Power Surge Due To Car Crashing Into Pole

[g00dgirl]

This morning a car hit a power pole in our street.

The power was out all day and it took until the late afternoon until they put everything back together. The entire pole was ripped out of the ground and phone and power lines all over the place.

When the power went out I was already concerned because some down-lights in our house exploded with bright flashes.

This afternoon when power was back up, I noticed a lot of damage that is not only very inconvenient but will also be expensive to fix.

(The video intercom of the house, the main gate, one aircon unit, 2 laptops, a brand new portable video player, one phone charger, light bulbs ... I could not yet check everything else)

Where could I try to claim all this damage?

[harrry]

Change countries and you may find if it happens there you may sue....if you can prove it. Nothing you can do about it but invest in surge protectors to help next time.

[Benjie]

Your House Insurance.

[MisterMan]

happened to me before.. and many other people.. I had a USB but it goes wacky with my bad electric. do the power strips with a fuse offer any protection?

Sorry about all your stuff!

[geriatrickid]

You can claim under your household insurance, but that doesn't mean you will be indemnified. An "All Risk" policy says you are insured for all perils except as otherwise excluded and limited. The damage has to be direct physical damage. Consequential loss, or indirect damage is excluded. There will sometimes be a section that reads back in coverage for the indirect damage. For example, there will be a sublimit granted for the loss of food in a freezer. Read your policy exclusions. Power surges are insured if they are due to direct physical damage and if they in turn cause direct phsyical damage. If the electrical disruption caused a fire, the resulting fire damage would be insured. The issue that arises, is that while "sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical currents" is covered, there is usually a clause that excludes various items such as computers, chips etc.

Same thing goes for the damage due to impact from an automobile: It has to be direct damage. If the pole that was hit, wasn't on your property, then it becomes indirect damage. Had the car hit the house or the pole fallen on the hosue, you'd be insured.

The automobile insurance policy provides 3rd party liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage. You're best shot is to go after the vehicle owner. The upside of the car having hit public property is that there will be a police report with all of the driver's details including the insurance particulars. You will most likely have to make the demand to the auto owner with a copy to the insurer. The request will most likely be ignored, which means that you will have to retain legal counsel to pursue. Note too that the downside of making a claim under the auto policy, is that the insurer will most likely only pay based upon the actual cash value of what was damaged. You are indemnified for the actual loss sustained. Under a residential policy, you usually are indemnified under a replacement cost basis (if you asked for the clause).

Depending upon the total value of the loss, once you add up the costs of a lawyer, the time needed to make the claim and all the extra costs required to grease palms, you may find it less aggravating and costly to just pay for the damage yourself. Remember that if you do any repairs and hope to claim, you need to document everything and also have given the 3rd party a chance to address the damages. If repairs are made without advising the responsible party and his/her insurer, you prejudice the case.

Been there, done this and can tell you that it was easier for me to swallow the costs. Wasting time chasing down people carries a cost to both the wallet & sanity.

[g00dgirl]

Thanks geriatrickid and others,

the first opinions from Thai friends was also to claim from the driver who caused everything in the first place. I am renting the house and the owner is overseas so this would make claiming via house insurance complicated.

Unfortunately I can not wait to arrange repairs and replacements because it affects the security of the house in case of the gate and intercom and I can't wait to get the aircon fixed and need replacements for IT equipment immediately. But I will document all costs I had due to this and try to approach the person who caused the accident later. I was told who the driver was.

I am aware of surge protectors and many of my devices where on protected sockets or behind a UPS, but there will always be some things that happen to be plugged in directly into the wall without extra protection and fixed installations that I was not responsible for like gate, intercom, aircon ..

[stevenl]

I am renting the house and the owner is overseas so this would make claiming via house insurance complicated.

That probably makes claiming via house insurance impossible. Chances are your landlord does not have an insurance for the content of the house, so there would be no coverage for anything that is not nailed to the house. And are you sure there is insurance for the house itself? I would not be surprised at all if the owner tells you that that is your responsibility.

[katabeachbum]

Thanks geriatrickid and others,

the first opinions from Thai friends was also to claim from the driver who caused everything in the first place. I am renting the house and the owner is overseas so this would make claiming via house insurance complicated.

Unfortunately I can not wait to arrange repairs and replacements because it affects the security of the house in case of the gate and intercom and I can't wait to get the aircon fixed and need replacements for IT equipment immediately. But I will document all costs I had due to this and try to approach the person who caused the accident later. I was told who the driver was.

I am aware of surge protectors and many of my devices where on protected sockets or behind a UPS, but there will always be some things that happen to be plugged in directly into the wall without extra protection and fixed installations that I was not responsible for like gate, intercom, aircon ..

You need to claim from the car/driver, probably by filing a policereport.

[LivinLOS]

Personally I would be stunned if you get any money out of anyone (unless perhaps the driver was farang and the police are offered a cut).

Blown electrics are just an additional cost of life here.. I have a lot of gear, I am a bit of a techhead, multiple computers as media servers and clients (but those are sorta cheap) some mid end audiophile gear, projectors and the like.. I put it all behind surge protectors and ups's but its a constant hassle.. My audio receiver is acting up now and will need replacing, I have had my 7500 USD speakers refurbed twice, etc etc etc..

Live modestly like a thai, have crap stuff and replace it when it blows.. Then its cheap, but want to have nice tech, good gear, gets to be a pain.