mildlyinfuriating
A construction company didn’t have their sign bolted down right on a windy day and it blew into my truck as I drove past. $6k in damage and they’re refusing to take liability
Discussion
How did that hit your car? Were you driving on a proper roadway?
It’s actually right next to the road way. It was laying down like this and then a gust of wind blew into me
Here’s an angle where you can see it better
That is not an MUTCD-acceptable way of mounting signs. Find the job owner (State DOT or county DPW most likely) and bring this to them, as well as your own insurance agent.
Lmao. This is awful, they would’ve been better off with a 4 leg spring mounted sign… at least it’s not a 8ft tall hazard.
Are the sandbags holding the fucking thing up? I only do MOT/TTC not full blown multi day/week traffic control… but I know that sign has to be like 4-5 ft into the ground.
Somebody shook the sign and slapped the pole saying "That ain't going anywhere" what more do you want?
See these mother fuckers just skate by no issues.
I get DOT crucifying me over 5ft on cone separation.
That sign would be in my possession if that hit my vehicle.
Want your sign pay the fine.
It doesn’t take that strong of a gust to fling once of them. We had a wind storm here in the spring and it basically destroyed a construction zone. Every barrel and sign.
Strong winds blow over power lines and trees and you think it’s a stretch this light sign was blown into the roadway?
Make the claim against your insurance company, let them sort it out.
That’s the route I’m going to try
Be prepared for your insurance to at least threaten to hike your rates even though it's not your fault because "well you made a claim"
It’s gotta be more than just the mirror to cost $6k right? (I hope lol)
Yes, it was the a-pillar, the hood and passenger door were all scratched up, and out a chip in the windshield that turned into a massive crack a day after this picture
That sucks. Did you file a police report?
This is a purely civil matter between OP and the company doing the construction. The police are going to have zero involvement.
OP can still file a police report. There’s $6k in damage to their vehicle. The police won’t arrest anyone, but will document the damage & potentially list the construction company as a potentially liable part.
What can a mirror cost, Michael? Six thousand dollars?
good one
You laugh, but a tow mirror on a truck can have all sorts of features. Combine that with the labor to put it on and I can see it costing upwards of 1k
I wasn't laughing at that. It's referencing a line from Arrested Development
Looks like a fat chunk smashed in on the a-pillar, needs to be replaced as well.
Looks like the exterior sheet metal of the A pillar might be the same piece as the roof. Both A pillars and the roof might be a single piece of stamped metal (the exterior part) and they'd probably quote for replacing and repainting that whole piece. Plus the mirror.
A pillar damage qualifies for the vehicle to be totaled ... Were talking about major structural damage here...
Huh, you might be right on this vehicle.
I had thought they had a cab frame underneath with cosmetic sheet metal like many other vehicles, but looking around a bit it seems like the structural cabin frame is the exterior sheet metal of the A and C pillars (and roof) on the F-150.
Part is about $3200, so with labor, paint etc, yeah a $6000 quote is actually a little bit low.
You don’t “replace chunks” of A pillars. You replace the car. A pillar damage can easily lead to totaling the car.
Dent in A piller.
But the mirror is prolly like 2k anyway
Probably has a camera/sensors in the mirror id guess
This what your insurance company is supposed to take care of. They have lawyers, you know. Call them.
Yes, they’re supposedly going to try to go after them
Buy a dash cam so next time something like this happens you've got proof to show. Best investment I've made in my cars.
I really do need to get one
Viofo makes some good ones. Ideally get one with a front and rear camera and the wiring kit to let it record when the car is off.
I'd also recommend Wyze. You don't need to install an SD card as it will stream directly to an app on your phone, allowing for super easy downloads of any occurrences.
