Someone Crashed into My Home in Fort Lauderdale: Can I File a Claim?

Drivers seem to be crashing into buildings on a weekly basis in Florida. In 2024, many homeowners experienced considerable damage after reckless motorists barreled into their residences. As this issue becomes more common, homeowners are wondering about the best way to address the damage. Should they file a claim against their own property insurance policy? Or should the driver pay the bill? This is something you might want to discuss with an experienced Fort Lauderdale property insurance lawyer.

Fort Lauderdale Homes Suffer Considerable Damage From Vehicles in 2024 

Last year, there were constant reports of vehicles crashing into Fort Lauderdale homes. In August, a car thief carried out numerous hit-and-runs before crashing into a Fort Lauderdale residence. In June, someone drove a Prius into another house in the area, creating a massive hole and bursting a major pipe in the process. In October, a fuel tanker truck crashed into numerous homes in the Fort Lauderdale area before flipping over. This issue has clearly spiraled out of control.

Who Pays for the Damage When a Vehicle Crashes into a House? 

When a driver crashes into someone else’s home, they become responsible for the property damage. The first step is to pursue compensation from the driver’s auto insurance policy. Under Florida law, the minimum coverage for property damage is $10,000.

In the event of a minor crash into a fence or garage door, $10,000 might be enough to cover all of the various repairs. In an ideal world, the auto insurance company would pay for your repairs and you would not have to take any additional steps.

However, vehicles often cause far more than $10,000 of damage after crashing into homes. If your entire wall was destroyed or the vehicle burst a pipe, you might be facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. In this case, the driver’s insurance coverage might not be sufficient to cover the damage.

Will My Property Insurance Policy Pay for Vehicle Damage? 

If you find yourself in this situation, it might be necessary to file a claim with your own property insurance policy to cover the remaining repair costs. The most likely scenario is that your property insurance company will sue the at-fault driver in order to recover the repair costs. This could be a complex process, and your property insurance lawyer might need to guide you through it.

If your property insurance policy ends up paying for some of the damage, your premiums might increase. This is obviously something you want to avoid, especially in a city like Fort Lauderdale where insurance costs are already sky-high. Fortunately, Florida law prevents insurers from increasing premiums for incidents that were not caused by policyholders. If your insurance provider tries to increase your premiums for damage that was not your fault, you have every right to push back.

Finally, you may have no choice but to file a claim with your property insurer if the driver had no valid insurance at the time of the crash. This is common in incidents involving car thieves and underage drivers.

 Contact Our Fort Lauderdale Property Insurance Lawyers Today

At Geyer Fuxa Tyler, our legal team is made up of a diverse combination of attorneys who are well-positioned to protect the legal rights and financial interests of policyholders. If your property insurance claim was denied, we can help. For a free consultation, please call us today at (954) 990-5251. With an office in Sunrise, we represent policyholders in Broward County and throughout the state of Florida.

Sources: 

floridabar.org/public/consumer/tip002/#:~:text=According%20to%20Florida%20law%2C%20if,%24500%20for%20property%20damage%20liability.

progressive.com/answers/car-damage-to-home-or-property/