Skip to main content

Hits, Runs, and Social Media.

A few nights ago my neighbour came across the street to inform me that another vehicle had hit my parked truck at a speed of about 50 km per hour. I’m not really sure if injuries occurred, as the driver quickly backed up, turned the headlights lights off to conceal the licence plate, and sped off into the night. Although my Ford F150 truck is sturdy, some parts of truck were jolted ahead more than a foot, while other parts remained in place.

My neighbour heard the collision and noted the hit and run driver was in a minivan. The police offered several comments, however the chances of catching this person was slim to none. I couldn’t help but think about the personal violation and the personal cost to me based on someone else’s actions.

While the “hit” may not have been intentional, the “run” was definitely on purpose.  

The next morning I searched the neighbourhood for a damaged van, but the effort was fruitless. I was almost dizzy from circling all the streets and courts.

I had placed a comment on social media as a passive effort to spread the search. And then to my surprise a friend sent me a note that said “I saw a minivan that fits your description… damage on the front passenger side.” Apparently the minivan was out for a morning coffee with its driver. My Facebook friend actually drove several streets before he found the “now” parked car. We had an address, and a license plate. I collected a coloured piece of plastic from under my truck and matched it to the run-away van. The police followed up, obtained a confession, and charges were laid.  

Notwithstanding the shape of my truck, I’m glad this all worked out in the end. I’m no longer responsible for my own deductible, and my truck will get fixed. The driver (while physically OK) is currently in a worse position than they had been was a few days ago.

The lesson (besides not parking on the street)? Accidents happen, yet Character is not what you do in good times, character is what you do in times of stress. And “running away” never helps anyone, especially when social medial is close at hand. Remember the expression “dash away, dash away, dash away all”, is for reindeer.

If you are in Nova Scotia and would like some insurance advice, please contact Corry Collins:
corry@maritimewealth.com
902-444-7000

Please like, share and comment on my newest post!


Comments

  1. Anonymous26 January 2016 at 13:30

    It funny,in a way, to think that you have suffered once and the other person has gained twice.
    You have a damaged truck. Whoever did it has escaped being identified (a gain) and also has gained the knowledge that he/she lacks integrity.
    What is not understood, by the driver, is that unconscious knowledge will haunt for ever and will in some small way 'get' them.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Attend MDRT as an Aspirant or Manager

The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) holds its annual meeting this June in Orlando. Members from around the world will be in attendance. The annual meeting is the flagship event for the MDRT. Top advisors from over 70 countries meet and share world class ideas on how to grow your business and how to develop a thriving practice. The main platform is always full of motivation, business ideas and stories that may change your life. Ten thousand people are expected this year. The focus sessions are detailed sessions drilling down on the specifics of specialized subjects. Members and non-members are invited to speak on their area of speciality. Networking with leading industry people (who become friends) is one of the highlights. The mentoring program at MDRT provides a chance for non-members to attend as a guest.  The rules can be found at https://www.mdrt.org/membership/mentoring/ , but here are some of the particulars: The MDRT Annual Meeting scheduled for June 4-7, 20...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Importance of Financial Planning for the Future

I spoke with a physician client recently who’s family income was over half a million dollars per year. They have a good amount of cash built up in the RRSP (over $1,000,000) lots of cash in their corporation, and over $2,000,000 in real estate. They plan on working for at least 10 more years. A rough estimate of their worth would be between $6,000,000 to $8,000,000 by age 65. We were dealing with some insurance issues that needed to be solved and in the process I asked the question about retirement and asked what planning had been done. The plan was to keep going until retirement age, and then to assess the situation, she said. This was not an uncommon response as my experience shows many people spend more time planning a Christmas party then they do planning their financial future. My comment was this; if you were running a multi-million dollar corporation with very good cash flow, one where assets were growing compounded every year, would you want to have a business pl...
2 comments
Read more

How Much Disability Insurance Should I Own?

First of all, if you are reading this blog you have some interest in protecting your income in the event you become disabled. Disability insurance  (DI) is often referred to as Income Replacement Insurance, but in reality it’s not the income people want to protect; it’s their life style and assets they wish to protect. While many business owners and employees are covered through Group Insurance at work, many self-employed business owners and professionals are either not covered or fail to keep their policy in pace with their growing income year after year. The amount of coverage one owns with Group Insurance is often predetermined by a formula or a set amount in the group contract, set by your employer. If this is the case, you often don’t have a choice or voice to change the amount- even if the monthly benefit is not enough. People without “Group” Insurance can determine the actual amount of coverage they want to purchase up to an “issue limit” based on their insuranc...
Post a Comment
Read more