Let’s face it, accidents happen, and when they do, you better hope you’ve got that little piece of paper that says “I’m covered” tucked away in your glove compartment.
It’s easy to rationalize the gamble of driving without insurance…until the dice land unfavorably. Doesn’t matter if you’ve got the reflexes of a superhero or the spatial awareness of a Jedi master. All it takes is one split-second of unexpected variable and you could be on the hook for thousands of dollars in damages.
Just ask TikTok user @parrishbuie, who recently found herself in a bit of a pickle when she got into a car accident and realized that she didn’t have the car insurance. By the final frame of the video, where she points to her cheek, it gives off a vibe of “seriously, don’t try this,” mixed with a “well, that’s one way to handle it” all while she lights up the moment with a grin.
While @parrishbuie’s video may have been a lighthearted take on a potentially disastrous situation, the comments section was quick to point out the importance of having insurance. “Insurance is important bc if your car gets stolen, they’ll cash you out,” one user wrote. And then there was the user who learned the hard way: “That’s why I try to be mindful when I’m driving now. My first accident I had insurance, now I don’t.” Some users pointed out that you don’t always have to file a claim for minor accidents but the general consensus was that driving without insurance is a risky move that’s just not worth it.
In the video description, @parrishbuie reveals that it cost her a whopping $2,000 to get her car fixed after the accident. And while she may have insurance now, that’s still a pretty hefty chunk of change to shell out for a fender bender. According to a report by Tavss Fletcher, the average cost of a car accident in the U.S. is around $7,500. And that’s just for property damage. If you factor in medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses, that number can quickly skyrocket.
And if a billionaire’s high-tech ride can’t even make it down the block without bursting into a fiery inferno of lithium-ion chaos, what hope do we mere mortals have of surviving the daily commute unscathed? It could always be worse. You could be stuck in that smoldering Tesla as the flames lick at your designer sneakers, or maybe get trapped in an elevator with a certain orange-hued gassy TV reality star. So count your blessings, call your insurance agent.