I was driving down a street in our subdivision, going the speed limit of 25MPH, when all the sudden I felt a sudden jar, heard a terrible noise and my airbag deployed. I had no idea what happened until I stopped the car, got out and looked back. Behind me was a big load of gravel, the same exact color as the road. I was looking straight ahead at the road and did not see the pile. The pile blended in perfectly with the road, front and top. There was nothing behind the pile to make it stand out, ex: a truck. It happened at 11:33am and was very sunny. There were no traffic cones, barriers, signs, flagers around this pile at all. And it was centered my side of the road. There were 2 men that were working at the house that the gravel belonged to. No English. I called police, and when he got there he ordered the men to remove the pile from the road immediately. He looked over the scene and found me not at fault. He saw how the pile blended into the color of the road. My 2013 Nissan Rogue has $6900 damages, I have a terrible bruises on my stomach from the seat belt locking up, and 1st degree chemical burn on the left hand from airbag. I called my insurance, which I thought I was supposed to do. My adjuster told me that she was leaning towards saying I was at fault. I am livid. There was a man that came out of his house when the accident happened and he told me that he came so close to doing the same thing in his work van. Another neighbor said she would have hit it if it wasn't for the truck being behind the pile when she came down the road.
Isn't there a law against dumping gravel in a public roadway, and not putting safety measures in place? I finally heard from the insurance company for the Landscaping Company that was responsible for dumping the load in the road. He is supposed to get back to me in a couple days. I have been so stressed over this that I can't sleep and my stomach is locked up. I can't eat without being sick afterwards.
Do you have any recommendations for me? I have never had something like this where I have come across a company so negligent with public safety. Is this something that I should get a lawyer for? Can my insurance rule that it was my fault even though the police officer who saw the scene deemed it not my fault? Please advise.
Isn't there a law against dumping gravel in a public roadway, and not putting safety measures in place? I finally heard from the insurance company for the Landscaping Company that was responsible for dumping the load in the road. He is supposed to get back to me in a couple days. I have been so stressed over this that I can't sleep and my stomach is locked up. I can't eat without being sick afterwards.
Do you have any recommendations for me? I have never had something like this where I have come across a company so negligent with public safety. Is this something that I should get a lawyer for? Can my insurance rule that it was my fault even though the police officer who saw the scene deemed it not my fault? Please advise.