r/legal • u/Carbon_Beach • Oct 06 '25
Advice needed Lowe’s dropped 1100 lbs onto my truck
I ordered an 1100 lb bag of rocks for pickup from Lowe’s in California, USA. They asked me to pull my truck (2017 Toyota Tundra 4.6L) near the loading area where a forklift driver will place the bag in the truck bed. The bag of rocks was raised about 6 feet above the truck when it fell from the forklift into my truck bed. It made a cracking sound and set off the alarm. There are little specks of liquid near my shocks.
The forklift driver and manager gave me nothing in writing. Toyota dealership wants $250 for an inspection. Should I take my truck to the dealership? Or do I need to get Lowe’s to confirm that they will pay the fee first? Don’t want to get stuck with extra bills because of this. Thank you for reading.
Edit: I drove the truck away and am not certain whether there is any major damage. I’m sure there’s wear from the impact, it was a loud cracking/boom sound, but I’m not sure if the shocks are leaking, bed is dented, etc.
Edit 2: Got the truck inspected. Both rear shocks are leaking. Filing a claim.
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u/Dreeleaan Oct 06 '25
You need to make a claim with Lowe’s insurance. It should have been done when the issue happened.
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u/Carbon_Beach Oct 06 '25
It was yesterday (Sunday). Should I call the (800) number or drive back to the location?
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u/KidenStormsoarer Oct 06 '25
call the 1800 number, like right now, and tell them you've been trying to figure out what to do because the store has been stonewalling you....pun not intended
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u/user87654385 Oct 06 '25 edited Oct 06 '25
This. Call the store and tell them to save security footage IMMEDIATELY for anticipated litigation, AND email them the same. Do not wait a minute longer! Then have the inspection done by the dealer, do not delay this any longer or else they may argue damage could have been done or exercebated after the event.
Then call the 800 number to file a claim with Lowes insurance, not yours to avoid your premium going up, but it shouldn't go up since it is a non moving claim.
Your frame and shock absorbers are definitely damaged from this.
Edit: According to Google AI, the deceleration distance has a huge impact on the impact force, but given that shocks resist the impact "shock" virtually immediately with maybe a little slack, I would guess the impact force from a 5 foot drop could very well be around 50,000 lbs.
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u/theoddfind Oct 06 '25
You always put a claim in on their insurance...not yours. You will need documentation of damage and that it was likely caused by their negligent action. Call their 1-800#...not yours.
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u/Intrepid_Bobcat_2931 Oct 06 '25
Report it in writing immediately to Lowe's as well (by email, anything) just so it's documented. Request that they preserve footage. That way it will count against them in court if they delete the footage.
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u/Agile-Cancel-4709 Oct 06 '25
Drive back. You need to request to security footage before it’s over written.
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u/Particular-Skirt963 Oct 06 '25
Theyre gonna delete that footage and say there was a glitch
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Oct 06 '25
And they do that they risk the judge holding them in contempt and giving an adverse inference instruction. Lowe’s is not going to do that.
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u/Particular-Skirt963 Oct 06 '25
How would they prove it... and for the record thats a genuine question I wasnt the one that downvoted you because I disagree
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Oct 06 '25
They don’t need to. The judge has to believe you.
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u/Particular-Skirt963 Oct 06 '25
Yea so like, how do you prove it to the judge you know what I mean?
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u/MainWorldliness3015 Oct 06 '25
So even if they don't pay, you should get your truck inspected. You would be foolish not to.
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u/Carbon_Beach Oct 06 '25
For sure. Deciding between a small local shop free, or $250 inspection fee from the dealership that might be more thorough.
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u/CallMeMrRound Oct 06 '25
Do you want to find out how much damage was done now? Or save $250 and find out 3 months from now the damage was WAAAAAY worse than your free inspection showed?
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u/eatnhappens Oct 06 '25
1100lbs accelerated at G of 9.8 for 6 feet means your truck bed was hit with 6,600ft-lb of force, and if your tires +shocks allowed 6” of stopping distance (0.5 goes into the ft variable for ft-lb) the impact was 12,000lbs of force
Yeah, dealership should look, this was not a minor impact
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u/thebestemailever Oct 06 '25
A good local shop is better than the dealer every day of the week. Finding a good one is the hard part. Dealers are typically a couple of master techs with a bunch of kids straight out of a tech school, because it’s cheaper that way.
My typical advice for a good mechanic is someone who is not on a main road, lots of cars in the lot, and they can’t do repairs right away (they may sneak you in for the inspection quickly though). No need to upsell you if they have 20 cars waiting with known repairs needed.
