BK Blog Post
Posted by Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Managing Director, Editorial, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
Cracked windshields can be expensive to replace but here's a way to get them done for free:
Next time you have a cracked windshield, be vigilant about who you are driving behind. While on the road, if you see a truck hauling rocks or wood, take note of the phone number on the back that asks for any issues or complaints with the vehicle to be reported. Make sure that the vehicle is owned by a large company or firm first, then call them up and say that a loose rock/object fell from the back of the truck and hit your windshield and cracked it. They will check records on their end and those records will show that one of their vehicles was in fact on the road and hauling materials at the time and place you indicate the incident took place. They will then most likely arrange for you to be compensated for a new windshield.
This sort of thing does happen and companies don't blame their employees or drivers for such things that are beyond their control--just in case you were worried that somebody would get fired.