Recent news reports about a Pennsylvania incident in which nearly 1,000 motorists had their vehicles damaged by a tanker truck leaking roofing material all over a highway underscore the importance of being properly insured for any risks you may encounter on the road, according to Online Auto Insurance (OAI).
Most consumers are aware that causing a vehicle
accident affects insurance rates in many cases. But it’s unlikely that any of the hundreds of drivers from 16 states who were eastbound on the Pennsylvania Turnpike when the incident happened near the Ohio border in November expected a truck in front of them to spew a viscous substance all over the eastbound lanes, clogging up their vehicles and forcing them to go through the claims process in order to get their cars repaired.
Pennsylvania law requires that all drivers carry a minimum of $5,000 in med-pay coverage as well as enough liability coverage to pay for up to $15,000 for bodily injury to one person, as much as $30,000 per accident and up to $5,000 in property damage caused by policyholders.
But those liability coverages will pay only for damage that the policyholders cause, which was not the case for any of the hundreds of drivers who skidded into the oily residue left behind by the truck from MTS Transport, a Maryland trucking company.
Officials with the Pennsylvania Turnpike advised affected drivers to contact Travelers, the company that insures MTS. But in a recent motion, Travelers asked a federal court in Pittsburgh to appoint an official to oversee payment of claims.
The list of claimants includes hundreds of motorists and the companies with which they have insurance, who are also seeking payment from Travelers, which has said it does not believe the $1 million policy will be sufficient to settle all the claims.
The trucking company is reportedly seeking payment from another coverage provider with whom it has a policy for up to $4 million in excess coverage.
OAI advises motorists that there is no telling what trouble you may encounter on the road, so it’s best to be covered for any eventuality, whether it’s a leaking tanker truck or a deer or a surprise snow storm.
