Snowplow damage your vehicle? Without video evidence compensation may be out of reach

Motorists who discover their vehicles have been damaged by Toronto snowplows will have a hard time getting the city to cover the cost.

It appears without video evidence the burden of proof is too high.

On Feb. 23, Hagop Anjrkouchian’s was parked on Jones Avenue in Leslieville, when his car recorded footage of a snowplow hitting and damaging his tail light and charging port.

“I was lucky enough because I drive a Tesla and the car records if there’s any accident,” he told CTV News Toronto.

The crash, he said, resulted in him paying a $1,000 deductible for the $14,000 worth of damage to the vehicle. He said he put in a claim to the city and is waiting.

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Meanwhile, Samantha Miller, who was parked directly behind Anjrkouchian discovered her side mirror had been broken on the same night. Initially, after contacting the city and submitting photos, she said she was told to get in touch with her insurance and wasn’t getting anywhere.

Miller paid $300 to fix the mirror and because the vehicle was no longer legal to drive, she said, she also missed two days pay because she couldn’t go to work.

But Miller’s chances of a claim changed after meeting Anjrkouchian and learning about the video which also captured her mirror behind hit by the plow. Miller said she ended up making a claim with Anjrkouchian, and tying her claim to his with the video evidence.

A number of cars allegedly damaged by a City of Toronto snowplow are seen in this image.

Both Anjrkouchian and Miller said in total four vehicles were damaged that night, including Miller’s father’s side mirror. The video from the Tesla didn’t capture his damage, Miller said, so he paid around $300 to fix it and didn’t put in a claim.

Miller said having to have video evidence is too high a burden of proof.

“If we have a ring camera on our house we wouldn’t have caught the roadside, where we are being hit,” said Miller.

“They still could have come back to me and said, ‘Well you can’t prove that they actually hit you. It could have been anything that hit you’. I don’t think it’s fair. I can’t get a $100,000 car that would record me getting hit.”

One of Hagop Anjrkouchian’s vehicles that was allegedly damaged by a City of Toronto snowplow is seen in this image. (Supplied)

Anjrkouchian said the images show it’s obvious the mirrors were hit by the plows. He and Miller both feel for others in the neighbourhood who seem to have no recourse.

The City of Toronto tells CTV News Toronto since the start of winter it has only received two claims for alleged damage to vehicles by plows.

CLAIM 'COMPLETED' WITHOUT MOTORIST’S KNOWLEDGE

Also in Leslieville, after another snow storm, Ethan Myers woke up on Feb. 28 and found his vehicle had been hit.

He said snowplow records indicate his road had been plowed within four hours of him discovering the damage. He took several photos of the dent and scrape.

“The damage was likely done by a snowplow and not a car as the damage is in the exact position that plows are located. There are massive gashes, and a large streak of yellow paint left along the entire side of the vehicle,” he told CTV News Toronto.

With no note from anyone explaining the damage, Myers said he contacted his insurance right away and what he encountered next was shocking.

“When speaking to our insurance provider they simply stated ‘good luck getting the city to work with you.’ The same sentiment was echoed by our representing officer at the collision centre ‘good luck with having the city work with you, they barely work with us.’”

Myers said he filed a claim with the city, but it was closed within four days without a city representative speaking with him. He’s now reached out to his city councillor for assistance.

A screenshot of Ethan Myers' recent claim to the City of Toronto is seen in this image. (Supplied)

“It appears the city has absolutely no desire to do right by their citizens when negligence may be at play on their part or the part of their contractors,” he said.

CTV News Toronto asked the city about the process owners must go through to have the city cover the cost of the damage, if proof is required and what kind, and if there’s anything owners need to know if they believe their vehicle was damaged by a plow. CTV News Toronto did not get precise answers to those individual questions.