Wait, you use a wyze cqm in your vehicle? Please tell us more about the pros and cons of this vs a dedicated car style.
they’re refusing to take liability
Good thing its not up to them when your insurance goes after them
Yeah I tried to talk to them to avoid that but since they aren’t taking responsibility I’ll go through insurance
Denying liability and putting the sign on your truck saying not liable doesn't change anything. It's just meant to scare people off from trying. Push the subject. That's a lot of cash to shell out when it wasn't your fault
Let your insurance company deal with them. They’ll probably annoy the heck out of them to avoid payment if they can help it.
Report it to your insurance company, who will pay out and then go after them or their insurance company.
Time to get a lawyer!
Lol, if only liability was a thing you could refuse to take. Your insurance company will take care of it.
Let your insurance company go after them!
Good reason to install my video cam that's still in the box.
Dash cam.
Yeah I need to get one for sure. Been saying that for a while but now I have a good push to make me actually do it
Bolted ... into the dirt? Why wouldnt you turn this over to your insurance company and let them decide if liability?
I did. I called the company first to give them a chance to cover it right away and they declined. Also, I probably should’ve phrased it bolted together. The sign wasn’t bolted onto the support correctly, you can kind of see in my other picture in the comments
Oh OK. Small claims court!
Depending on the state once the signs go up the road belongs to the contractor while they are working on it. I would file a complaint through the DOT for the state your in. There may be a website portal to submit your claim along with pics.
Your insurance covers you and then they can go after them
Turn it over to your insurance and let your insurance sue them. Insurance companies tend to have a LOT more money than any construction company,
Take lots of photos. Report it to o you4 insurance and let them take the construction company to court.
Find out who the company works for and contact them. Trust me they will act.
Meaning every company has a Client. Contact the client and let them know this happened on their property with all the details that you can. They can and will hold funds until its corrected.
I know this because I used to do a lot of work as an Owners Rep for the property where I live. We do not like things like this dangling over our heads. If this was posted on Facebook it looks really bad. "Customers Name is having some work done by Contractors Name and there was some Damage. Customers Name isn't helping me blah blah blah." Trust me they DO NOT want that.
Well time to get a lawyer who works on contingency fees. Only gets paid if you win
Your antenna didn’t break off?
It’s bent, just hard to see in the picture
Sue them. That is how it works
Lawyer up.
That mirror is 6k?!
You need to make an insurance claim with your vehicle insurance. Usually, in a case like this, your insurance company will attempt / work to get their insurance to pay (based on available evidence). I believe this is called Abrogation. Regardless of the owner's opinion, your insurance usually contacts the insurance company of the other party, and they will discuss costs, lawsuits, etc., like the professionals they are, and figure it out / come to an agreement. Your company for sure doesn't want to foot the bill, the other insurance company also does not, but usually the pros don't go to court, they see who has the preponderance of evidence, the review the state/local laws, and one side usually pays up to the other.
IF you can prove that sign is not DOT standard/is in violation of regs/breaks the law, you could present this evidence to their insurance yourself, along with where and how regs were broken. If it is a straightforward issue then the other company is likely not going to want to go to court, because they would likely have to pay your fees, the court fees, a fine, and what it costs to fix your truck.
You go after the customer (dot) state, county, etc.
Nice truck though.
Thanks! I was a little hesitant to post it because there’s some hardcore anti-Ford people but that hasn’t been a problem
Whatever dude. I had a Silverado for 10 years and loved it. I am now in an F150 that looks a lot like yours. I love this one too. Those people are the same that will tell you not to buy Reebok's because Nikes are the "only" show. F em. (Before my Silverado, I was in a Taco.... never again! Hated that truck!-- But I loved my Dakota before that too!)
Good luck with the mirror & door. Sucks to go through it. Best wishes
I had an issue many years ago with some road construction not being well marked. They took about 4 inches out of the black top, and the manhole was sticking out about 4 inches and the man hole hit my headers on an old v8 chevy malibu. I contacted the city the city said the construction company was liable. And gave me there information and the construction company said it happened on a city street so the city was liable. Hope your incedent turns out better then mine.
I had a similar issue, a floating sign hit my car, it was just a minor fender damage and I didn’t know I could file a claim against someone else lol
That's 6k in damages???
