Fallen Tree Branch

[ronclark]

I am fairly certain I know the answer.
This afternoon, a tree branch broke off with wind from the neighboring business property fell on my 87 Ranger, which is only insured for collision.
The damage is fixable. I need both fenders (might be fixable), the windshield and trim, the hood, the antenna, the panel right below the windshield is bent, and there is a dent in the roof on the corner.
Does the business have any liability?

Sad Day

 

[JoshT]

Unlikely and even if it did, you probably wouldn't want to go that route if you plan to fix and keep it. If the business was liable it would be their insurance doing the repairs. I feel certain that if insurance gets involved, your truck will be totaled.

That's just my opinion. I've never had to deal with a situation like that.

 

[ronclark]

Unlikely and even if it did, you probably wouldn't want to go that route if you plan to fix and keep it. If the business was liable it would be their insurance doing the repairs. I feel certain that if insurance gets involved, your truck will be totaled.

That's just my opinion. I've never had to deal with a situation like that.

That was my feeling,
I am surprised that the damage is not worse, since it was a pretty large branch it was about 8 inches thick at the base
I'll have to state gathering parts so I can fix it.

 

[sgtsandman]

Given the age of the truck, that might be a can of worms you don't want to open.

I was kind of in the same situation with my 2019. My girlfriend hit a vehicle in front of her and bent up the bumper. While I have full coverage, the repair would have been just over my deductible in parts, I would have had to trust the body shop to get OEM parts, and do the job right. And then, my insurance premium might be increased due to the claim.

So, I just opted to do the repair myself and be done with it. And I actually upgraded the bumper a bit to something better than the thin sheetmetal and plastic it came with.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Homeowners insurance might cover that. Or renters insurance.

 

[19Walt93]

I'd ask the business about it. At least in NH, if an insurance company wants to total a vehicle that's not severely damaged you can refuse to let them.
Also, once it's back together I'd get comprehensive insurance added- it covers fire, theft, broken glass, and stuff like this and it doesn't cost a lot. About 40 years ago I bought a clapped out Mercury Zephyr, rebuilt the engine and paid a friend to do a low budget paint job. I didn't have a loan so I just put liability on it. The drivers window exploded when I shut the door and the glass cost me as much as 6 years of comp would have. My Mustang and Ranger carry comp while they're in winter storage, too.

 

[pjtoledo]

it may depend on the condition of the tree.
if it had obvious signs of rot / decay the tree owner should have maintained it.
a perfectly healthy tree getting blown over would be considered an act of God and the damage is covered by you.
another thing to consider, was the tree on a right-of-way?

 

[Shran]

I would ask too. Even if their insurance covers it and totals the truck, you can still buy it back and get some money out of the deal. Use that to fix it up yourself.

 

[ronclark]

it may depend on the condition of the tree.
if it had obvious signs of rot / decay the tree owner should have maintained it.
a perfectly healthy tree getting blown over would be considered an act of God and the damage is covered by you.
another thing to consider, was the tree on a right-of-way?

The tree is right on the fence line, and the truck is in my apartment's parking lot. It's a big tree, I can't even spot where it might have broken off at. My guess it was one of the uprights from inside the trunk you know where it trees tends to split. As far as I've lived here, it's been unmaintained.

It looks like I'll be learning bodywork, fun