Amazon Crashed My Home - What To Expect?
February 3, 2022 9:26 AM Subscribe
Amazon delivery driver crashed his truck into the corner of my house. What can I expect from Amazon?
Welp, an Amazon delivery drive crashed his truck into the corner of my house last night. He overswung a turn, took out a low overhanging roof, a gutter system, did damage to the underlying structure and wedged himself under the roof. (Always nice to have your water drainage system go down just as two days of rain and ice move in.) I got his name and number. (Remarkably, he didn't know what to do if he got into an accident.) I spoke to his dispatcher. (Remarkably HE didn't know what to do in case of an accident.) The dispatcher gave me the name and number of the owner of the trucking company contracting to Amazon. I've called him multiple times and he is not responding. So I've filed police report. And I initiated the claims process with my home owner's insurance. My question is ... what can I expect to get out of this trucking company? Especially if they decide to just not respond? My goal here is to get my deductible paid so I'm not out-of-pocket one dollar for their driver who did the damage. I assume my insurance company will go after them for something. Expectedly, there seems to be no human way to contact Amazon about this. Any idea what happens now, how it plays out and the chances I'm not going to have to pay anything? Thanks. (PS ... it was fun to get the generated "How was your delivery?" message from Amazon just seconds after he drove away.)
Welp, an Amazon delivery drive crashed his truck into the corner of my house last night. He overswung a turn, took out a low overhanging roof, a gutter system, did damage to the underlying structure and wedged himself under the roof. (Always nice to have your water drainage system go down just as two days of rain and ice move in.) I got his name and number. (Remarkably, he didn't know what to do if he got into an accident.) I spoke to his dispatcher. (Remarkably HE didn't know what to do in case of an accident.) The dispatcher gave me the name and number of the owner of the trucking company contracting to Amazon. I've called him multiple times and he is not responding. So I've filed police report. And I initiated the claims process with my home owner's insurance. My question is ... what can I expect to get out of this trucking company? Especially if they decide to just not respond? My goal here is to get my deductible paid so I'm not out-of-pocket one dollar for their driver who did the damage. I assume my insurance company will go after them for something. Expectedly, there seems to be no human way to contact Amazon about this. Any idea what happens now, how it plays out and the chances I'm not going to have to pay anything? Thanks. (PS ... it was fun to get the generated "How was your delivery?" message from Amazon just seconds after he drove away.)
In my experience with auto insurance, your own insurance company will pay you for everything above the deductible and then they will go after the other party (maybe Amazon, maybe the trucking company - whoever it is they surely have insurance of their own) When your insurance company gets paid then they will reimburse you for the deductible. You shouldn't have to do anything about collecting from the others, just be patient.
posted by metahawk at 9:43 AM on February 3, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by metahawk at 9:43 AM on February 3, 2022 [7 favorites]
Amazon deliberately distances themselves from all this, so you and your insurance company will have no dealings with them. Your insurance company will handle it from here, but you should follow up on the police report (you probably should have called 911, and your insurance company may have some frustration that you didn't).
posted by Lyn Never at 9:51 AM on February 3, 2022 [11 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 9:51 AM on February 3, 2022 [11 favorites]
Did you get photos? Did you get the truck license plate? If not, your first step is to call Amazon (if you can't find the number, just type "representative" in the chat box until they ask if you want to chat or speak to someone on the phone) -- and ask them to send an email summarizing every record they have of the delivery driver/vehicle/company/geolocation/etc.
Call your homeowner's insurance, provide all the information you have, and see what else they need. Your job is to get them all the info. Their job is to go after the trucking company. The better info you give them, the better they can do at collecting and refunding your deductible.
posted by DoubleLune at 9:59 AM on February 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
Call your homeowner's insurance, provide all the information you have, and see what else they need. Your job is to get them all the info. Their job is to go after the trucking company. The better info you give them, the better they can do at collecting and refunding your deductible.
posted by DoubleLune at 9:59 AM on February 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
If you Google "What is Amazon's customer service number?" it will come up.
posted by FencingGal at 10:26 AM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by FencingGal at 10:26 AM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Amazon has structured their last mile Delivery Service Partner program to outsource liability for stuff like this and will basically be of no help to you.
Do you have pictures of the damage? If not, get them ASAP.
After that, what others has said is correct - it's between your insurance company and them at this point.
posted by Candleman at 10:42 AM on February 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
Do you have pictures of the damage? If not, get them ASAP.
