Sonya's Story

 I have a friend who I’ll call Sonya.  Sonya and I have known each other for over ten years.  We first met shortly after she got herself clean from dope, exited a safe house to get away from an abuser, and set up her own apartment.  The woman who operated the safe house put me in touch with Sonya because she needed to have some repairs made to her apartment that the landlord wouldn’t do.  At the time, I was doing things like that for people who otherwise couldn’t afford to hire someone, working through people like the safe house woman.

Our friendship continued over these past years as Sonya continued to climb out of the hole she had dug for herself.  She eventually qualified for and found work as a counselor for a recovery center, and continued over the years to come back into the mainstream of society.  She now is buying a home, has transportation, a good job with the county health department, and is helping others who are where she once was.

Sonya contacted me a couple of days ago and asked if I had time to talk.  I immediately called her, and found out that she had been in an auto accident the evening before.  Someone had made a left turn in front of her and ran into the front of her car.  The woman who did this did not have a license to drive, was an illegal immigrant, and didn’t own the car she was driving.  Additionally, the woman who made the turn accused Sonya of speeding when she filled out the police report, rather than taking responsibility for what she had done.

Sonya was devastated.  Her vehicle was totaled.  She needs transportation for her job.  She was in the process of buying the car she was driving…a nicer, newer car she had purchased a couple of years ago.  As is often the case, she owed more on the car than the depreciated value was.  She also tried to rent a car, but none in a price range she could afford were available.

Additionally, although she didn’t present to the emergency room, she was bruised up and sore because the air bags went off in her car and she was shaken up.  She says the soreness isn’t just muscle soreness…that it feels different.  It was a tough day for her all around.

Sonya did have full coverage with a thousand dollars deductible for collision.  And she had a rider on her policy that would pay the difference between what the car was valued at and what she owed.  She did not, however, have rental car insurance as she was unaware of its availability on her policy.

Although the owner of the other vehicle had insurance, that policy would not cover an unlicensed, undocumented driver.  Neither the owner or the driver have any resources to speak of, so Sonya is pretty much on her own using her own insurance as best she can, bruised and sore, missing work to find a rental car she can afford, and now having to look for another vehicle and starting over on paying the loan at an interest rate that is going to be double what the other interest rate was on the car that was totaled.  She has no down payment, nothing to trade in on another car, and will somehow have to come up with the thousand dollar deductible.

The woman at Sonya’s insurance said she couldn’t tell her what to do, but discreetly suggested that Sonya contact an injury attorney, which Sonya said she would do.  She also has seen her medical provider in lieu of going to the emergency room.  Sonya’s insurance has also opened up a personal injury claim for her.

OK, I tell you this story to let you know just how much someone’s actions can affect the life of someone else.  I don’t intend to make this a diatribe on immigration or illegal immigrants.  I readily confess I don’t know what to do, if anything, about that situation.  As I’ve often said about other issues of the day, I don’t know the answers here and don’t even know what questions to ask.  What I do know is that Sonya’s well-being and possibly her health were deeply, negatively affected by this woman who shouldn’t have been here under present law.  Sonya was also deeply negatively affected by someone who allowed the woman to drive his vehicle even though she had no license to drive and was not insured.

Sonya will get through this.  She’s as tough as nails as far as life and living are concerned.  She’s been through it all, and has come out on the other side as a woman who not only has survived, but has thrived.  This incident will not stop her, even though it will slow  her down a bit temporarily.

People, you probably aren’t someone like the woman who hit Sonya’s car.  But, just like her, you need to understand that the things you do affect not only you, but have a ripple effect that touches others in ways you may well never be aware of.  I’ve had a few vehicle accidents in my long driving history.  Some were my fault…some not.  I’ve often thought, especially for those accidents where I was at fault, of the additional work, time, and energy that the person I collided with would have to go through to make things whole again.  Insurance claims.  Car repair.  Rental vehicles.  Time off of work.  The list goes on.

And this effect upon others isn’t just something that happens with auto accidents.  Any time you interact with someone else, you affect their life in some way.  It may be very subtle.  It may not even be noticeable.  But it’s there.  Just be aware of that and act accordingly.  Take to heart the words of Jesus as he counseled us to love our neighbor and to treat others as we would like to be treated.

May your day be blessed.