Notices massive ding in pillar
Ah
Take them to court !
At least they should pay your deductible
6k for a mirror??
The dented A frame was the larger part, plus scrapes on my hood and door and it cracked my windshield
Did you stop at the time? Notify the company immediately? Call/report it to the cops?
I did notify the company. I called the non-emergency police line and they basically said ok thanks, and did nothing
Did you get details of the person to whom you reported it, or a report number? Won't your insurer need those?
No my insurer did not ask for them. No I didn’t, I called right after it happened and I was honestly rattled. But they pretty clearly blew me off and didn’t file anything
Those mirrors are expensive, especially if it had lights or was motorized.
Also looks like hood, right fender, passenger door are all gonna need paint.
Passenger side column looks beyond repair, so I think that means the windshield might have to come out.
It’s all relatively minor, but also relatively a pain in the ass.
There was also a chip in the windshield that turned into a massive crack in like a day so that had to be replaced too, but everything else you said is spot on
Damn man, sucks. Recently dinged up my truck, my own fault though.
While it was in the shop I had them remove some badges I’d wanted removed and clean up another issue.
Had a cool guy at the dealership that helped get some of it on insurance because there was a deep nick that could have been from my incident, it wasn’t, but got that covered. So I ended up just paying like $750 out of pocket for some extras.
Your truck looks like it’s in good shape, something worth thinking about, maybe have them ceramics coat it or something. Try and make a positive out of a shit situation.
🙏🏻 hoping you rightfully get it covered.
Yeah my windshield was actually already cracked so it needed to be replaced anyways so that’s a positive at least
goddamn this is why I rather have simpler cars/trucks like the old days
He is going to need a new truck
it has major structural damage any A pillar damage qualifies for the vehicle to be totaled....
They have too. They wont want too, but fuck em. Also, dump trucks that's say 'stay back 200ft... we're not responsible for damage' are 100% responsible for damage. Fuck them too
Even better - the bumper stick on the truck shows they are aware of the danger and choosing to ignore it... sounds like gross negligence to me!
They can have fun refusing liability while your lawyer gears up. I’m sure there’s video. Unless they claim force majeure I guess. We might need a lawyer to chime in. 😂
Get your $6K because they're absolutely at fault.
Buy a used good condition color matching mirror (ebay motors), install it yourself, and pocket the rest. Nobody really gives a flying F about that small indentation on a basic pickup truck. If it were a Rarri, we'd be having a different conversation.
$6000 for a mirror? On an f-series? Go to the junkyard
So you have to make them, or just pay the repair expenses. Can you prove the damage was caused by their untethered sign? Any cctv? Witnesses? Do you have the repair quote? Where did this happen?
That’s why we have courts
Ok. File an insurance claim, they’ll go after the company.
Dash cam?
I'm assuming that's 6k of your insurance company's money...
Everyone has full coverage here, right?
That thing hanging off your rearview mirror doesn't look like a dashcam. Do you not have a dashcam? Because shit like this is why I genuinely believe everyone should not only drive with one at all times, but it should be a requirement.
I'm kinda surprised none of the manufacturers are building them in. Seems like an obvious add-on they could charge too much for.
Call your insurance company to go to bat for you. Alternately, you could call an ambulance chaser. Just can't do both. Either one will get them acting right real fast.
Got a dashcam? If not, why not?
I think the truly infuriating part is that it’s $6k to fix a mirror and some scratched paint.
The dent to the pillar and the replacement windshield were a big chunk of the cost but it’s harder to see those in the picture
$6k for a mirror replacement? That's the real crime here.
That seemed high to me, looked it up, it is. I was surprised at how much a mirror costs for that truck $1000 minimum, $700-800 for a windshield, dent in the A pillar ... What, $500 with paint. Think I'll keep my 2002 1500HD until it dies. Mirror $50, windshield $300 installed, dent I can fix myself.
