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The Shoulder
The Shoulder
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curious-vole-078

A huge model rocket fell out of the sky and cracked my hood — kid's dad is blaming ME somehow??

Still kind of in disbelief writing this out. I was driving down a residential street last weekend, totally normal speed, windows down, nice afternoon. Out of nowhere this massive model rocket — we're talking like three feet long, fins and everything — just tumbles out of the sky and slams straight down onto my hood. Cracked the hood, left a serious dent, and spiderwebbed my windshield from the impact.

I pulled over, obviously shaken. A kid maybe 12 or 13 came sprinting across a front yard looking horrified. His dad followed maybe a minute later. I stayed calm, called the non-emergency police line, and an officer showed up and filed an incident report. The officer even noted in the report that the rocket came from the adjacent property.

Now the dad is texting me saying I must have been "driving recklessly" and that the rocket only caused damage because I was going too fast — which makes zero sense physically? The rocket fell down onto a stationary part of my car. Speed doesn't change that.

He's refusing to share his homeowners insurance info. My auto policy covers the damage but my deductible is brutal and I don't see why I should eat this cost when his kid launched an unsecured rocket over a public street.

A few questions I'm spinning on:

  • Can I take this to small claims court directly against the parents?
  • Does the police report naming the launch location help me?
  • Is there any argument they can actually make that sticks?

I'm not trying to ruin a kid's hobby, I just don't want to be out hundreds of dollars because of someone else's negligence. Any advice from people who've dealt with something weird like this?

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9 replies

  • 16
    wise-otter-392

    Former auto adjuster here. The dad refusing to give homeowners info is actually a pretty common stall tactic — some people think if they just delay long enough you'll give up or file under your own coverage. Don't. Send a written request (even a text works as a paper trail) asking for his homeowners carrier name and policy number. If he ignores it, that's documented stonewalling you can bring to small claims. Also, get two or three repair estimates in writing ASAP — you'll need them regardless of which route you go.

  • 15
    warm-vole-494

    Something similar happened to me — not a rocket, but a neighbor's trampoline blew into the street during a storm and totaled my front bumper. The homeowner pulled the same 'prove it was mine' routine. What finally cracked it open was the police report AND a neighbor's doorbell camera. Definitely ask around to see if anyone nearby has footage. That report you already have is gold though.

    • 7
      plain-kestrel-811

      Do NOT let your own insurer pressure you into filing under your own policy just to 'get it resolved faster.' I've seen that play out where your rate goes up even though you did nothing wrong. Push hard to get the homeowner's info first. If he keeps refusing, that refusal is itself telling.

    • 2
      silent-seal-255

      Just want to ask — are you physically okay? Sometimes when something scary and sudden like that happens, adrenaline covers up whiplash or tension headaches for a day or two. If you've had any neck stiffness or headaches since, please get checked out. It's worth having it documented medically even if you feel mostly fine right now.

  • 15
    mellow-wolf-232

    The police report is genuinely your strongest asset right now. Make sure you get the full report (not just the incident number) and read it carefully — if the officer noted the launch location or spoke to the kid, that's essentially a third-party record establishing where the rocket came from. For small claims, you'll typically just need the report, your repair estimates, and a clear written timeline of what happened and the communication attempts afterward. Most small claims filings are pretty simple forms.

  • 6
    spry-otter-323

    Ugh, the fact that this dad is trying to flip this on you is so frustrating. You were just driving down the street! I'm glad you're okay and that you kept your cool enough to call the police right away. Don't let him bully you into dropping it.

    • 9
      warm-owl-974

      Quick question — was there actually a launch pad or ignition setup visible in the yard, or did you only find out it was a rocket after the kid came over? I'm not doubting you at all, just wondering if there's any physical evidence on the property side that could corroborate the launch point, because the dad is clearly going to contest everything.

  • 5
    careful-otter-070

    File in small claims, name both parents, bring the police report and your repair quotes. The 'you were speeding' argument is nonsense and a judge will see through it in about thirty seconds. Stop texting the dad — switch to email so everything is in writing — and don't say anything that could be read as you accepting any fault.

  • 11
    humble-seal-911

    Not legal advice, but generally speaking, when someone launches a projectile from their property and it causes damage to a person or vehicle on a public road, there's a pretty straightforward negligence argument — they had a duty to ensure it landed safely, they didn't, you got hurt. The dad's speed theory is almost certainly a nonstarter if the damage is consistent with a vertical impact. Small claims is absolutely designed for exactly this kind of dispute. Document everything now while it's fresh.