Chain reaction

- David Pine | NZIJ RISK MANAGEMENT LTD


Some time ago, our client was minding her own business hanging out some washing on a rack in her garage. At about the same time her neighbour was backing out of his longish driveway. When he reached the street he checked to make sure the way was clear. There was a parked vehicle which partially obscured his view but he was satisfied all was well so he backed out into the street.

Unfortunately there was a van coming along the street which the neighbour hadn’t seen and he backed straight into the side of it.

At the same time as the collision occurred our client had finished hanging out the washing and she walked around the front of her car, between the car and the workbench.

By this time the van had completely lost control and was careering towards our client’s house at a fast clip. It spun around, came across our client’s short driveway at an angle, and slammed into the metal garage door. The force of the impact smashed  the garage door off its supports, severely damaged the rear of the car, and shunted the car forward into the workbench which resulted in serious damage to the front of the car as well.
Our client said that if she had walked through her garage a few seconds later, she would have been crushed between the car and the workbench.

Within a few minutes of the impact our client had called us. We immediately contacted the insurer who in turn appointed an assessor. There was some delay within the assessor’s office which was an issue because the client could not secure her home: there is no lock on the internal door between the garage and the house.
We contacted the assessor’s office and impressed on them the urgency of the situation. Within half an hour their man was on site.

Meantime on our advice the client called the garage door suppliers and also a towing firm to take the car away. The assessor commented later that when he got there the tow firm and the garage door people were already there so it was a bit like a railway station. The car was taken away, and the garage door was straightened out somewhat then fixed in position, which didn’t matter because as there was no car, there was no need to open it.  At least the house was secure again.

Everything was completed within two and a half hours of the accident occurring. With three bent vehicles and a bent garage door, the insurance people had a busy morning.