"LUCK" is soooo relative

Funny how sometimes I feel unlucky, but in the grand scheme of things, I'm the luckiest girl in the world. Yesterday was a day that greatly eased my mind and made me marvel at how well God takes care of me. I returned to the town of my accident and dui which occurred on 7/30 to see an attorney, get the police report, and retrieve items from my car in the impound lot. 1st item of awe and wonder: my car. You guys would not believe I'm sitting here typing this with all my limbs in tact and no serious injuries if you were to see my car. The tow truck driver looked as though he'd seen a ghost. He told me that they all thought for sure that the driver of that car had been killed. What amazes me, is that the airbag never deployed. The car i**** in three places. Apparently (according to the tow truck guy) when the car struck my car on the driver's side, I bounced off a tractor trailer on the passenger side before slamming into another vehicle in front of me. He said that the guy who hit me was travelling 60 mph at least, applied brakes at the last minute, spun out on the wet pavement and whacked into me. I'm pretty sure it's a total loss - which believe it or not is a GOOD thing. Reason? Well when I went to get this car, I had another car with a book value of 1000 bucks but 8000 owed on it still. Sooo they rolled that into the loan for THIS car. One of the conditions of my loan being approved was for me to acwquire gap insurance that pays the difference between book and what is owed on the car in the event of a total loss. Sooo if they total this car, I no longer have an extra 8k to pay in addition to what I normally would. 2nd item of awe and wonder: the attorney to whom I spoke. He is VERY expensive if I decide to hire him and defend against the dui. He does think that there are a few reasons I could maybe beat it, but what surprised me is that he gave me an hour of his time, prepared a "10 day letter for me" (if you dont' send a request for a hearing within 10 business days of the arrest, they automatically do an "administrative suspension" of your license for 1 yr), and even pretty much talked me into NOT hiring him and didn't charge me a penny. While he thinks he has a good shot at beating the charge, to pay him and the expert witnesses needed would result in around 8,000 - 10,000 dollars. He sat with me and went over consequences for me if I just pled guilty, and we couldn't figure out how it could come anywhere near 8k. He told me that there is NO WAY I'll have any jail time. They just don't lock up first offenders there. In that county, 1st offenders get a 500 fine, probation, community service and a 3 month license suspension (with a provisionary permit in that time for work/school/etc). Probation pretty much ends when you pay the fine and do the community service. That was very calming information. The other attorneys to whom I'd spoken tried to make it sound like I could serve as much as 10 days (of course they wanted me to hire them). So, I shall be more than likely just taking my lumps on this - I mean, I WAS under the influence - no need in trying to say I wasn't. 3rd item of awe and wonder: my insurance agent. He called me yesterday after receiving the accident report and advised me to just claim my car on my own policy because the accident was a total mess - and EVERYBODY has a different version of what happened (6 vehicles in all before it was said and done). He told me that if I went after somebody else's insurance, they *MIGHT* try and use that dui as a means of not being fair with me. He also told me that he has no intention of "telling on me" to the company and that they probably won't pull another MVR on me until October. He advised me that if they *DO* total my car, that I should get an older model car and pay cash (bank of mom and dad I suppose) and get liability only on it (to avoid being raped by the rate increase) and to do it SOON - and pay for a year's premium up front. That will buy me some time before the rate increase due to the DUI comes about. He was sooo sweet to me - I was blown away. 4th item of awe and wonder: my father. I'm pretty sure he's going to float me a loan for a vehicle OR an attorney (I'd hate to ask for both - that would get in the 10-20k range) - he's trying to help me solve the problems, and even offerred to go to court with me next Friday. He confided in me that he'd gotten a DUI in 1980 and that they were a lot more lax about that back then, but he didn't think less of me, and he KNEW I wouldn't be repeating this mistake. 5th item of awe and wonder - my sweetie and my two best friends. As I was looking over the paperwork of my bond, I realized that my sweetie didn't just pay the 10% bond fee - he paid the ENTIRE CASH BOND - $1500 bucks worth. He did NOT mention it to me either - he let me think he just paid a bondsman $150. I just love him so - in the middle of all this crap, he didn't want me to feel bad or indebted to him. Wow - how did I get that lucky? My two best girlfriends have been nothing but encouraging also and have offered to take the day off next friday and go to court with me too. So today I'm grateful - for having people who love me, for having a situation that although difficult - is managable, for being ALIVE and well, and for being sober. I can also say that I'm grateful for the lesson that this has taught/is teaching me. As Laurie said - if I ever had any doubt that I could drink - even a little, it's completely gone now. I won't forget this experience. The sheer horror of it all is enough to override any self pity or compulsive urges. Let's hope it stays that fresh in my mind for years and years to come. OK - in my usual style, I've written another novel. Sorry! I love you guys! M

WoW ~ ! Great News for you!! Enjoy your weekend!!

My philosophies on life.... 1) Everything happens for a reason. 2) God will never give you more than you can handle. 3) What doesn't kill ya', makes ya' stronger. Everything will work out. As for the insurance.... My insurance company(State Farm) dropped me after my dui. Flat out dropped me, didn't give me an option. I called numerous places for new insurance without paying abnoxious amounts of money. Here's what I came up with. Progressive Insurance Company(Progressive.com). I called explained my story, and was told first offenses are just like a fender bender in thier eyes. With that....I am paying less now, with progressive, and a dui, than I was with State Farm without a dui. Very odd how that worked, but it did. Keep us updated. Liz I'd look into it before signing a year's premium.

I doubt I'll get as lucky as you did with the insurance - this is my second accident in a year and then there's a dui involved. Although I was not cited at the scene with anything other than dui, by the looks of this accident report, I'm at fault for hitting the gal in front of me. I can live with that. The *FRIGHTENING* thing however, is that there is no mention of another accident in front of me that I hit. According to this report, I came out of nowhere and struck the car in front of me. Well if that had happened, why is the majority of damage on the sides of my vehicle? I have no clue. I'm hoping like crazy that the cars behind me have a claim against me however, because if so, I'm really screwed - SIX cars and only so much insurance. I'm blown away at how unreliable my memory is. I'm so incredibly lucky I didn't KILL somebody. Dang I am just mortified. If I'm technically responsible for a six car accident - how in the hell do I live with myself for that? I mean yeah the guys behind me are as responsible as I was for not being able to stop I suppose. Just damn. Breathing and keeping as positive as i can, m

Michelle, So glad you are okay! I am in awe or how you are walking thru this. Thanks for sharing your story with us. It works two ways. I know when I read your posts that could be me as well as you if I let my guard down and think I can have "one". Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers Laurie