Tree Branch fell on my truck yesterday

But, it's really not as bad as it sounds. Dented the hood a little bit and scraped up the drivers side fender flair and panel. It happened on the UCSB campus while I was in class yesterday. I got a call from the Transportation Services guys saying the cops were out there taking a police report and wanted me to go meet them. When I listened to the voicemail, it sounded way worse than what it really was. I was expecting to come out to my roof totally caved in or something, and that the truck was likely totaled.





All in all not bad. Campus insurance should pick it up, as it is there tree. It is an "act of god" claim but hopefully that won't hold me up.

The scrapes on the side panel might be able to be buffed out, but the hood definitely is dented a little bit so I hope I can get a new one.

Can anyone recommend where to buy/what brand hood to get?

 

Hey you could get a new hood with DA SKEWP. Reject any act of god bull crap. Its a landscape maintenance issue.

 

Hope it works out for you.

 

When living in MD years and years ago, went out side and a HUGE branch had fallen off the tree right there. Smashed the center of the car all the way to the ground, if there would have been anyone in the car, or area for that matter, no chance of survival.
Glad your branch was some what smaller, hope all goes well fixing it.

 

Holy crap! Ya, this is not even close to that. It kinda hard to even see the dents in the hood until you actually look at the spot. Glad everyone was ok...

 

Lack of inspection and maintenance for sure. It's what I do for a living. Going to look at a tree related fatality case this PM, I do about 6 per year. They are all a lack of inspection / maintenance / care.

Besides, God wouldn't do that to a Tacoma...

 

I had the same thing happen to my Tacoma while living at my previous rental. I had just parked 5 mins before and a wind storm hit, causing a huge branch to fall. I had actually looked outside the second it happened and was major panicking, thinking it was worse than it actually was. Once we removed the HUGE branch though, I realized that my truck really dodged a bullet and only suffered minor dings on the hood and A-pillar, with a good sized dent in the door.

After received a couple quotes for $2500, I decided to file an ins claim, given the home owners ins wouldn't cover it, stating the tree was "healthy." After talking to my agent and determining that my clean record, in addition to this "minor" claim, it was worth filing. I took the money and helped my wife with a down payment on her new vehicle, bought my Tacoma a lift kit, and purchased a new window seal (old one was bent up to bad). I disassembled the door and popped the dent out to nearly new looking and never bothered with anything else.

Not saying to take the money and run, especially if you have a lienholder on the vehicle, but just saying it may be an option. Either way, glad it wasn't worse and nobody was hurt.

 

As long as he knows it's his fault!

 

This.

Ya, I'm just going to send the police report to my families insurance lady and let her duke it out. I don't have time to really deal with it because I'm working on my masters and have midterms coming up. Hopefully I can get the money and just get it all fixed up.

I'm just tired of dealing with stuff because about a month and a half ago my truck was broken into and I'm still dealing with that with my insurance.

 

If it looks likely you will be able to get money for it, consider upgrading to a carbon or fiberglass hood. Brand names are VIS Racing and McNeil, respectively.

McNeil fiberglass hood:

 

That's negligence and tree owner/manager could be liable for treble damages.

 

^^
What he said! How about some pics of the branch? The school should have an annual tree hazard assessment and pruning program. Being a tree guy, I always look up and assess the risk of parking my truck under a branch. You'd be amazed how often I move my truck to another spot. Nothing is scarier than parking under a tall unmanaged coconut tree to f#$k your truck up!

 

That looks niiiice.
But I just looked at their website and I don't see it listed on there.

 

The campus insurance will pick this up? You must be a city dweller! lol I wouldn't have even thought to try and get anything out of someone else for a tree branch falling. It sure looks like an act of god to me, no different than hitting a deer. I would just claim it on my comprehensive with a $50 deductible and be done with it.

Now the trampoline story is B.S. unless it was properly secured to the ground based on the manufacturers recommendation. If it was secured properly then it was an act of god, if it wasn't secured properly to the ground and the person could prove it then that was negligence by the trampoline owner.

 

Call them. It may be built to order.

The other option is VIS Racing carbon: http://www.visionautodynamics.com/product/2766/05TYTAC2DSR5-010C-Toyota-Tacoma-05-07-Pick-Up-ViS-Racing-SR-5-Carbon-Fiber-Hood.html

 

Neighbor had multiple claims from a tree (on his property) - don't know who paid - it was either his homeowners or vehicle policy. Tree appeared healthy and had been trimmed recently by certified arborist. Insurance didn't give him any grief over it. One claim the limb came straight down and would have killed him if he'd been in the drivers seat.

 

No, he just gets blamed for it.