Look out for that Stuff on the Road! Ladders and Buckets and Coolers, Oh My!

Competing with other drivers on the road today is challenging enough. Some are on their phones, others are putting on make-up and still, others have no apparent idea there are other cars around them. When you add in the cars and trucks with poorly attached loads like mattresses, ladders and other items it becomes an even more dangerous thrill ride.

Most of us have experienced near misses with items in the road including chunks of tires, coolers, trash, lumber and other potential projectiles. All this “stuff” poses some interesting questions about responsibility and liability.

Securing loads is a major factor in professional trucking. When it comes to individuals, however, some may feel that mounting a mattress on the roof of a car with some twine suffices. The fact is drivers are responsible for properly securing any item to their vehicles, including loose items in the beds of trucks. Drivers then can be held liable should an item detach and become a highway hazard. This is serious business as a larger item on the road can cause a significant accident. The problem is, a driver may not even be aware that an item fell from his vehicle. The following drivers may be far too concerned with avoiding the hazard as opposed to tracking down the offending driver.

If your car is damaged as the result an item that apparently fell from another vehicle, and you have no idea how it got there, you will be left to file a claim with your own insurance company. This even includes rock chips in your windshield resulting from a passing vehicle.

We’ve all be in a position where we’ve been faced with moving something our vehicles were not properly equipped to carry. It may have been something carried on a car roof, and oversized item in a partially open trunk or items packed into the back of a pick-up truck. Make no mistake. This is extremely risky behavior. Items falling from moving vehicles on the roads can not only cause damage, but it can also inflict lasting injuries should an accident result.

Don’t take chances. Check your auto insurance policy to make sure you are covered in case you are a victim of such an incident. You also want to avoid transporting oversized items with inadequate vehicles. If you would like a no-obligation review from our independent agents, contact us.