After that, what others has said is correct - it's between your insurance company and them at this point.
posted by Candleman at 10:42 AM on February 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
You should try to get them to cover the deductible, as well. Take pictures, be assertive. Insurance companies try to minimize payouts, but are responsive to customers who are polite, even friendly, but require full compensation. Your insurance company's job is to get Amazon and/or its insurer to compensate you for all the damage.
posted by theora55 at 11:28 AM on February 3, 2022
posted by theora55 at 11:28 AM on February 3, 2022
You should not be contacting anyone more than you have and you should not expect to hear back from them. You have the driver's info and the company's info and you have given this to your homeowner's insurance company. They will go after the parties for the money and they should not make you wait for them to pay before making the repairs to your home. It can take several months or even longer to get the money back from the party at fault, so I think you should prepare to be out the deductible for some time period. I have a friend who waited almost 2 years to get his deductible back from a city vehicle damaging his own vehicle.
At this point, you should ask your insurance company to get an inspector out to see if anything temporary needs to be done before the actual repairs start.
The process of your insurance paying the whole repair cost and then going after the other party's company for reimbursement is called subrogation. It may work differently with auto claims than it does with property damage and depending on the state.
posted by soelo at 11:34 AM on February 3, 2022 [9 favorites]
At this point, you should ask your insurance company to get an inspector out to see if anything temporary needs to be done before the actual repairs start.
The process of your insurance paying the whole repair cost and then going after the other party's company for reimbursement is called subrogation. It may work differently with auto claims than it does with property damage and depending on the state.
posted by soelo at 11:34 AM on February 3, 2022 [9 favorites]
As someone who has worked in the insurance industry for over a decade, and has handled many similar claims, I can tell you right now the fastest route to getting it fixed is to file through your homeowner's insurance. They will pay the cost (less your homeowner's deductible) - I'm not sure of your insurance requires you to obtain independent repair estimates (as opposed to just having their person go out to do an estimate) but you may want to obtain one or two ASAP just incase.
Once they've paid you, your homeowner's insurance will then pursue ("subrogate", as we refer to it in insurance jargon) Amazon. It will likely take a while because companies are always slow with that stuff, and Amazon is going to be especially slow.
Yes, you are not at fault, and yes, it should be Amazon taking the lead on paying this upfront, but this is never how it works out because corporate insurance policies (the type that Amazon will have) are infamously slow, often engage in more red tape because of certain complexities I won't bore you over, and always want to dot every 'i' and cross every 't' before they pay you a penny (and you better believe they will nickel and dime you- best to let your homeowner's insurance deal with that hassle).
I'm sorry, I know this may not be what you want to hear, but I've had this conversation numerous times with customers and it never changes. There is always a chance you may get lucky and Amazon will make speedy handling of the claim, but if you want less headache, I really recommend eating the cost of your deductible and letting your homeowner's do the tedious work of getting Amazon to reimburse you/them.
Side note: I'm sorry this happened to you, it really sucks and is a nuisance, I know. Given how much pressure Amazon puts on their drivers and warehouse workers to complete jobs in record time, I blame Amazon more than the driver. Yeah, they were operating the vehicle when it happened, and they are absolutely at fault and caused this, but I'd focus on Amazon as the villain here. The driver did what he needed to do by giving you contact info, but it's normal for him to not know what the insurance process is for this kind of stuff (yes, believe me, this is normal) and Amazon probably makes it clear to him he's to have no further contact about this with you (or even your insurance) because they want to be in control and ensure he doesn't say or do anything that would further compromise them or their liability exposure. Sorry, I'm a big advocate for worker rights, and between Amazon's destructive management practices and their exploitative penny pinching at the expense of both their employees and even their customers, I cannot emphasize enough that the driver is not the problem here. These things always fall back to the company and the company's insurance, so it's best to put your energy there.
tl;dr: If you want to get it fixed as quickly as possible, let your homeowner's insurance pay you and then go after Amazon for the payment + any deductible you had to pay. You'll have to wait a while for the deductible but at least you'll have the rest of the money up front so you can get it fixed sooner rather than later. Getting the money back can then be your insurance carrier's headache.
posted by nightrecordings at 11:43 AM on February 3, 2022 [24 favorites]
Once they've paid you, your homeowner's insurance will then pursue ("subrogate", as we refer to it in insurance jargon) Amazon. It will likely take a while because companies are always slow with that stuff, and Amazon is going to be especially slow.