What proof do you have? Unfortunately in the current state of the world. People lie about this stuff all the time.. and proof would nail them, without it. Your insurance will probably pay out something and jack your rates up.
You have dashcam footage? Otherwise they’ll claim you just hit it and if there’s nothing you can do to ‘’prove’’ that it fell you’ll end up wasting time and money might as well just claim it to your insurance and be done with it
“Refusing” is laughable. Call your insurance company; they’ll be happy to hold them liable and sue the piss out of them.
Get a police report or send a sworn affidavit
It's 2025. Why do you not own a dashcam?
It costs $6k to replace a mirror?
That’s what insurance is for.
If showing them our comments doesn't help you should get a lawyer.
Well you have the evidence
Do you live in Ohio?
Misny makes them pay.
(Only NE ohioans will get the reference)
You can file a claim against the construction company’s commercial liability insurance. If they deny, you can file in small claims court against the construction company, which will force their commercial insurance to kick in and settle/defend. It is likely they’ll settle before spending $$$ on court costs, and you don’t need a lawyer for small claims court at all.
well then you refuse their refusal.
Make sure you have the right company and make a complaint in the DOT website. Make a claim through your insurance and let the lawyers hash it out.
Yes that’s exactly what I’m doing but I don’t have high hopes it’ll work out in my favor
My dash cam has been an invaluable investment for me and my wife’s vehicles.
I definitely need to get one
With the discount to my auto insurance… they’ve paid for themselves
What's that now?
Some auto insurance companies, give a monthly/annual discount for having a dash cam, mine took me at my word, some may require proof of installation.
My discount is $50 a month for having them in 2 vehicles.
Fuck me. I bought the wife one and never finished installing it. I gotta do that tomorrow and then get myself one. I didn't know about the discount, thanks, friend!
No problem, I just got lucky updating my insurance policy a few years ago and mentioned I had installed them in our vehicles. The agent was like well you get a discount for having them. Since then the discount has paid for them. I have progressive, so can’t promise all of them do.
Well, if any of them don't, it will be mine lol
ETA: just checked, they don't 🤷♂️😞
What insurance agency do you have?
so weird. i have progressive and have a dash cam as well, and they told us there’s no discount for it.
I looked into this, as i have a cam and would love a discount. But even the progressive website says they don't offer a discount for dash cams directly, it just may help you in case the other party lies. Are you sure?
What insurance do you have if you don't mind me asking
Enjoy it while it lasts. More and more companies are doing away with the discounts as cameras become more popular.
They’d rather have the $$.
They and I have that in common.
They’re worth it with or without a discount if you ever get in an accident. Dash and rear cameras have saved me thousands of dollars
Seriously? I've had one for almost a year, and I didn't even know this was a thing. And I've already paid my insurance through the end of this year. But I've got to check and see if I can get a discount.
I pay annually as well, someone just said my insurance has a thing saying they don’t do the discount anymore. So I’m curious to see if it’s removed in September.
Check with your insurer. They may discount your remaining time for having it.
Assuming they still offer it at all that is. Mine got rid of theirs.
What insurance? I've been through Progressive and Westfield and neither offered me a discount when I asked, or Im being fucked around with.
Progressive, but apparently I’m in for disappointment on my annual renewal this coming year. I’ve had it on my policy for about 7 years.
Any recommendations for a dash cam? I do a lot of interstate driving in areas known for bad drivers. I have close calls everyday. I know there are some that have a camera facing forward and backwards on the same device and some that have a rear camera that you put on the back of the car. I'm not sure if that's overkill for me or not.
I use an Orskey brand. It has dash cam that I wired into my dash but it has a plug in for your cigarette plug in if you don’t want to wire it in. It also was fairly easy to wire into my rear back up camera. I’ve had this one since 2022 works great but I’m sure there’s newer updated models by now.
Edit: Just looked on Amazon the 2024 S800 model is about $40 right now.
Wow man thanks!
I was this years old when I learned of this. I’ve had a dash cam for almost 3 years.
