A foreman hired a telehandler to assist him and his team in the bricklaying of a large commercial building. He visited his local rental shop, verified that he had used similar machines many times before and didn’t need instructions on how to use them, so he signed the appropriate paperwork after showing the shop employee his proof of insurance.
Back on site, the foreman and his team got to work. The ground around the building had not yet been leveled to begin landscaping. There were many dips and valleys. They managed to overturn the telehandler. No one was injured and the equipment does not appear to be seriously damaged. They decided to fix the unit themselves, believing that no one would ever know. Unfortunately, there was damage they couldn’t see. They caused even more damage when they used another heavy piece of machinery that was already in place to lift the telehandler.
An employee of the tenant customer returned the unit and did not mention the incident. The rental shop employee quickly realized upon inspection that all was not well. The rental shop attempted to file a claim with the rental customer’s insurance only to find that the policy had been canceled due to non-payment. They then filed with their own insurance company. The insurer will cover the damage minus the deductible based on the language of the policy, then pursue the rental customer directly for reimbursement.
This article, provided byARA insurance,Overland Park, Kan., contains safety advice and is intended to help readers better understand and manage risk. For more information on safety and risk management, customers of ARA Insurance can log on toResource. Access is free, so if you haven’t signed up yet, contact your agent or call 800-821-6580.
