Imagine coming home and finding out that a cement truck is in the middle of your living room. It’s hard to picture a disaster like this, but it became a reality for residents of two Daly City Homes.
"I’m a bit traumatized," Jennifer Lu, one of the impacted homeowners, told NBC Bay Area. "Luckily, my kids weren’t here, but my father was here. Luckily he was downstairs and not upstairs when this happened. But I’m just a little bit in shock."
Don’t miss
- I’m 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don’t panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
- Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now
- Gain potential quarterly income through this $1B private real estate fund — even if you’re not a millionaire. Here’s how to get started with as little as $10
Here’s how the truck ended up in Lu’s house, along with some tips on what to do in this situation.
An out-of-control cement truck damages two homes
According to NBC Bay Area, the event unfolded when an unoccupied cement truck owned by Half Moon Bay Building and Garden company started to roll down a hill. Unfortunately, the truck kept rolling — and it only stopped once it rolled into two separate houses.
Unsurprisingly, given the size and weight of the typical cement truck, this one caused substantial damage to the homes it hit.
In fact, NBC News showed a disturbing picture of the destruction, revealing workers desperately trying to stabilize Lu’s house in order to remove the intruding truck — with a huge portion of the side of the house caved in around the vehicle.
Now, Lu and her neighbor, whose home was also damaged, have been left scrambling trying to figure out what to do next.
"Nobody got hurt, which is the good part," Lu said. "But our home is gone, which we can’t live in and we don’t even know when we can live in it now."
Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
What happens if a truck (or car) hits your property?
Being unable to live in your home is a huge and expensive problem.
The silver lining in this disaster is that, if a truck or a car hits your home, you can file a property damage case with the goal of getting the funds to repair or replace the damaged property — if it gets to that point, according to the Judicial Branch of California.
But if this happens, the incident should be covered by the auto insurance or general liability insurance of the company that owned the cement truck, which in this case is the building and garden company.
The company’s coverage should likely pay for Lu’s home repair, as well as for associated losses resulting from the property becoming uninhabitable, such as money spent on a rental property and money spent replacing damaged possessions.
Unfortunately, there are limits on auto and liability policies. As a result, when the damage done is extensive, as it seems to be here, the insurance the company has may not be enough to fully cover all the costs of the damage caused.
To maximize the chances that Lu will be covered for all losses, she should also alert her own home insurance company. The homeowners insurance company may be able to help Lu get the necessary funds to rebuild and to pay for temporary housing if there is a problem collecting from the truck owners, according to American Family Insurance.
Lu will likely need to talk to the insurance adjuster for the company that owned and operated the cement truck about what they plan to do to make her whole. They may offer her a settlement since liability is pretty clear here.
However, she should not accept until she knows the full extent of the damage and, ideally, until she talks to a lawyer to make sure she isn’t being lowballed or left with damages that the truck owner should compensate her for.
If no settlement can be reached, or if outstanding expenses remain, Lu may need to pursue legal action against the company to get paid.
What to read next
- JPMorgan sees gold soaring to $6,000/ounce — use this 1 simple IRA trick to lock in those potential shiny gains (before it’s too late)
- This is how American car dealers use the ‘4-square method’ to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs
- Here are 5 ‘must have’ items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
- How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you’ll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement
Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. Subscribe for free.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
