‘They are 100% liable’: Woman says truck companies have to pay if loose gravel damages your car—even if they have a sticker saying they’re not responsible

Drivers are responsible for broken windshields when debris flies off a truck, aren't they?

Most trucks have a sticker within view clearly stating, "Stay back 100 feet, not responsible for broken windshields," or something to that effect.

Online advice giver Callie (@_cal_cifer) claims the sticker is essentially meaningless. If unsecured debris damages your vehicle, the trucking companies should be responsible for paying for it."

Callie posted her claims to her TikTok account last Thursday. Since then, it has received over 293,900 views.

But about that sticker?

"How can gravel trucks have a sticker saying 'not responsible for broken windshields' and it's like, okay, I guess you're covered," Callie asks at the beginning of her video.

She then claims, "They can't. That's not how it works and they are still a 100% liable if they crack your windshield or damage your car in any way."

Using the sign "is one of the best and sketchiest tactics that companies use," she tells her viewers.

"The message that we as other drivers receive is, if gravel comes off [a] truck, cracks my windshield, you are not liable because you said so up front," she states. "They are just hoping that you never do your due diligence and try and follow up with them."

"They are a 100% liable," she claims again. "So if you ever get a cracked windshield because of flying gravel, make sure you get the name of the [trucking] company. Make sure you follow up."

"Because they should be paying for a new windshield," she concludes.

Are truck companies at fault?

Is Callie's advice valid? Who is responsible for a cracked windshield?

According to the Schwartz and Schwartz legal firm website, "Is it a good idea to stay back a few hundred feet when you are traveling behind a dump truck? Absolutely!"

"Is the driver of the dump truck responsible if debris comes out of the truck and hits your windshield? Absolutely!" it continues.

Personal injury attorney Ben Schwartz explains, "Drivers of dump trucks have a legal obligation in every state, in the United States, to keep the load secured." 

Turner Law Group states, "Ultimately, the driver must do everything in their power to ensure that what they are carrying cannot become unsecured while their truck is in motion."

However, the law group continues, "If a rock flies out of a truck and hits the ground before it hits your vehicle, then the truck driver is no longer liable for the windshield damage."

"This is because a rock coming off the road is considered a 'roadway hazard' rather than a securing problem from a truck driver," it notes. Hence the use of the warning signs.

UNLV Boyd School of Law professor Robert Correales told the Pahrump Valley Times, "If you have enough evidence you have a good chance to recover (damages)."

He explains, “The civil threshold for recovery is nearly preponderance of the evidence, which is a little more than 50 percent possible."

As a result, many claims are settled by insurance before a case is brought to trial.

@_cal_cifer The more you know! #themoreyouknow #education #driving #petpeeves #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Cali

What her viewers thought

Viewer OriginalBurgundy (@originalburgandy) wrote, "Yup, that sticker doesn’t mean anything."

Another viewer agreed, noting, "it’s their job to secure the load and that means gravel flying too."

"Stay back 300 feet makes me laugh. they change lanes to get in front of you and you're lucky if there's a car length never mind 300 ft," another observed.

Another added, "Proving it used to be hard but even now, not everyone has a dash cam."

"Name of company, time and location, truck identifier number," another advised.

The Daily Dot reached out to Callie via email and TikTok messenger for further comment.

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The post ‘They are 100% liable’: Woman says truck companies have to pay if loose gravel damages your car—even if they have a sticker saying they’re not responsible appeared first on The Daily Dot.

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