Truck Lettering & Accidents

[olderthandirt]

Has any one experienced people purposely trying to get into fender benders with a truck thats commercially lettered ? I hate having to drive the trucks into a major city, its like were a target for a lawsuit. Most people know we carry commercial insurance and in a higher amount than the average driver so its let see if we can get hit and collect some easy money. Just one of the draw backs to having a truck lettered, Not sure if the benefits out way the risk anymore.

[Remsen1]

Has any one experienced people purposely trying to get into fender benders with a truck thats commercially lettered ? I hate having to drive the trucks into a major city, its like were a target for a lawsuit. Most people know we carry commercial insurance and in a higher amount than the average driver so its let see if we can get hit and collect some easy money. Just one of the draw backs to having a truck lettered, Not sure if the benefits out way the risk anymore.

no, but i have thought about it happening.

[tiedeman]

I was just thinking about this the other day. It wasn't with the truck though, it was with the car when we were down at Detroit. It seemed like this one car kept on passing me, getting in front me, and then slamming on his brakes trying to get me to rear end him

[TJLC]

Has any one experienced people purposely trying to get into fender benders with a truck thats commercially lettered ? I hate having to drive the trucks into a major city, its like were a target for a lawsuit. Most people know we carry commercial insurance and in a higher amount than the average driver so its let see if we can get hit and collect some easy money. Just one of the draw backs to having a truck lettered, Not sure if the benefits out way the risk anymore.

Unfortunately, yes, I have had this happen to me. I got hit, sited and sued. My ins co. told me businesses are targets. He said some people see you are a business and see easy money. I'ts really sad but true.

[AL Inc]

Something minor happened to us a few years ago, a young girl claimed my men had hit her car while they were making a turn. She had a witness, she said, who had left the scene when I got there. My driver insisted he hadn't hit her, (long time employee with perfect record). I ended up giving her $200 to have the car repaired, looking back, I got scammed. Never again.
As far as businesses being a target, I would say absolutely. I'm involved in something now, an accident that one of my employees was in, on his way to work, in his own vehicle. My attorney said "You are the "deep pocket".

[Brianslawn]

all the time here. lady was just killed last week by my moms house cause she cut off a commercial truck. i get about 3 a day try someting with me. thats why i got such a big new truck and heavy brush guard. now i can just floor it and kill them. even without lettering, if youre pulling a trailer or have tools, etc on truck, theyll try it. i put a push bar on chevy dsl last summer cause of this, too. i almost killed a drunk driver last year. he jumped a 5' deep ditch and came inches from 3' diameter steel power pole at 65mph. i bet i'll kill at least 3 by spring. the # of scammers have dropped a bit since switching to the 7' tall truck. i guess theyve heard what happens to little cars underneath semis. :realmad:

[stumper1620]

Mac, back in the late 70s or early 80s SteelCase stopped running major east coast cities because their trucks became targets, far as I know its still that way. Big rigs are big targets for insurance fraud, Insurance companies helped bring this about by settling out of court on so many for so many years.

[MarcSmith]

You gotta be real careful when you do your own settlement. If you read your policy, you probably violated provisions of your Insurance policy. Whats to stop that girl from coming back a year from now and raising a fuss again.

The scammers are getting smarter and smarter...

You pay for the insurance, let them do the work and let them investigate for you.

[topsites]

Has any one experienced people purposely trying to get into fender benders with a truck thats commercially lettered ? I hate having to drive the trucks into a major city, its like were a target for a lawsuit. Most people know we carry commercial insurance and in a higher amount than the average driver so its let see if we can get hit and collect some easy money. Just one of the draw backs to having a truck lettered, Not sure if the benefits out way the risk anymore.

No, but it is the reason MY insurance co insists I NEVER put signs on it, said it saves me considerable money (they won't even insure me if I put them on).

Other than that, I prefer 6-8 seconds following distance... The best place to be is away from everyone else.

[Need a Little Trim]

You gotta be real careful when you do your own settlement. If you read your policy, you probably violated provisions of your Insurance policy. Whats to stop that girl from coming back a year from now and raising a fuss again.

The scammers are getting smarter and smarter...

You pay for the insurance, let them do the work and let them investigate for you.

Probably the fact that she only has a year to file a lawsuit and then she has nothing to go on.

[Gene $immons]

I'm involved in something now, an accident that one of my employees was in, on his way to work, in his own vehicle. My attorney said "You are the "deep pocket".


