RoughCollie Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 My friend's car windshield was cracked all the way across by a bullet yesterday when there was a shootout in a hotel parking lot. Luckily she was safely in her hotel room when it happened. She is in Boston metro and it is cold and it's Sunday so the insurance company isn't open. Does anyone know if her car's heater will cause the entire windshield to crack into a zillion pieces and fall out? http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/02/14/shooting-reported-at-milford-holiday-inn/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 What kind of insurance company has no way to contact them during non business hours? I have no idea if that will happen though. Either way, glad she is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 What kind of insurance company has no way to contact them during non business hours? IDK ... I guess she didn't think of that. I will tell her to try to contact them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Sounds like a science experiment. Have her try it and find out! Serious answer - all insurance co's I know have 24/7 coverage for accidents etc. Have her call them. There are glass replacement companies that can come to you onsite and fix things. If the glass is grazed then the window might not shatter. If the crack goes all the way through the glass, then maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Does she know her deductible? We've had plenty of windshields replaced, but they've never come near our $500 deductible, so we didn't need them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 Jean, I told her to call her insurer and to call glass replacement companies to see if any are open today. I don't think she is thinking straight because usually she has more common sense than any 10 people put together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I had a crack in my windshield once that was not entirely all the way through but close to it. The heater did not shatter it entirely on a day like today but it did cause it to crack even more. I imagine with a hole in the windshield it is more likely to shatter than just cracking more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 Does she know her deductible? We've had plenty of windshields replaced, but they've never come near our $500 deductible, so we didn't need them. Well, when I lived in Mass, windshield replacement was 100% covered by insurance no matter what. It was required by law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Yup. Windshield replacement is either usually free or a smaller deductible than the regular collision one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 It was cheaper to just pay for it than our deductible here. I think it varies by state. I don't think the cold will break it. Windshields are pretty strong glass. But I'll bet she can get it fixed with in the next day or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Glass is often an exception to the deductible. But yeah the glass repair/replace people can come right out to wherever you are and fix it on the spot. They will often handle the claim for you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I would not be thinking straight in that situation. It must have been quite frightening for her to hear the gunshots and then find out that her car was damaged by one of the bullets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Windshields are fully covered here. The last one we had replaced was last winter. Oldest DS's vehicle's windshield had a chip in it that suddenly cracked one day. The glass repair guy said their busiest times are winter and summer. He said the sudden change in temperature when somebody gets in a cold car and cranks up the heat, or a hot car and cranks up the AC, will cause chips to crack. I don't know if a crack would be likely to get a lot worse. Even in the worst case scenario I doubt the windshield would crack into a zillion pieces and fall out, though. FWIW, we used one of the places that comes to you. I think it was SafeLite. It took maybe thirty minutes to replace the windshield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 It depends on the crack. A long time ago I had a long crack all the way across the bottom of my windshield and every time I turned on the heat on a cold morning it would POP and CRACK and get a little bit longer. But it held out for a long time. I didn't have the money to get it fixed, obviously. And it will depend on if she has glass coverage. Many states have a way that people who have losses due to crimes can get reimbursed. It is often called The Crime Victim's Board. But, she's not exactly the victim of the crime. But, there is a good chance she might be able to get some of her costs reimbursed. And she might not want to ask her insurance company to pay for the windshield. Even if you have glass coverage, actually using said coverage will make your rates go through the roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5of5 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I had a windshield crack solely due to the heater without any initial damage, so I think it could definitely get worse. As others said, even though I doubt it will break into a million pieces, I would still get it replaced ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 It depends on the crack. A long time ago I had a long crack all the way across the bottom of my windshield and every time I turned on the heat on a cold morning it would POP and CRACK and get a little bit longer. But it held out for a long time. I didn't have the money to get it fixed, obviously. And it will depend on if she has glass coverage. Many states have a way that people who have losses due to crimes can get reimbursed. It is often called The Crime Victim's Board. But, she's not exactly the victim of the crime. But, there is a good chance she might be able to get some of her costs reimbursed. And she might not want to ask her insurance company to pay for the windshield. Even if you have glass coverage, actually using said coverage will make your rates go through the roof. Not here. It has no effect at all on your insurance premium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 My friend's car windshield was cracked all the way across by a bullet yesterday when there was a shootout in a hotel parking lot. Luckily she was safely in her hotel room when it happened. She is in Boston metro and it is cold and it's Sunday so the insurance company isn't open. Does anyone know if her car's heater will cause the entire windshield to crack into a zillion pieces and fall out? http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/02/14/shooting-reported-at-milford-holiday-inn/ It probably won't fall out. That happened to me once, from a rock, not a bullet! She should replace it if it is cracked all the way across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Holy cow, my dd was born in Milford! Its not a bad area really. Glad your friend was safe inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 My windshield was hit by a rock a couple years ago and the crack has stayed the same despite dh's dire warnings to the effect that it would grow until the whole thing fell apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 My windscreen replacement is free and doesn't affect premiums. In this case I imagine the insurance company would pay for the replacement and try and get the money back from any reparation fund that existed. And maybe tape the crack before turning on the heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.