Rock from Lawn Mower Hit and Chipped The Car - Wwyd?

omicron on 18/12/2022 - 20:22
Last edited 20/12/2022 - 01:16 by 2 other users

G'day folks.

Am I over reacting/ over thinking here? Please help me figure out.

A guy was mowing his front nature strip, I was driving past that. A rock from his lawn mower came flying towards my car (what a luck hey!), the impact was hard, and the rock(not Dwayne Johnson) chipped the paint on my bonnet and also chipped the windshield.

I've the dashcam footage (I had to slow the footage down to check), hence the weird noise. You can see(and hopefully hear) the impact at around 0:08 seconds to 0:11 seconds time.

Footage: https://imgur.com/a/eelT0JO

3 paint chips on the bonnet, went through the clear coat and to the metal. One 7mm chip, other 5 mm chip, and another 2-3mm chip. All went through clear, primer and to metal.

One 3mm chip on the front windshield (not cracked), but very noticeable.

Pics:
https://imgur.com/a/pIvPFy8
https://imgur.com/a/Eo2Z0V2

I stopped, assessed the damage, turned around and spoke to the guy who was mowing the lawn. He obviously denied hearing anything (even though he turned towards my car as soon as there was an impact). I was polite to him, he was polite back, but he said there's nothing he could do about it as he doesn't know if the rock was from his lawnmower and if the damage was already there before. He was sorry though, if it did indeed hit my car. He told me I can get a touch up paint to get it fixed(which I already know).

I blamed my misfortune and decided to go home and not do anything about it but then only noticed the chipped damage on the Windshield after getting home, and thought this could probably make the car unroadworthy. But I might be over thinking here.

Also, the chipped paint could also set me back few hundred dollars if I was to get it professionally fixed (I know i can touch them up myself but that could look noticeable).

I keep my car in an immaculate condition, its always garaged. Always use wax, polish, detail perfect every wash. There is not a single dent anywhere on the car, but obviously its my words against his, and he could deny any liability and say the damage was already there.

I have comprehensive car insurance but no windshield cover :( I've never claimed anything on the insurance before, been an excellent driver for past 18 years, even unsure of any claims process in this situation since there is no accident/collision here.

What would you do if you were in my shoes? Any leads would be appreciative please.

Update:

Going to fix the car myself and move on with this, hence deleted the pics and dash footage, not going to entertain some trolls on here anymore

Automotive Lawn Mower

closed Comments

  • iNeed2Pee on 18/12/2022 - 20:35
    +12

    Honestly If I stopped because a rock hit my car every-time by someone on the road, I would be on the side of the Monash 24/7 taking down people’s regos. This includes people cutting their grass/whipper snipping and even vac blowing debris onto the road.

    Move on. Just unlucky to be honest. Give it a few years, you will have 100 of those minor marks all over your vehicle.

    • omicron on 18/12/2022 - 20:40
      +1

      Fair enough, makes me feel bit better. I was just unsure of the chipped damage on the windshield though. The paint damage doesn't bother me too much, will learn to live with it.

      • iNeed2Pee on 18/12/2022 - 20:53
        +1

        Is it in your eye line when driving? Just keep an eye on it, I know if a piece of debris actually comes off a truck or a car and hits you then you do have a case for sure.
        In this instance, it is just bad luck:(. Take out windscreen cover for sure like the user said below:)

    • chrisn26 on 18/12/2022 - 20:40
      -1

      Which streets do you drive so I can avoid, lol.

      • iNeed2Pee on 18/12/2022 - 20:48
        +2

        Avoid them all just to be safe 😂😂

    • darshu on 19/12/2022 - 13:01

      I agree with you. When I am moving my lawn, I am always careful. I always idle the whipper-snipper so that no rocks are thrown.

  • Muzeeb on 18/12/2022 - 20:36
    +7

    bonnet

    I'm guessing you meant bonut

  • Bafranz on 18/12/2022 - 20:39
    +4

    get window cover.. wait a few months then claim (for the window chip only)

    • Ryanek on 19/12/2022 - 13:35

      Hey, this is actual fraud yo

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 18/12/2022 - 20:55
    +19

    Where did you learn to drive? That right hand turn is abysmal. So concerned about wax and polish, and this tiny chip, yet you're happy to just yeet your car into a side street in the wrong lane into potential head on collisions.

