, what's a car accident compared to what the Lord has already shown us He can do? The lessons we've been learning over the past year apply to accidents just as well as they do to cancer.