We Have an Offer

As Hubby and I have busily worked throughout the summer, our attorney has been forcefully "on the case." The case of Us vs. Insurance Company of Idiot That Totalled Our Car, that is. Hubby went through physical therapy, doctor's visits, etc. and was given a clean bill of health in mid-May. At that point, all bills were compiled, paperwork was completed, and the attorney sent everything was sent off to ICITTOC (funny enough, they're known by an acronym in real life). Here's how it worked out:

Attorney offered: $7500 to settle

ICITTOC countered: $2750

Note: the medical bills total $2000, and the attorney gets $600-$800.

Yeah....let's try this again.

Apparently, ICITTOC expects to negotiate and come up on their offer. Our attorney will work to get their settlement offer raised, while also working to get our medical insurance to accept less in reimbursement, because they wouldn't be getting anything if it weren't for us going through the effort of hiring an attorney and pursuing a settlement. In the end, the attorney said he's hoping to be able to get us $2000-$2500 free and clear (maybe more).

It doesn't undo what happened or take away the unbelievable nightmare that was the 20-minute drive it took me to get to my family after the accident. It doesn't payoff the vehicle we were forced to buy, tag, title, and insure as a result of the accident. And it doesn't take away the fear Hannah still has when we're driving in the rain (she remembers and mentions the wreck every time). But, it's better than nothing, and it's definitely been worth us not having to lift a finger to get this settled. I just hope I never have to go through anything like this again.

Look Ma, No Car!

There once was a car that did not look like this:

A car that was valuable only to us as a dependable, grocery-getting, perfect vehicle for a family of four. It was the first vehicle I paid for, on my own, every penny. The insurance company called Friday evening to let us know they weren't even going to bother sending an adjustor, given the car's age and the extent of the damage. They're picking it up on Monday and taking it to their Total Loss Storage Facility. They said we should get an offer late Wednesday or early Thursday. We have a rental until then, and all we can do is wait.

I have so much work to do over Spring Break, that I can't even imagine where I'm going to fit in time to think about all the used car ads my husband and I will be poring over during the next few days. For once, despite my Total Control Freak nature, I sort of wish some magical fairy could come in and make The Right Decision and all things related to the searching, calling, checking out, purchasing, tagging and titling of the new car would be taken care of without me every needing to look up from the piles of papers to be graded, award applications to be completed, and dissertation chapter to be finished.

The girls are now safe and sound at their Nana's house in Home State. Tomorrow morning will be the very first time since E's birth in October 2006 that my husband and I will be able to sleep in together! We'll only have a few days of alone time, as he's going up to Home State on Wednesday, but it's both exciting and comforting to think of the quality time we'll have for the next few days :)

And thank you to all my friends who commented, e-mailed, and/or called to send me good thoughts or see if they could help with anything! Your thoughtfulness is so generous, kind, and very much appreciated. For now, we're okay....we just wait and see what the offer is, then go from there.