Where do I begin??? It was a lovely summer day and I was driving home from work anticipating the weekend ahead of me at my friends’ home on Kootenay Lake, when a delivery truck decided to drive over the front of my car.
I will mention that no one was hurt in the making of this true story except my car, in fact there was some great lessons that went along with this.
Let me go back to about a year ago and set up the story. I moved my private residence and I thought that someone had told me that my Driver’s Licence address and the address on my car insurance had to match, which I have since been informed by a qualified source this is not true.
I have an Enhanced Driver’s Licence which allows me to cross the border on my motorcycle without requiring my passport. To change my address requires me to book an appointment and go down to the Motor Vehicle branch and go through an interview. I thought at the time it would cost me $75.00 to change my address, now $110.00; seriously???
In my head I was thinking this is a money and time grab. So I didn’t do anything. My car insurance renewal went to my old address. Do I need to continue??? Of course I do, we haven’t gotten to the point of the story…
I was driving with expired car insurance.
I am a very lucky lady in the fact that the other driver is 100% at fault and he is responsible for all expenses, however, I did not know this at the time of the accident. The policeman at the scene of the accident was very kind and did not give me a ticket for $550 for driving without car insurance. The ticket from the policeman would of been the least of my problems if the accident was my fault and I hurt someone.
The shock that I could of lost everything over $75.00 almost made my knees buckle. I have to say I held it together at the scene of the accident but inside I did not feel as cool as I might of looked. I was not completely confident at the time that I wouldn’t be blamed for some of the accident and there could still be an injury that came forward after the shock of the accident wore off.
What was this going to cost me in the long run? Did I just put everything I have worked hard for at risk over $75.00 and an hour of my time?
Change the way you look at things and the things you look at Change, as best said by Peter Comrie from Full Spectrum Leadership, is the point to this confession. The $75.00 or now $110.00 seemed expensive when I didn’t require the Insurance, the moment I was in the accident and realized I wasn’t insured it seemed like such a small amount compared to the risk I took on. It isn’t like I couldn’t afford the $75.00/$110.00 without even thinking about it.
So next time you have that Insurance Premium that you are upset about, try imagining my shock and the ramifications of running around without car insurance.
I have helped more people then I can count receive Insurance Benefits for a Disability, Critical Illness, Life Insurance, Expensive Drugs, Dental work, etc. I am sure when they paid the premiums they weren’t excited about it but I have never had anyone say to me at time of claim, no Pam this is too much money. In fact, I believe they feel similar to how I felt at the accident not knowing what is ahead of them.
If you need your address changed or would like to review your Insurance Contracts, please contact Glendinning Insurance Services, your Resource Specialist at 250-764-0142.
Live a Life Worth Insuring! and for goodness sake please change your address. 🙂