I literally saw them fall off and bounce towards me!
Nicholas Springer
I always chuckle when I'm following a truck that says "Work Truck, Do not Follow". Where else am I supposed to go?
But what they are referring to is the fact that they may damage your vehicle if you are following to close... like less than 100 feet per their signs. The stickers usually say "Not Responsible for object thrown from the roadway" and that is true.
However they ARE responsible for objects that fall off of their truck and then do damage to your vehicle.
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, every vehicle must "prevent its contents from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping". When their load causes damage, they are responsible and either their company or their insurance company must pay for the damage.
What happens if my windshield gets broken?
If you suspect the work truck in front of you of damaging your property, you need to make sure that it was their load and lack of securing it properly that caused the damage. In this case a picture is worth a thousand words, or at least a new windshield!
Get pictures like the one above showing the loose gravel and then also get a picture of the company signage and who is driving if possible. REMEMBER - Only do any of this if it is safe to do so of course! A new windshield is not worth more damage or injury!
Once you get to a safe place, call the company and let them know what happened and that you would like to file a claim with their insurance company. Depending on the size of the company, they may just want to pay out of pocket for it so their insurance doesn't go up! If none of that works, you can always claim it on your available Comprehensive coverage, but factoring in the deductible, it may not make you completely whole like filing it with the other party will.
Nick Springer, current President and CEO of Springer Insurance, joined the agency in 2000. From CSR to telemarketer, Associate Agent, Vice President and now President, Nick worked every possible job in the agency, including janitor while he was in middle school two nights a week!
After taking over for Reta, who retired in 2018, Nick and his wife Shannon have grown the agency to four locations and recently moved the Home Office to a new office condo, still in Midlothian. Over his many years, Nick has attained the designation of a Certified Authority on Workers Compensation (CAWC) and most recently the coveted Certified Insurance Counseller (CIC) designation.
Nick is now heading up the new Springer Private Client Division geared to High Net Worth clients.
