Bedford Man Says Highway Sign Totaled His Car
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BEDFORD (CBSDFW.COM) - Imagine driving down the road at 60 miles an hour when your car gets crushed by a falling construction sign. Matt Schierlman says it happened to him.
"I've always driven cautiously," Schierlman told Consumer Justice. He was driving east-bound on Highway 183, on his way to work, passing a construction zone between Industrial and Main in Euless, driving 60 miles an hour. "There were some big vehicles around me," he recalls.
He remembers seeing an orange construction sign. "(it) was teetering back and forth," he said. Schierlman tried to change lanes but it was too late. "Bam! That's when it hit the windshield!" He says the sign fell on top of his car, shattering his windshield, crushing his passenger side, ripping off his hood. "My adrenaline is pumping and I am shaking a little bit," he remembers.
Fortunately, he didn't hit any other cars.
He filed a police report and called his insurance company who said it couldn't do anything because he had liability insurance only. "As far as the total loss of the vehicle. It was $7000," Schierlman told CBS11.
He called SouthGate Constructors, who are contracted by the Texas Department of Transportation, in charge of the construction site. Schierlman says initially they declined to help him.
"They indicated that they had done the research and were not going to be held liable," he said. But by law, construction companies contracted by TxDOT are responsible for posting and maintaining traffic signs in the construction zones.
After Consumer Justice reached out, SouthGate and Schierlman reached a resolution. SouthGate sent us a statement saying "SouthGate Constructors has worked with Mr. Schierlman to resolve this issue. We consistently monitor signage stability in our construction zone and take additional precautions for severe weather. We will continue to monitor project signage to ensure the safety of those traveling through or working on the corridor."
Consumer Justice reached out to the state as well. TxDOT said that their engineers routinely inspect construction zones. They can issue a warning or withhold payment for violations.
If this ever happens to you, you should immediately file a claim with the responsible party. TxDOT can tell you which contractor is responsible. And if it is TxDOT, claims can be filed on their website here.
If you only have liability – you are not reimbursed for the damage to your car. You must have comprehensive insurance to claim damage done to your vehicle.
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