A Snowplow Just Hit Your Mailbox - Who Is Responsible? Here's What To Know

Poor mailboxes: these important entities take on a lot of damage from the elements, but they can also succumb to accidents. There are clear laws that define purposeful damage to mailboxes as crimes, with vandals facing possible fines and jail time. The same cannot be said of accidental damage to your mailbox, though. It is extremely frustrating to find your mailbox lying on the ground on a wintry day after being hit with a snowplow, and you rightfully want to know who's responsible for fixing it. The answer is unfortunately not so clear-cut, and it all depends on who was operating the snowplow in the first place.

Once a snowplow hits your mailbox, it's first important to determine who was operating the machine. If the snowplowing was done by a city or county contractor, or perhaps one hired by an HOA, then they may be liable for damages to personal property like mailboxes. The same goes with a neighbor who might have used a smaller machine and accidentally cut it too close to the mailbox on your property. In any of these cases, the responsible party's liability insurance should cover the damages (in theory). Keep in mind that the exact laws and insurance rules vary based on where you live, as well as your policy. You will need to contact your homeowner's insurance company for precise guidance if a snowplow does damage your mailbox.

A busted-up mailbox is unfortunately not the responsibly of the U.S. Postal Service. The agency has clear guidelines that state that all personal mailboxes must be maintained and repaired by the property owner. With this in mind, it's important to regard any snowplow-damaged mailbox as private property damages and collect as much evidence as you can. This includes pictures and any home camera surveillance that might have captured the snowplow in action. Once you've done this, you can file a winter related homeowner's insurance claim. You can then contact the party you believe responsible. Do not wait to notify the responsible party, as there may be laws dictating you must file a claim with a city within a certain time frame. Also, a lack of evidence could mean the responsibly falls on your shoulders, and you'll need to decide if it's worth filing a claim or buying a new mailbox out-of-pocket.

If a neighbor, city, or private company operates a snowplow around your mailbox, the onus is still on them to watch out for it. However, you might consider ways to increase the visibility of your new mailbox to help reduce the chances of this mail-related disaster happening all over again. Try to install your mailbox at least 6 inches away from a raised curb, and make it as visible as possible via bright colors and reflectors. Snow shields or deflectors can also help prevent indirect damage from snowplows as the machines expel frozen slush into the air. You might also be able to repurpose the damaged mailbox and give it new life.