What to Do If Your Car Is Hit by a Falling Tree While Parked on the Roadside?
2 Answers
The "Tort Liability Law" stipulates that if damage is caused to others due to the breaking of trees, the owner or manager of the trees shall bear tort liability unless they can prove they are not at fault. If the car owner does not have vehicle damage insurance, they can bring relevant documents to the landscaping department for registration and may receive 95% compensation. If the car owner has vehicle damage insurance, the insurance company can provide 70% compensation, and the remaining 30% can be claimed from the landscaping department or the responsible tree management department.
I just dealt with a similar incident last week when a branch dented my car roof. First, immediately take photos and videos, clearly capturing the tree that caused the damage, the surrounding environment, and the license plate number, while being careful not to disturb the scene. Then call 122 to report the incident to the police, who will come to issue an accident certificate. The most crucial step is contacting your insurance company to explain it's a natural disaster third-party liability case, and have the claims adjuster come for inspection. Remember to identify the tree's owner - for residential trees, contact the property management; for street trees, reach out to the urban landscaping bureau. In my case, the property management covered 70% of the repair costs, while my insurance covered the remaining 30% under the vehicle damage insurance. When getting repairs, insist that the 4S shop checks for sunroof track deformation - these hidden damages are most easily overlooked.
