A New York woman’s Toyota is in distress after being hit by an uninsured truck driver. To make matters worse, she had no collision insurance.
TikTok user Faith (@faithhrusk) posted a video detailing her insurance nightmare last week. “This is your sign to get collision coverage for your car,” she says to start the video. “Tell me why a semi hit my car, and the bumper fell off completely, and the insurance doesn’t cover it?”
She explained that the truck driver did not have insurance, and that the trucking company itself did not carry an insurance policy either. “What do we do at this point?” she asks. “I have to pay entirely out of pocket. My car has been parked there for two weeks because I really don’t know what to do.”
Ask commenters to help decide what to do. “Should I have it towed to a mechanic?” she asks. “Do I keep it there? Do I sell it? I have no idea. I just want to drive a car.”
Viewers react to a Toyota Corolla driver’s insurance nightmare in New York
In the comments section, viewers expressed sympathy for Faith’s situation and healthy skepticism that the trucking company is stepping up with its insurance status.
“If a trucking company doesn’t have insurance, you should report it to the (US) Department of Transportation,” one viewer said.
Another person said, “Trucking companies have to have insurance to work. As long as you know which truck hit your car, you can collect their insurance. If they really don’t have insurance, you’ll have to sue them for damages.”
Facts about commercial truck insurance coverage
Not only are trucking companies required to maintain insurance coverage under state law, but the federal government has its own insurance coverage Insurance coverage requirements For truck drivers who use the interstate highway system. So the commenters are right that, in theory, every trucking company should maintain enough liability insurance to cover damages in a wreck like this.
Unfortunately, not all commercial truck operators do Follows the rules. If an uninsured or underinsured commercial truck driver causes an accident, the victim may end up having to sue both parties to recover costs.
Of course, this is a long and difficult process that is not certain to end in favor of the victim. Maybe that’s why Faith preaches about the benefits of collision coverage.
What is the difference between liability insurance and collision insurance?
States make drivers buy liability insurance, which covers damage the insured causes to other people or property. Collision insurance is what covers the driver’s own vehicle in the event of damage.
If someone is involved in a truck accident in New York, they must pursue their car insurance to cover short-term medical expenses and go through a longer process to file a claim or claim against the trucking company. If you only maintain liability and not collision coverage, you will not be able to file a claim with your insurance. This will leave you waiting for a settlement from the trucking company, which may never come, depending on the facts of their insurance case.
Engine1 Faith has been contacted via TikTok comment and direct message for comment.