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View Full Version : HIT TRACTOR TRAILER TIRE. Now what?



sullygully
07-09-2005, 02:28 PM
Last night driving back from the Calgary stampede I hit the tread off of a tractor tire, as I did not see it until the last seconds and could not avoid it. It had just come off the truck about a minute after I hit it, as he was on the side of the road about 200 meters down.

Anways, I have some considerable amount of damabe to my front and back bumpers. I can't file a claim until Monday, but I'm wondering if I should even bother.

Does anyone know how it works when filing a claim if you have aftermarket bumpers(body kit) on your car. I'm wondering if they will even pay to replace them since they are not OEM, and I haven't told my insurance company about the mods.

Also, is this entirely the truck company's fault do to a faulty tire. And if so, does that mean i shouldn't have to pay my deductable. Or is it either way i will have to pay my deductable.

And, will my insurance go up because of this?

I made sure to stop and exchange info with the driver.

If anyone has been in this kind of situation, or works for an insurance company any feedback on this would be great.

Heres some pics of the damage.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y285/sullygully/CamPic58.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y285/sullygully/CamPic62.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y285/sullygully/CamPic60.jpg


P.S. I know my car is very low to the ground, but just and FYI, the width of the tire was about 14 inches, and looking at what it did to my back bumper, i'm assuming even a modestly lowered car would have sustained considerable damage.

My kit is made of abs plastic which is the most forgiving material out there, so you can get an idea of how big of an impact it was. I couldn't imagine the damage that would have been if it was fiberglass. I'm sure half the bumper would be smashed.

Zero102
07-09-2005, 03:09 PM
It's up to the truck's insurance company. Just like if you're driving around in a truck, and something falls out of the back and hits another car.

As far as the aftermarket panels go, they SHOULD be replaced by the other insurance company. The only time it becomes an issue, is when it's with your own insurance company, and they are not aware of the mods, and/or have declined covering them.

If you exchanged info with him, just give his insurance company a shout on monday, and get the ball rolling.

There will be no deductible.

Now, that said, if you have collision coverage on your car, you have the choice to go through your insurance company, and claim it, after which they will go after the other insurance company. No idea if this will affect your rates, and no idea what happens with the deductible.

I don't carry collision coverage on my car, and when people hit it, I just deal with their insurance companies.

sullygully
07-09-2005, 03:26 PM
Do you think I shold raise my car back up to regular ride hight before i get the car looked at? Mabe it would create less of a hassle

TurboMedic
07-09-2005, 05:42 PM
I had the same thing happen to me on highway 2 a while back......my bumper blew into about 4 pieces (OEM urethane....)....I had to suck it up and repair it myself, but there was no large truck around to stick the tire to.....Hope you have better luck!

AllGoNoShow
07-09-2005, 06:50 PM
Go through their insurance first, if that doesn't work, go through ur insurance company, if that dont work get ur lawyer to deal with both companys.

The trucking company won't do shit because it isn't their fault the tire blew up, that would be the manufacture's issue and I know for Goodyear the tire would be covered under warrenty but the damage to your car most likely wouldn't. Although there is a reason some tires blow out, not all manufacture defects, for example, neglected flat or runnning on the old shitty tires til they blow then go buy new ones etc.. etc..

kaput
07-09-2005, 07:20 PM
.

sullygully
07-09-2005, 07:56 PM
^^ mabe so, but the driver called his boss at that moment, about it all, and he had to put in an order for the company to come down to replace the tire. So more then likely it will be on their records.

I've got all his insurance info too, so more then likely ill be calling their insurance company to see what they have to say about it.

If they end up saying they will have to contact mine, then ill just end the conversation, and deal with fixing it myself.

I don't want to end up having my premiums go up for having mods to my car, and i'm sure that's what will happen if my insurance finds out.

I've managed to fix my back bumper , execpt for the crack on the bottom

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y285/sullygully/CamPic64.jpg

I've got some abs epoxy that ill probably use to fix the crack on the back bumper and the front. I'm not missing any pieces so its just a matter of bonding seperation.

Heres what the front bumper looks like with the piece back in place. I haven't epoxied it yet becuase i want to find out first what there insurance company says.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y285/sullygully/CamPic66.jpg

So by the looks of it i can probably have it looking pretty close to new, after some touch up paint to fill in the line the crack leaves.

Lifes a bitch

wired'sspecv
07-09-2005, 11:56 PM
Well, sounds like a lousy situation....however due to my experience in the transportation industry I'll throw a quick $0.02 in.....

Just because something falls off, or out-of a truck (or anything else for that matter)....it is NOT automatically the trucking companies fault.

If something falls off of the truck, (example: a portion of the cargo) then this is most definately the truck drivers (trucking company's) fault because the load must be secured at all times (or tarped).

If something falls out of the truck, like a piece of dried mud or dirt between the wheels, or maybe a rock gets kicked up from the rear dual tires and smacks your windows or something...then this is called "road hazard" and it is not the truck's fault......it's just one of those things that is going to happen sooner or later.

However, in your case it looks like you actually might luck out....good stuff.

infected
07-10-2005, 03:18 AM
Wow good job on the repairs, couldn't really notice any damage in the pics just by looking at it.