The Unluckys and the accident

Chapter 5: The accident

Like most people, Clark and Ellen are trying to balance work, life and family while saving money for their future. They have good jobs, but every dollar is important. After the bills are paid, there’s not much left over at the end of the month.

The new car

When Clark and Ellen were younger, they were involved in a bad accident with a deer. They hit the animal while travelling home from a weekend camping trip and their vehicle was totalled in the collision. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the costs of the accident were high. Clark and Ellen were thankful to have an SGI CANADA Auto Pak for their vehicle. It helped take care of their extra costs such as renting a vehicle for a period of time until they could purchase a new one.

The Unluckys used their settlement to buy a new SUV for their family, and made sure to add the vehicle to their Auto Pak right away. Since the family planned to continue travelling, their broker also recommended increasing their liability coverage to $2 million. This insurance would help take care of their costs if they were legally responsible for an accident.

The broker said that many people in Saskatchewan don’t have an Auto Pak at all – or, if they do, they carry a low liability limit. He said many people think they won’t be held liable (responsible) for an accident that could result in a large financial loss. But accidents can be very expensive – especially when travelling outside the province or country, or when you’re responsible for a collision that results in significant injuries or property damage.

Clark and Ellen decided to take their broker’s advice and increase their limit. Their Auto Pak also included family security coverage and additional injury coverage, in case someone was injured in a collision as a result of their actions.

A summer vacation

Rusty was getting ready to graduate from high school. Feeling nostalgic, Ellen and Clark decided to plan one last big family trip before he left the nest. The family picked California, a place they’d always wanted to see, and packed up their SUV for a road trip. They were excited to experience everything the state had to offer.

A lane change

While driving on the freeway with the tunes blasting, Clark changed lanes – not seeing the motorcycle in his blind spot. The collision was devastating. The Unluckys were unhurt, but the motorcyclist suffered a broken leg and pelvis. Although he recovered, he wasn’t able to return to his job.

An expensive accident

The Unluckys were devastated – horrified by the pain and suffering they’d caused the motorcyclist and his family, and terrified of their financial liability. They worried about losing all their savings from one split-second decision. Remembering their Auto Pak, they called their broker to find out more about their coverage. The broker assured them that their liability coverage will help take care of costs of the accident, and he helped the Unluckys file their claim.

In the end, the Unluckys were found to be legally responsible for the accident – owing $1.6 million for the other driver’s medical expenses and lost income, as well as another $20,000 for the cost of the totaled motorcycle. Having the right amount of protection saved the Unluckys from financial ruin. Clark and Ellen were able to keep everything they’d worked so hard to build.

Support when you need it most

Have you heard of the Unluckys? Read Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 or Chapter 4 now.

If you’d like to learn more about any of these coverages and our other offerings, we encourage you to contact your independent insurance broker today. SGI CANADA can help protect what matters to you.

SOURCE: SGI Canada, (https://www.sgicanada.ca/news?title=the-unluckys-and-the-accident&fbclid=IwAR1xLOUTP23LoexZgyoVg7GJTWpkD4Wb9eHBGYemMC2v_cdBqC9W2wh0o-E)