    • omicron on 18/12/2022 - 20:59
      +1

      Thanks for your input. I'll consider taking driving lessons.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 19/12/2022 - 11:26
        -1

        I love the fact you think someone pointing out your absolute crap driving is "trolling". Says it all really.

        • omicron on 19/12/2022 - 11:34

          Thanks again for your valuable input 'on the matter' - yes, your point is noted, it was a crap driving on my part for a brief moment - I accepted it, what more do you want? My absolute crap driving has nothing to do with the causation of the situation. It didn't 'cause' the situation of the rock from lawn mower hitting my car with/without my crap driving, who are you to police me on my driving? I had a clear view of the oncoming traffic on the narrow street and I took the turn trying to keep away from a kid who was on his bike before the turn. Were you there? No, so keep your judgements to yourself. The fact that you keep coming back on this forum to post your irrelevant comment suggests you have nothing better to do with your life and you clearly fall into the definition of an 'Internet Troll'

          • wordplay on 19/12/2022 - 12:00
            +1

            @omicron: look at some tutorials about hitting the apex of corners, saving a few tenths of a second there to get max acceleration out of the corner could have had you past the mowing guy before the rocks had been thrown out. a real sliding doors moment.
            good luck.

          • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 19/12/2022 - 12:11

            @omicron:

            Told they drive crap
            Fully acknowledge and accept they drive crap, but yea na you troll for saying

            • omicron on 19/12/2022 - 12:20

              @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: Congratulations, you win a medal for saying. Anything else you want to add on, let it out and be the ideal driving roll model for the benefit of others like me?

              • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 19/12/2022 - 12:25

                @omicron: It's a forum, not an echo chamber or a podium. As you basically acknowledged yourself, people will comment. You cannot just upload a video clip as bad as yours was and blame everyone else when they (rightfully) comment on said video.

                I'm glad you're exploring driving lesson options and wish you the best of luck in your future legal driving endeavours.

  • Some Human on 18/12/2022 - 21:00
    +3

    That's just one of those sh** happens moments. I stopped giving a rats about the aesthetics of my car 2 years after I bought it. Not worth the stress.

  • nubzy on 18/12/2022 - 21:03
    +1

    It happens unfortunately. I had a brand new windscreen and next day it had 3 noticeable chips caused by stones kicked up by a truck on the highway. There are minor chips in the paint too, but touch up paint takes care of them and you wont even notice them.

  • jizmo on 18/12/2022 - 21:15

    Hit your car that hard to chip paint yet the bloke is in a pair of shorts 2 foot from the blades pushing a mower and not bleeding to death from rock debris.
    Fkn true Aussie Oath ay.
    Cutting corners on roads says your already a shit driver

    • iNeed2Pee on 18/12/2022 - 21:51

      I always wear shorts and a tshirt. Sometimes no goggles as well just for an adrenaline rush!!!

    • omicron on 19/12/2022 - 11:50

      @jizmo Thanks for your comment champ. Very helpful

  • AustriaBargain on 18/12/2022 - 21:17
    +1

    Maybe if you weren't driving to slow this wouldn't have happened. Judging by your video you were driving at no more than three frames per second while listening to creepy music.

  • GourmetFoodie on 18/12/2022 - 21:23
    +1

    That’s just bad damn luck :(

  • GordonD on 18/12/2022 - 21:28
    +1

    If he was a professional mower guy, or, say, a council mower guy, he should have insurance you can claim on.

    If it was just someone mowing their own lawn you're probably out of luck. There may be some obscure clause in his home insurance that might cover it, perhaps someone knows. If not then all you can do is take it on the chin, or try your insurer. In fact try your insurer anyway.

    There are windscreen repairers that can fix chips with epoxy that's a lot cheaper than a new windscreen. You should google for one in your area for whether they can do it and at what price. There are even do it yourself kits from car parts shops.

    Every new car owner loves it until it gets the first ding or chip, and it hurts them when they see it happen, and every time they see the damage. But something eventually happens to every car. Get some touchup paint and a windscreen chip repair and move on.

    • Coops1 on 19/12/2022 - 07:33

      ”If he was a professional mower guy, or, say, a council mower guy, he should have insurance you can claim on.”>

      No chance of claiming against his insurance. I think he would tell you where to go, just like the “someone guy”.

  • SnoozeAndLose on 18/12/2022 - 21:33
    +1

    Add the windshield cover and claim next time with a larger rock hit, it is about $50 more and won't affect your no-claim bonus

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 18/12/2022 - 22:04

    Nah about the same as copping a rock etc on the highway

  • Stopback on 19/12/2022 - 00:31

    but he said there's nothing he could do about it as he doesn't know if the rock was from his lawnmower and if the damage was already there before. He was sorry though, if it did indeed hit my car.

