The Bumps of Life Causes Potholes
Donation protected
We are a simple couple, Stacey and I. I work at a local office supply, and she, being disabled, has a minimal pay job. Neither of us make a great deal, and are your typical low-income household. Over the last four years, we have been hit with one issue after another - first, she nearly died when the medication she was on at the time began to attack her kidneys, causing failure. Fortunately, she was able to recover from that bout, but with lowered kidney capacity. The following year, I had a mild heart attack. Two stints later, the next year came a major heart attack, and I spent the mid-summer having a double bypass. We were hoping for a quiet peaceful summer this year to make up for the three prior ones, but...
On July 19th, while travelling a local interstate in our Toyota Matrix, we were approaching our exit in slow traffic, when a service van plowed into our rear (see picture). What looks like a simple bent bumper is quite different than it seems. The van had rolled the rear end in on itself - the car was roughly 4 inches shorter on the outside, and two inches shorter on the INSIDE. The deck of the storage area collapsed in on itself. My nephew, who was in the back seat, hit the ceiling (yes, he was wearing his belt). My driver's seat bent backwards, and it was not until later that I discovered that in fact, the pistons that held it up had dropped, and now could not maintain themselves, as jacking them back up only worked for a short time.
My insurance informed me that the van's insurance would cover the costs of the repair and a rental until everything is settled - that was until they looked the car over.
My poor little Matrix is totaled. The impact was so severe that the underbody frame is buckled clear to the midpoint of the car, basically breaking it's back, much like the keel of a boat. And here is why we are needing assistance - this car was still being paid for, as, in the case of us low-income folks, we need to deal with folks who are willing to do business with us - they tend to also charge us large sums for the service. That being said, the insurance is willing to pay only two thirds of the amount needed to pay the bank for what is owed for the car. Right now, as much as this is a problem, as it leaves us without a vehicle to allow me to get to work (as the chief money-maker of this little household, that is a problem), oddly, the current problem is with the rental. They want $600 by Friday to cover expenses. Mind you, the insurance company is supposed to pay for this, but that won't happen until AFTER settlement is completed, which is not this Friday. And even there, it seems that, according to the rental company, they won't pay it all. This seems a bit unfair, seeing we were not at fault.
Long story short, this breadwinner is about to not be able to BE a breadwinner because two insurance companies, a car rental company and LAWYERS can't all get on the same page with one another, and we will be left high and dry without transportation. We ask for your assistance and support through our latest summer of fun.
I can hardly wait to see what 2020 gives us...
On July 19th, while travelling a local interstate in our Toyota Matrix, we were approaching our exit in slow traffic, when a service van plowed into our rear (see picture). What looks like a simple bent bumper is quite different than it seems. The van had rolled the rear end in on itself - the car was roughly 4 inches shorter on the outside, and two inches shorter on the INSIDE. The deck of the storage area collapsed in on itself. My nephew, who was in the back seat, hit the ceiling (yes, he was wearing his belt). My driver's seat bent backwards, and it was not until later that I discovered that in fact, the pistons that held it up had dropped, and now could not maintain themselves, as jacking them back up only worked for a short time.
My insurance informed me that the van's insurance would cover the costs of the repair and a rental until everything is settled - that was until they looked the car over.
My poor little Matrix is totaled. The impact was so severe that the underbody frame is buckled clear to the midpoint of the car, basically breaking it's back, much like the keel of a boat. And here is why we are needing assistance - this car was still being paid for, as, in the case of us low-income folks, we need to deal with folks who are willing to do business with us - they tend to also charge us large sums for the service. That being said, the insurance is willing to pay only two thirds of the amount needed to pay the bank for what is owed for the car. Right now, as much as this is a problem, as it leaves us without a vehicle to allow me to get to work (as the chief money-maker of this little household, that is a problem), oddly, the current problem is with the rental. They want $600 by Friday to cover expenses. Mind you, the insurance company is supposed to pay for this, but that won't happen until AFTER settlement is completed, which is not this Friday. And even there, it seems that, according to the rental company, they won't pay it all. This seems a bit unfair, seeing we were not at fault.
Long story short, this breadwinner is about to not be able to BE a breadwinner because two insurance companies, a car rental company and LAWYERS can't all get on the same page with one another, and we will be left high and dry without transportation. We ask for your assistance and support through our latest summer of fun.
I can hardly wait to see what 2020 gives us...
Organizer
Robert Stott
Organizer
Newtown, PA