Damn, USAA is still late on the ball I see. Still waiting for them to implement a dash cam discount. Anyyyy day now
Dang. Who do you have because mine didn’t do that. Or at least they didn’t do it a few years ago when I switched to them.
Good way to self incriminate as well!
Oops didn’t record it 😂
I meant in general. It’s only a matter of time until they start (if they aren’t already) using that data coordinated along with anything “smart” in the car to monitor unsafe driving habits and use it to increase premiums (as if they needed an excuse)
Your insurance gives a discount for dash cam?
They did.. apparently I’m in for possible disappointment when my policy renews this fall
I asked and my company said they don't. Which one do you have?
r-dashcam or r-dashcams can help...can't link other subs in here
https://a.co/d/hRkyEV5
This one is $45 and links to your cell phone through WiFi somehow that it gives off. Very good!
then get one. so many people say that then dont get one. they are cheap and important. go buy one even if its not a really good one its better than nothing.
Yeah I’m going to after this. Been one of those to do eventually things but now it’s a do now thing
A119 Mini 2, $85 + tax.
Go ahead and do it while its on sale
Awe dude you would have a solid case with a Dashcam
Mine has helped me more than a handful of times.
10/10 recommend the investment. Pays for itself.
Meanwhile mine has only been useful to catch dumb shit.
Every accident, hit and run, and serious road rage incident happens when the memory card is scrambled, or the dashcam dies because of the heat.
Or it was in the wee hours of the morning past the operational hours of the battery backup.
Fucking useless.
My truck (2023 f150) has 36p° cameras... why the hell doesn't it have a collision detection and dashcam system?!
Actually have a pretty good road rage incident, that was eventually sent to the police, and the guys company. Since I was forced to pull my firearm for me and my infants safety.. really really thankful I had the dash cam to cover my ass.
I have a dash cam and whenever I've needed the video it's been useless. Can't view plates or just decided not to record that day. I definitely need new one.
Yep.
Mine isn't a super expensive one.
Was going to use my ford rewards points to buy a dashcam but they seem to have stopped carrying them now.
If you can't view plate make sure recording is on and say the numbers/latter's and state. For good measure makes and model of car and describe driver.
The incident when I couldn't view the plate was the first time I needed it. Person in a jeep SUV suicide passed me doing close to 60 in a 25 taking off my driver's mirror in the process. He then proceeded to run a light and take side streets. My microphone was (and still is) on, but there was no way I'd catch that with my eye.
Prior to having the dash cam, I or my passenger have recorded people passing like that on our phones and have gotten clear images of plates.
I get you. The issue most people encounter is going for image quality. But in your case, if you're not going the same speed as the other car, then fps becomes more important to capture license plates clearly. My dash always runs on 60 fps minimum, and I have an anti-glare glass cover for those sunny days.
Honestly, even with the dash camera footage, they can still deny it. Footage doesn’t mean much. They know it’s their sign
A video of their sign flying off the back of their truck.. is pretty useful evidence for your insurance company.
I know there are many dash cams out there, but don’t like yours? What brand?
ETA: 🥴🥴🥴 read down further and saw
Orskey is the brand, has a dash cam and rear cam, which wired easily into both of our vehicles. It’s worked well for both of our vehicles. I can’t say if it’s better or worse than any other brand because it’s the only cams we’ve had.
I apologize, it was another person who had given a link to theirs! Can an idiot install these; asking for a friend…………shifty eyes
Yeah the dash cams for this brand are easy peasy, just put in the cig outlet. Or can wire into the vehicle, which even if you gotta hire someone to do isn’t that big of a deal. It’s pretty quick.
Me too def working in seattle! Not the brightest of drivers around😆🥴
Don’t bother with DOT, that will be a much larger hassle. Contact the city/county/state authority in charge of the road project and file a complaint with them - they will pay and then charge it against the contractor/project. Ask to speak to the project manager from the municipality for that project.
