Car Accidents

A Car Hits My House! What’s Next?

Cars do not hit houses very often, so when they do, it is generally a newsworthy event. Sometimes, cars only damage the exterior of the home, but others might crash through the wall and enter the interior rooms of your house. In these situations, it is possible that occupants of the house will suffer serious injuries – or even fatal ones. 

Knowing what to do after a car hits your house can be difficult, but an Austin personal injury attorney can help you navigate this situation. 

Why Did a Car Hit Your House?

Cars and other motor vehicles do not often hit houses, and when they do, it is often due to a serious error on the part of the driver or another party. Some common causes of drivers crashing into homes include:

1. Drunk driving – Impaired drivers can make many mistakes, and this is a common cause of cars hitting homes. Drunk drivers might lose control and hit a house due to speeding, a lack of focus, or missing a turn, among other reasons.
2. Falling asleep at the wheel – When a driver is so fatigued that they fall asleep at the wheel, there is no telling where their vehicle might end up – including inside someone’s home.
3. Losing control of the vehicle – There are other reasons that drivers lose control of their vehicles and might jump a curb, including road hazards, brake or steering failure, street racing, and more.

No matter what the cause of the crash might be, you should discuss your right to compensation with an Austin car accident lawyer.

 

What Happens If Someone Drives Into Your House?

Who takes care of the damages? The driver’s insurance company? But what about your homeowner’s policy? There are a lot of insurance companies involved, and most of the time getting them all to agree on who pays what is a nightmare.

Motor vehicles wrecking into homes are more common than most people realize. In fact, a house in Austin Texas is oddly attracted to getting hit by cars. Interestingly enough though, motor vehicles hitting homes accounts for 5% of all home insurance claims.

So while it’s not as common as a fender bender, it’s still very important to understand the legal aspects of the situation should you ever find yourself in these unfortunate circumstances.

 

What To Do If a Car Hits Your House

1. Call 911 to report the accident

There’s a sense of urgency here because as with any motor and while you have the operator on the phone, the very first thing that you should do is call the police to help you document the incident. Don’t fixate yourself on having the cop determine who’s at fault because it’s more important that the officer documents the accident accurately than anything else. These documents can be used later if a car hit a house and is checked by your car accident lawyer and insurance.

2. Call an attorney to represent you with your insurance claim

Insurance companies, even yours, may try to lowball the value of your property and the entire estimate of the damages. An experienced Austin car accident lawyer will ensure that this doesn’t happen, especially if it goes to court. You do not want to waste time in court and fight for an amount that will not cover your damages.

 

The Vehicle Policy

The party who is found at fault will be held liable for any damage caused by the incident. If a car was to crash on your property, then he/she will be held accountable for the damage. But what if the driver’s insurance has a coverage limit?

Well, in that case, let’s say the coverage limit is $20,000. If the damages to your property are under this amount, then your home is completely covered. If his/her insurance has a cap of $20,000, but the damage to your home is worth $50,000 then there are other forms of making sure your house damage is covered.

 

Homeowners policy

You might still be in luck. When was the last time you read your homeowner’s policy coverage? You might be surprised to find that within the fine print of your contract the words “vehicle” could be listed under causes of damage.

As long as you were not the cause of the accident, it is possible that your homeowner’s policy could cover the rest of the pending damage, if not all of it.

 

Seeking the Compensation You Need

The at-fault driver should be liable for the damage to your home and any injuries you suffered. We can help you file a claim seeking compensation for all of your losses stemming from an accident. However, home repairs and medical treatment are costly, and a driver’s insurance coverage might not be enough to cover your losses.

We will examine whether any other parties might be liable for the accident, including an employer if the driver was working at the time of the crash. Vehicle manufacturers might be liable if the crash happened due to a tire blowout or another defect.

In some cases, you might have to look to your own insurance coverage to get full compensation, and we can help you with this process as well. We will explore every avenue to ensure you have coverage of your losses after someone hits your home.

 

Consult with an Austin Car Accident Lawyer for Assistance Today

If your home has been damaged by a driver, you should contact an Austin car accident lawyer right away. Under Texas law, when negligent people injure others, victims are typically entitled to compensation for their accident-related losses, such as any costs that they incurred as a result of the accident such as you having to stay in a hotel while their home is being repaired or having to order out more often. At Terry & Kelly PLLC, we will review the facts of your case for free, and we only charge legal fees if we win your case. Contact us online or call 512-900-4657 to schedule a free case evaluation with a car accident attorney in Austin.