A Midlothian homeowner said he is angry that the company that insured the truck driver who crashed into his house won't pay for the damage.
Tony Houston posted a giant sign in his front yard saying, "Another State Farm Claim Denied."
A State Farm policy holder had a heart attack, lost consciousness and crashed his pickup truck into the front of Houston’s home July 15. The driver died in the crash.
“It destroyed most of the furniture in the computer room (and) buckled a load-bearing wall between the living room and dining room,” Houston said.
He estimates the total damage will exceed $20,000.
Houston said he expected the driver's auto insurance company to cover the costs. But he said a State Farm claim representative told him that he would have to prove the driver was negligent, something he couldn't prove because the driver was unconscious.
State Farm denied the claim and refused to repair the damage to the Houston’s home.
In a statement, the insurance company said it conducted a detailed investigation of the crash.
“Specific conditions must be met before State Farm has an obligation to compensate a third-party claimant on behalf of our policyholder," the company said. "One of these conditions is that the insured person must be legally liable for the damages. The act of being involved in an event does not, in and of itself, create legal liability.”
When reached by phone, State Farm would not explain why it determined the driver was not legally liable.
The Houstons estimate they will be out at least $1,000 to fix damage from a crash they had nothing to do with.
"I turned it over to my homeowner's (insurance)," Houston said. "They are going to fix the house, but I will have the deductible to pay."
He said he is also worried his homeowner's insurance premiums will rise.