Unless it is a DOT project, then definitely reach out to DOT
The state authority in charge of road work is the DOT
Respectfully, if it’s not on camera anyone could get damage to their cars fixed by saying that. It sounds bad and I believe you.. it really sucks.. but you can see that without a video they would just be trusting you (or anyone) on word alone.
Yeah that’s part of why I don’t have high hopes. They actually aren’t denying that their sign caused the damage though, just that it was basically an act of god since wind caused the sign to blow into it. Either way I probably won’t get my money back and I should buy a dash cam
Well that's not how acts of god work. It was not the wind that knocked it off, it was improper mounting.
Hopefully that’s what my insurance will say and get them to pony up
Make sure they’re admitting to it in writing, it’ll go in your favour much more easily if they are
It's not an act of God when they could have prevented it using blocks or sandbags.
Sandbags were a requirement when I used to place them for overhead electrical work - for this very reason.
If you are in a single-party consent state, try to get a recording of that admission. It will make your case easier if you have them admitting they caused the damage and how.
lol, so a crane operator can just drop something on someone's head and blame it on gravity if using this lame "act of god" excuse.
A good lawyer can fairly easily get around "act of god" bullshit. Coz technically EVERYTHING is an act of God according to people who believe he exists right? So that claim is just a way to get out of whatever they want, which isn't valid legal grounds unless explicitly spelled out in the policy. "Does not cover third party negligence causing damage to your property" ...that's literally the point of insurance. Now, if the wind was so strong that it hit your truck even though it was secured according to city requirements, nothing you can do about that really.
If the company could have reasonably secured the sign, and didn't, it's their fault. Not saying they'll find in your favor ofc, but if you're in the US, it's the construction companies responsibility to secure all their equipment.
Act of god. Just say your Atheist and don't believe that nonsense. =) Exactly how I responded when a branch poked a hole in my garage roof and the person living next door to me tried to use that excuse. Never mind I had countless emails asking them to cut down a dead branch with numerous photos.
Improper mounting is on them. I bet if you ask them for the details on how the sign was supposed to be mounted they will change their tune. Its ultimately their responsibility for their property. Don't sit and wait for somebody to do your leg work for you or you will loose and have to pay for it. As well you shouldn't be a victim here either.
As a Construction finance guy. They can lose their ability to work DOT if they get dinged and don’t pay out. Submit a complaint and wait a week or so, the call will come. I handle at least 1 damage request a month, super easy send W9, get paid. If you would like advice on exactly how to do the claim DM me.
Insurance companies have departments called subrogation departments. They live for this shit. They will track down the responsible entity to the end of the earth to get paid.
Just submit to your insurance and let them run with it. That’s what you pay them for.
What state are you in? Check out the website for the transportation department in your state and make a complaint, with time/date/mile marker/pictures that you have. I don't know if it will help but it can't hurt. Also social media shame them.
I don’t know who you have for insurance, but USAA (mine) will go to town on whoever you point at as liable for damage to your car, even if you didn’t want them to (which is actually a good thing). Two of my vehicles have been damaged by government employees acting carelessly and USAA just sued them on my behalf and then refunded the deductible when the agencies paid up.
I can't find it, but I just watched an episode of Judy Justice where this exact thing happened to someone. If you can match the logo, it may be enough.
If your lawyer finds evidence that the signboards weren't weighed down properly by sandbags this is an easy win though getting a lawyer interested in what looks like just a side mirror ehhh
Investigations will show whether the signboard in question was properly weighed down prior to the incident
My wife did that and the company even agreed to pay it, then they backed out. The only way to win is to take them to small claims court personally.
Honestly, I'd skip straight to small claims court. For a company to show up will cost them more than to pay for the repair, and you win by default if they fail to show up.
Source: I won a case against a rental equipment company. I was asking for $2500 (half of cost) and ended up getting $5000 from them because it was cheaper than paying a lawyer to show up.
Wouldn't he want to file a police report too, just so he has documentation?
Goes without saying.
Most construction signs have company name on back (in uk anyway)