Recently, a drunk driver crashed his sedan into a home in Morphett Vale, South Australia and a taxi driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a family home in Pakenham, Victoria.  In April, a naked driver crashed into a house in Mill Park, Victoria.

Cars crashing into homes is more common than people many realise, and injured Victorians need to be aware that assistance is available.

Vehicles which are registered in Victoria are automatically insured for injuries they cause to people, but are not automatically insured for damage they do to property.

If a person drove into your home and injured you, you could access assistance from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) for your injuries. The TAC would contribute to your medical expenses and lost earnings. If you were left with permanent injuries which reached the legal threshold, you could bring a claim for lump-sum compensation.

However, the TAC is not responsible for insuring property damage and will not compensate you for the damage a driver has done to your property.

If the driver who damaged your property was at fault, they are responsible for covering the cost of that property damage. You can pursue the driver personally or ask for the details of their insurer. If they cannot pay, and are not insured, you may need to look to your own house and contents insurance.

If you have been involved in a similar incident and have suffered injury, including psychological injury, you can contact our free Adviceline on (03) 9321 9988.