Legalities vs Emotions (part 2)

When I see the woman (I will call her "Laura" for our purposes here) get out of her car, I size her up instantly: Petite, black woman, in her early to mid-twenties with great fashion sense. I surveyed my own "casual-Friday" outfit with slight disapproval. I take a deep breath and walk around my car to assess the damages. A few scrapes above the wheel well; a small crack in the headlight coverings...that's it. I then walk over to take a look at Laura's car. O.M.G. The whole right side of her car is smashed in and there are huge gashes all the way across. My jaw drops. I hear myself saying out loud, "I'm SO sorry!" She comments that it was an accident and accidents happen...that's what the insurance company is for! That doesn't make me feel much better, but I still appreciate her attitude about it somewhat.

Another thing that stands out about Laura is her "take-charge" attitude. She calls the police immediately; she is on the phone with her insurance company while simultaneously handing over a sheet that contains her contact/insurance information. She also hands me a pad and pen so that I can do the same. Laura is definitely no joke. At this point, I realize that I do not have a copy of my insurance card on hand. I call my husband, fill him in about the accident, and get him to read the insurance policy number off to me. I thank him, and he leaves me with this: "Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT under any circumstances admit fault." I reflect on my "I'm SO sorry" comment earlier. Oopsies. I bid my hubby farewell without saying more. I filled out my information on Laura's pad and handed the pad back to her.

We get back into our cars and wait for the police. How do I not admit fault when a) the first thing I said when I get out of the car was "I'm SO sorry" and b) I turned my truck and rammed into a vehicle that was already in the lane I was merging into? How you ask? There is a slight twist to all of this that didn't immediately occur to me or to Laura.

Legalities vs Emotions (part 3) coming soon...