Reply #53: Well sympathy or no sympathy [View All]

[Lyric]

poverty is the usual reason. We've had our insurance lapse at times before, because we had to choose between paying the electric and paying the car insurance. It's easy to rationalize it in a situation like that--no electricity is a glaringly obvious horrible thing, but no car insurance is a little sin that nobody knows about unless you're unlucky enough to make a driving mistake.

We're college students, we have a child, and we have jobs--but we still wouldn't be able to afford our car insurance in the winter months if my Mom didn't help us when things get behind. When heat bills start going up, everything else gets tighter and tighter, and sometimes it gets so tight that something has to give.

I am sorry for what happened to you, though. No matter what the reason, it sucks to get nailed by someone who's uninsured. Have you considered making an arrangement with the person to pay for the accident in increments, or with his income tax refund? Taking the initiative and offering to allow him to pay you that way will probably make him feel so relieved and grateful for your mercy that he'll be sure to keep his end of the deal. I've been in his shoes before--he's probably terrified of being sued, losing his license and/or car, and having no way to get back and forth to work. Getting your money slowly is better than not getting it at all. :)