    Wouldn't say he was nice. But just quick thinking. How big was the rock.

    • kiitos on 19/12/2022 - 10:48

      Quick thinking… Or it happens to him a lot.

  • tebbybabes on 19/12/2022 - 06:46
    +2

    If you're concerned about the windscreen, have a resin repair done on it. In my experience, O'Briens is dearer than an independent. Anyway, 30 mins and it's all good.

    • omicron on 19/12/2022 - 10:52

      Thanks, I might give this a go

  • juzza87 on 19/12/2022 - 07:44
    +3

    From a liability point of view what could the person mowing have done to prevent the incident from occurring? Mowing always has a chance to yeet debris whether it's rocks, sticks, etc. It's not like it's a common or accepted practice to put up a shield around the nature strip when mowing, and it's wasn't caused due to a lack of maintenance on the mower or the mowing technique. It's also a requirement that the homeowner maintains the land.

    The fact that you've identified the damage and when it occurred doesn't mean anything.

  • mapax on 19/12/2022 - 07:53
    -1

    Surprised that certain type of weekday OzBargainer hasn’t started screeching about compensation yet, guess it’s still too early for them…

  • wordplay on 19/12/2022 - 08:53

    This is why I only drive the camry when its raining, way less chance of people out mowing the lawn.

    have had council slashing throw up rocks and chip/crack a couple of car windscreens and council has footed the bill on all 3 occasions (this was regional NSW - 3 diff councils).

    • Seraphin7 on 19/12/2022 - 09:12
      +2

      Important to keep that Camry in concourse condition. Of course, driving it in the rain will require you to immediately buff it when you get home with quadruple thickness microfibre, pre-warmed to precisely 27 degrees.

      • Muzeeb on 19/12/2022 - 09:16
        +2

        I was told 28 degrees. One of us is doing it wrong.

        • Seraphin7 on 19/12/2022 - 09:25
          +3

          No, no, no … that's the credit card!

          At 28 degrees you risk a small, but significant exothermic reaction underneath the clear coat.

          For many years you won't notice it as it's at the molecular level, but eventually this reaction works it's way into the base metal creating a corrosion that cannot be fixed.

          Many a 12 year old Camry has been cut down in this way just as it's hitting its prime.

          • Muzeeb on 19/12/2022 - 09:32
            +4

            @Seraphin7: That explains my premature clear coat failure. The dealership had no idea and I've already paid them $2.5k for no solution.

            • wordplay on 19/12/2022 - 11:46

              @Muzeeb: the Camry will last a lifetime, the small amount spent at the dealership now will see it going strong for another decade (or 5), I would keep doing diagnostics until they can find the issue, already invested 2.5K may aswell keep going. hell it will probably look better than off the production line if you spend enough on it.

              Remember they are not making anymore of the 1998 models, and will struggle to ever produce as good a car. a collectors item for sure, but also a drivers car. treasure it and it will repay you 10 fold.

  • cashless on 19/12/2022 - 08:57

    Should have been using your tradie deflector shields

  • Seraphin7 on 19/12/2022 - 09:11

    This is definitely in the camp of "sh!t happens".

    While it's admirable that you keep your car in "showroom condition" it's not on the world to keep it that way. Minor dings and similar from debris getting thrown up by people going about their day-to-day business is a fact of life.

    I've suffered a couple of windshield cracks from stones getting flicked up by other cars while driving. Am I supposed to chuck and handbrake turn and chase them down the street for details?

  • coffeeinmyveins on 19/12/2022 - 09:42

    but he said there's nothing he could do about it as he doesn't know if the rock was from his lawnmower and if the damage was already there before

    How do you know it was from this guy?

    I keep my car in an immaculate condition

    Cool, that's not how the real world works though. It will get damaged. What car is it? Unless it's a $500k+ car you're probably being too precious.

  • User210686 on 19/12/2022 - 10:08
    +1

    Sounds like you take very good care of your car and that even small imperfections annoy you.
    I would go through insurance and pay excess to get everything fixed to factory finish, and once the paint dries after 1-2 months get a PPF which should be reimbursed by your insurer.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 19/12/2022 - 12:13

      get everything fixed to factory finish

      Great idea except practically every PDS will include a 'pre-existing damage' clause.

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