Yes, you are not at fault, and yes, it should be Amazon taking the lead on paying this upfront, but this is never how it works out because corporate insurance policies (the type that Amazon will have) are infamously slow, often engage in more red tape because of certain complexities I won't bore you over, and always want to dot every 'i' and cross every 't' before they pay you a penny (and you better believe they will nickel and dime you- best to let your homeowner's insurance deal with that hassle).
I'm sorry, I know this may not be what you want to hear, but I've had this conversation numerous times with customers and it never changes. There is always a chance you may get lucky and Amazon will make speedy handling of the claim, but if you want less headache, I really recommend eating the cost of your deductible and letting your homeowner's do the tedious work of getting Amazon to reimburse you/them.
Side note: I'm sorry this happened to you, it really sucks and is a nuisance, I know. Given how much pressure Amazon puts on their drivers and warehouse workers to complete jobs in record time, I blame Amazon more than the driver. Yeah, they were operating the vehicle when it happened, and they are absolutely at fault and caused this, but I'd focus on Amazon as the villain here. The driver did what he needed to do by giving you contact info, but it's normal for him to not know what the insurance process is for this kind of stuff (yes, believe me, this is normal) and Amazon probably makes it clear to him he's to have no further contact about this with you (or even your insurance) because they want to be in control and ensure he doesn't say or do anything that would further compromise them or their liability exposure. Sorry, I'm a big advocate for worker rights, and between Amazon's destructive management practices and their exploitative penny pinching at the expense of both their employees and even their customers, I cannot emphasize enough that the driver is not the problem here. These things always fall back to the company and the company's insurance, so it's best to put your energy there.
tl;dr: If you want to get it fixed as quickly as possible, let your homeowner's insurance pay you and then go after Amazon for the payment + any deductible you had to pay. You'll have to wait a while for the deductible but at least you'll have the rest of the money up front so you can get it fixed sooner rather than later. Getting the money back can then be your insurance carrier's headache.
posted by nightrecordings at 11:43 AM on February 3, 2022 [24 favorites]
Folks can chime in if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure it matters for you that this was Amazon versus their contractor versus a privately owned car versus UPS. I think you only need to be in touch with your insurance company, just as if your neighbor had hit your house with their car, and make sure you have exactly the police report that they need. I would stop calling Amazon and the trucking company. What do you expect them to say? They need to hear from their insurance to, and they shouldn't be talking to you.
It sucks and it's stressful. I don't think calling anyone other than the police and your insurance company is going to result in a better or faster outcome. I'd say focus on bringing in folks to get the repairs done as quickly and as well as possible.
Have you taken LOTS of photos of the damage? That seems like a good idea -- and then email them to yourself or somehow back them up in one or two different places.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:38 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
It sucks and it's stressful. I don't think calling anyone other than the police and your insurance company is going to result in a better or faster outcome. I'd say focus on bringing in folks to get the repairs done as quickly and as well as possible.
Have you taken LOTS of photos of the damage? That seems like a good idea -- and then email them to yourself or somehow back them up in one or two different places.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:38 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Ditto everybody else: get your homeowner's insurance involved ASAP. You need someone to make sure the structure was not disturbed (i.e. is there any structural danger)
Generally speaking, the driver *should* have an emergency envelope with registration and insurance information in the vehicle with him. And since he's a commercial carrier, he should have registered with the state DOT (or in case of California, PUC, which handles transportation movers, delivery, and passenger carriers) and you can look up his insurance carrier that way. But your home owner's insurance can do that for you.
There's really no need to stress over this. Your homeowner's insurance should take care of you. You bought it for that purpose. Just give them all the details you have, and they should do the rest.
posted by kschang at 1:12 PM on February 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Generally speaking, the driver *should* have an emergency envelope with registration and insurance information in the vehicle with him. And since he's a commercial carrier, he should have registered with the state DOT (or in case of California, PUC, which handles transportation movers, delivery, and passenger carriers) and you can look up his insurance carrier that way. But your home owner's insurance can do that for you.