Are you kidding me, How is that your fault or liability?

[MarcSmith]

when you are traveling to or from work...i believe that workers comp can be involved...

[The Cowboy]

Has any one experienced people purposely trying to get into fender benders with a truck thats commercially lettered ? I hate having to drive the trucks into a major city, its like were a target for a lawsuit. Most people know we carry commercial insurance and in a higher amount than the average driver so its let see if we can get hit and collect some easy money. Just one of the draw backs to having a truck lettered, Not sure if the benefits out way the risk anymore.

Sure, I had this happen twice in the last 6 weeks. First a hindu lady pulls in front of me on the 4 lane as I am ready to go through a yellow, then slams before it turns red. Most of my machines moved 2 feet as all 8 wheels slide and the trailer jackknifes, I pulled around to the left side, avoiding her. I didn't even use my horn, she just rolls here window down and asks "did I stop too fast?" I was so mad I just smiled and said "don't worry about it" but later I wondered the same thing. Most Hindus are smarter than they look.

Then this typical upper class lady in a Beemer does the same thing on a steep downward grade somewhere uptown. and has me sliding downhill 30 feet on wet pavement. I don't see what reason she would have for switching lanes right on a yellow or red when several tons on steel are barreling down on her tail. Lucky for me I can avoid these potential lawsuits. Her hubby was probably some Yankee esquire attorney who makes a living doing this.

[olderthandirt]

Quote:
Originally Posted by AL Inc
I'm involved in something now, an accident that one of my employees was in, on his way to work, in his own vehicle. My attorney said "You are the "deep pocket".

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gene $immons
Are you kidding me, How is that your fault or liability?

When a lawsuit is brought an attorney will name every party that could possably be invovled. IE. snow plowing; some one falls the, strip mall as a corp, the individual store and the plow driver will all be named.

So as a business owner most people relize that we carry a million dollars or more liability compared to the private drivers 50k so the private will get named first and the business 2nd. so that makes the business the "deep pocket".

[olderthandirt]

In my original post I was referring to what could not be in any way be life threatening. I'll give an example of what occurred the most recently to make me question if its worth the risk of being lettered? I had to back the trailer into an ally, tight fit, I stop on the rd. cars go around when its clear I start backing up jockeying it around and when the trailers in the truck was still on the rd. I looked up and seen an old beater sitting at a red lite guy makes a right and looking right at me nails the gas as I'm backing in I just get the front of the truck off the rd when the jack azz actually swerved to try and hit my front fender and he was ginning away :realmad: The law was on his side, because I know he would have said I tried to pull out in front of him. It happens more and more. If the truck was not lettered he might have still tried it, but knowing that I would have to have "good" insurance was just more of an incentive to make some fast cash and get a set of new wheels to go along with his govt. cheese

[Brianslawn]

In my original post I was referring to what could not be in any way be life threatening. I'll give an example of what occurred the most recently to make me question if its worth the risk of being lettered? I had to back the trailer into an ally, tight fit, I stop on the rd. cars go around when its clear I start backing up jockeying it around and when the trailers in the truck was still on the rd. I looked up and seen an old beater sitting at a red lite guy makes a right and looking right at me nails the gas as I'm backing in I just get the front of the truck off the rd when the jack azz actually swerved to try and hit my front fender and he was ginning away :realmad: The law was on his side, because I know he would have said I tried to pull out in front of him. It happens more and more. If the truck was not lettered he might have still tried it, but knowing that I would have to have "good" insurance was just more of an incentive to make some fast cash and get a set of new wheels to go along with his govt. cheese



after you got out of the truck and he looked at you he might've decided it was his fault.

[impactlandscaping]

Mac, we used to have to deal with these morons who would cut off our snowplow rigs on bad roads. Imagine an F350, salter, and 9' steel plow, and about 2 tons of rocksalt coming at you. I think I'd give a wide berth...not the morons around Morgantown. They pull out at redlights, roll thru stop signs , etc. Never really have any trouble any other time of the year. We do mow on the corner of a park, and I swear some people in beaters will sit at the four way stop sign longer than the remaining three stop signs in hopes of their car getting hit with a rock or other debris.:realmad:

[MarcusLndscp]

Unbelievable, I never realized that this happens but I guess it makes a lot of sense. I suppose I should be more cautious of old beater cars from now on.