Drivers who aren’t paying attention or who are intoxicated may make mistakes that result in them literally driving into someone’s home. It’s hard to believe that it could happen, but it does.
When a driver collides with a building, it obviously puts everyone in that building, as well as the driver and their passengers, potentially at risk. Depending on where the home is hit, there is a possibility that it will be unstable and could collapse on victims as well.
On top of this, the victims are then left with a damaged property that may be unsafe to live in. Until the property is made safe once again, they are left to deal with the repercussions of another person’s bad choices.
It can be hard to know which insurance policy applies in this case, but the first thing to realize is that the party at fault is the one liable for damages that are caused in the accident. They’ll be responsible for paying for damages to the home, using their car insurance policy’s property damage clause to cover the damage. The personal injury clause is used to cover injuries to you or your loved ones.
If the policy the driver carries isn’t high enough to cover your injuries or the damage to your home, then you may have your own insurance that will help. In particular, your homeowner’s insurance will be most likely to pay out the compensation you need to take care of the repairs to your home.
If the policy limit isn’t high enough to cover your medical bills, your own medical insurance should kick in and provide some coverage, at least until you have the opportunity to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the other party.
The most important thing in these situations is to make sure you get the appropriate medical care for your injuries. While it’s a shock to suddenly lose part or all of your home to a collision, your home’s repairs are less important than your safety and health.
Save documentation about the damage to your home and keep medical documents regarding your health following a crash. The other party should be held fully responsible for the injuries that you’ve suffered and compensate you for missed time off work and other losses.