There's really no need to stress over this. Your homeowner's insurance should take care of you. You bought it for that purpose. Just give them all the details you have, and they should do the rest.
posted by kschang at 1:12 PM on February 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I do have scores of photos including all of the markings and plates of the truck. I also have photos of the driver plus his name and contact info. Police have already been out to lay eyeballs on it and have started a report. The officer said he was going to call the company owner. Maybe that will put a little fear into him, though I doubt it. I've forwarded the incidence number to my insurance to start the claim and will turn everything else over the the adjustor when he/she contacts me tomorrow. But the context you've given me is invaluable. Thanks. I'd send you thank you gifts, but you'd have to pad your homes first.
posted by lpsguy at 1:28 PM on February 3, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by lpsguy at 1:28 PM on February 3, 2022 [6 favorites]
The officer said he was going to call the company owner. Maybe that will put a little fear into him, though I doubt it.
Maybe this isn't something you need to hear, but the company owner doesn't really need to be in fear either except for perhaps their insurance premiums. Probably the police officer is calling the owner of the company because it's a standard part of their report. The police aren't going to shake down the owner for cash for you. They're filling in paperwork. The company owner has insurance (unless they don't, but again -- not your problem). Your home insurance company will pay you; their business insurance will pay your homeowner's insurance, or, if they don't, your insurance company will write strongly worded letters or sue them or whatever. You won't even necessarily be aware of all this. I know this is stressful and terrible for you. It sucks. But for the insurance companies, this is just ... what they do. This is why we have insurance. This won't be about you versus Amazon; this is your insurance company reimbursing you for a really stupid crash and bad decisions of someone else.
posted by bluedaisy at 2:02 PM on February 3, 2022 [8 favorites]
Maybe this isn't something you need to hear, but the company owner doesn't really need to be in fear either except for perhaps their insurance premiums. Probably the police officer is calling the owner of the company because it's a standard part of their report. The police aren't going to shake down the owner for cash for you. They're filling in paperwork. The company owner has insurance (unless they don't, but again -- not your problem). Your home insurance company will pay you; their business insurance will pay your homeowner's insurance, or, if they don't, your insurance company will write strongly worded letters or sue them or whatever. You won't even necessarily be aware of all this. I know this is stressful and terrible for you. It sucks. But for the insurance companies, this is just ... what they do. This is why we have insurance. This won't be about you versus Amazon; this is your insurance company reimbursing you for a really stupid crash and bad decisions of someone else.
posted by bluedaisy at 2:02 PM on February 3, 2022 [8 favorites]
This is 1000% your insurance’s problem. Gather all the photos and evidence and contact info you have and share it with your claim — they will handle tracking down the appropriate other party and wringing the money out of them.
posted by mekily at 6:57 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mekily at 6:57 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
With all the potential damage to hour house's structure please make sure there's a structural engineer on your team. You want confidence that there is no hidden structural damage to cause problems after you've had all the repair completed.
Regarding how Insurance deals with Amazon: An Amazon truck hit my son's parked brand new shiny pick-up truck turning onto a narrow street and drove away, but nice neighbors took photos and the truck was drive-able, so based on the neighbors' info son drove around the neighborhood and found the truck with an enormous amount of front-end damage still delivering packages. It was the driver's 1st day and he was so upset he'd lose his job. I'm guessing he probably did, because after reporting it to police and insurance there was some $20k damage, including to an expensive custom ladder/tool rack in the truck bed that had to be replaced. (Not to mention whatever repairs the Amazon truck needed.)
Son's insurance handled his end efficiently, though Amazon caused delays on their end and even after the truck was repaired my son had to wait for a separate check for the replacement fancy racking system. He had to have the racks so he paid out of pocket and eventually was reimbursed. Good luck to you!
posted by citygirl at 6:50 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Regarding how Insurance deals with Amazon: An Amazon truck hit my son's parked brand new shiny pick-up truck turning onto a narrow street and drove away, but nice neighbors took photos and the truck was drive-able, so based on the neighbors' info son drove around the neighborhood and found the truck with an enormous amount of front-end damage still delivering packages. It was the driver's 1st day and he was so upset he'd lose his job. I'm guessing he probably did, because after reporting it to police and insurance there was some $20k damage, including to an expensive custom ladder/tool rack in the truck bed that had to be replaced. (Not to mention whatever repairs the Amazon truck needed.)
Son's insurance handled his end efficiently, though Amazon caused delays on their end and even after the truck was repaired my son had to wait for a separate check for the replacement fancy racking system. He had to have the racks so he paid out of pocket and eventually was reimbursed. Good luck to you!
posted by citygirl at 6:50 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
he drove away. Don't know your local laws, but it's generally not kosher to flee the scene before the police arrive. Vehicle laws may have been violated. I'd double down on your police complaint.
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:34 AM on February 3, 2022 [21 favorites]