Since 2013, the United States Postal Service has furthered a move that will save the agency billions of dollars. By requiring owners of newly constructed homes to use curbside mailboxes like those used by millions of other homeowners and renters, associated costs will be cut significantly.
Though the change favors cost-cutting efforts, it does involve a degree of inconvenience for those used to the traditional delivery at the door front. That downside, however, does not compare to the real risk the newly introduced location – near the road – presents: exposure to damage from a colliding auto or other type of vehicle.
Due to the fact that mailboxes located at the side of the road are in close proximity of constant car and truck movement, there is an extremely heightened risk of them getting hit and damaged.
Can I File a Related Insurance Claim?
Should another driver hit your mailbox, be sure to ask for his phone number and address as well as his driver’s license information. Following that, make an official police report and file an insurance claim with the driver’s auto insurance. Buy another mailbox like the one you are replacing and save the sales slip so that there is cost proof for insurance recompense.
As life goes, chances are you may not be home if and when your mailbox gets damaged by another car. Then what, right?
Check your doors for contact info that may be left by a summoned police officer or the driver him or herself. You can also call the police and see if there was a police report filed about the accident. In the event you do not discover a note with pertinent contact information or anything about an associated police report, be sure to file a hit-and-run accident police report as soon as possible. If that leads you nowhere, you can still opt for a homeowners insurance claim. Be prepared for either a flat out denial or a denial based on not meeting deductible requisites, though.
In the event your mailbox retained damage due to vandalism, you can do either of the following:
• Make a police report so that you will get repaid by the vandal when apprehended as part of a court decision.
• You can also see if your homeowners insurance policy will cover you for an act of vandalism of this sort. Consult with your independent insurance agency for a professional take on the matter.
