Object in the road

Have you ever driven down a pitch black highway at night and all of a sudden in front of you see a cow or a couch? Well, I’ve had the experience of a full size Lazy Boy recliner sitting in the third lane of a highway. The chair was right side up with the legs extended. It was brown and man it came out of nowhere. I quickly swerved at 70 mph and avoided running into that trophy of manhood. My heart was beating fast, my palms were sweaty and I was happy that the freeway was mostly empty that night. I also wondered as I put some distance between me and the chair, where did this chair come from? If someone had it in the back of their truck how did they not realize it was no longer there? On top of that how on earth did it end up perfectly sitting in the middle of the road with the feet reclined? All it needed was a dude with a beer and a remote.
​I do get a lot of questions from people asking how their insurance works if they run into objects on the road. Here’s the quick run down of how claims work with random things on the road.
The first scenario is the one where you find a lazy boy sitting in lane three of the freeway. Yes, you didn’t put the chair there, yes you didn’t know it would be there. But, if you hit an object on the road that is stationary you will be considered at fault in an accident. The insurance company assumes if an object is stationary that you should be driving at a speed which you could either stop or avoid hitting the object.  I would have been pretty mad if I got a point on my record because I hit a dark colored chair on the freeway at night with no street lights. But, most likely that is what would have happened.
The second scenario is a pretty common one. You are driving behind a truck and off the back of the truck flies a tool or rock or brick or cooler. If that tool hits you while it is moving you are not considered at fault in the accident. If you don’t get the person’s information where the flying object came from then you will probably have to pay your collision deductible. But, you wouldn’t be considered at fault and have a point on your driving record.
The final scenario involves animals. I’m sure you’ve heard of someone hitting an animal while driving. I’ve heard of people hitting deer, elk, goats, cows, dogs and cats. Here’s the scoop with that. If hit an animal running into the street the accident is actually considered a comprehensive claim. It doesn’t impact your rate, but you do have to pay your deductible. Now, if you swerve to avoid hitting the animal and you drive off the road and damage your car. That is considered a collision accident and you will get a point on your record.
There’s your little insurance lesson for the day. Flying objects are collision and no fault. Standing objects are collision with a point on your record. Animals are comprehensive and no point. Avoiding the animal and hitting a curb is an at fault accident under collision. I’m surprised the animal rights activists haven’t passed a bill for this to be changed yet. Stay tuned… and give me a call to get some insurance quotes at 951-395-0754.