Flying Umbrella | Who pays for this?

My wife is a realtor and was previewing a house on a windy day. She was parked in the driveway of the sellers house when a large patio umbrella (fully open) was caught by a gust of wind, went airborne and toppled over an arbor onto the hood of her BMW X3 causing approximately $2K in damage.

My insurance company sent an appraiser and I was sent a check minus the deductible.

QUESTION:

Why is this paid out of my insurance vs the homeowners insurance of the seller? The accident occurred on the sellers property and was caused by negligence as a result of the seller failing to take the umbrella down during a windstorm. Also, would this count as an accident against our insurance records?


Answer:


Hello,

Damages caused by flying objects are usually defined as a comprehensive damage. Read your auto policy and look at those definitions there.

See: http://www.auto-insurance-claim-advice.com/Comprehensive-Coverage.html

If your insurance company believes that the property owner was at fault or negligent in anyway, they can subrogate against the property owner.

Yes it will likely be on your record for about five years.


Good Luck,
http://www.auto-insurance-claim-advice.com