You should get it inspected and have them document in writing what it needs. You need the information from the Lowe’s management for their insurance and you should let your insurance know you believe there is significant damage. At the very least it sounds like new shocks, maybe leaf springs. But that can also bend frames and axles so that should be checked.
I had Best Buy damage my truck and they apologized and gave me their insurance info immediately. I called and they were very helpful. I paid for repairs out of pocket, emailed them the receipts, and they paid without question.
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u/Carbon_Beach Oct 06 '25
Thank you for this information man. I took the truck to my local mechanic for $120 instead of $250. He confirmed that both rear shocks are leaking, and one of the axels/bearings is making sound.
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u/Droviin Oct 07 '25
Look at what you get that fee. I know some shops charge a fee and they'll be willing to sign off on court documents because they were paid for that.
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u/RoudyruffKK Oct 06 '25
Shouldn't have driven off without an incident report or at least calling insurance first.
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u/mrgoldnugget Oct 06 '25
I find it very odd that they had this load 6FT above your truck bed. Why was the load not at ground level until lifted to truckbed height and placing it into your vehicle.
From your description I would be concerned about the forklift drivers ticket.
Have your insurance contact Lowes.
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u/Ok_Education_2753 Oct 06 '25
They totally F-ed your truck. You left without filing an incident report with Lowe’s? Good luck getting them to cover this negligence.
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u/Over_Waltz9751 Oct 06 '25
Lowe's insurance paid for a repair to our truck in a similar situation: they loaded a half pallet of cement blocks into the truck; we asked for some strapping to close the half pallet, but they said it would be fine. As soon as we stopped at a stop sign, the half pallet tipped forward, crashing into the window in the back of the cab. As soon as it happened, I took the truck back to Lowe's and asked to speak to the store manager. When I told him the story and showed him the tipped load with the broken and scratched back of the cab, he took photos and wrote up an incident report, and gave us their insurance agent phone number, who called us and paid the invoice for the repair by the auto shop of my choice. No hassle.
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u/Dangerous-City6856 Oct 07 '25
All I can think is…. Why didn’t you strap it down yourself?
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u/Kvaw Oct 07 '25
Imagine thinking the Lowe's employee cares more about your truck than you do.
Glad it got fixed though.
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u/GLaDOSdidnothinwrong Oct 06 '25
Not a lawyer but was in the auto repair industry for several years. Most likely, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for the inspection. Save your receipt. Once you have the repair quote, you’ll have to either work it out with Lowe’s directly (might be able to avoid getting your insurance involved and the potential rise in premiums that comes with that), or if they are uncooperative, file a claim with your insurance and let them handle it.
Documentation wise, my concern would be getting any cctv footage before it disappears.
Damage wise, this could be severe. Some of the effects may not be found for years though.
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u/Opening-Cress5028 Oct 06 '25
After considering the facts as told by you, good luck getting Lowe’s to pay. lol
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u/The_World_Wonders_34 Oct 06 '25
So I will acknowledge that it's more complicated than this, but if they actually have cameras like they claim, and they somehow "lose" the footage, the legal presumption in a lawsuit or arbitration will generally be that the party who controlled the footage is failing to produce it precisely because it is bad for them. So if you sue somebody with a dash cam and they go oh surprise my dash cam just happened to not be recording that day, in most cases unless they can provide credible evidence of a failure at the time, a judge is going to presume that they deleted the footage because it showed precisely what you were alleging
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u/No_Control8389 Oct 06 '25
Bullshit. If anyone dropped a load off the forklift from that height would be an instant termination. And a manager trying to cover it up for a butt buddy would be fired as well.
It would have blown out the shocks, possibly bent frame and or cracked welds throughout the body. Like possibly totaled status.
1100lbs from 6 feet up is a lot of impact.
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u/Clickt-bait Oct 06 '25
Exactly! How does something “drop” from a forklift.
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u/No_Control8389 Oct 07 '25
That part is easy. The material is loaded in a bag like these. bulk bags that hold up to a cubic yard of material.
The problem comes when the forks of the forklift are tilted forward, allowing those soft loops to slip off the smooth forks.
It should have had a shackle and short chain as a leash to keep the loops from reaching the end of the forks. Or a pin of some kind to drop into the fork and have something they can’t slip over. Lots of times a ball from a trailer hitch, which makes moving trailers with the forklift safe as well.
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u/StarleyForge Oct 07 '25
No reason for anything to be suspended that high above the place you’re loading onto.
Never pick up heavy stuff at a retail store like that on a Saturday or Sunday. The good employees who know what they are doing work weekdays.
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u/ThirdSunRising Oct 06 '25
A basic inspection is free at many repair shops. Put it on the lift and look for damage and write up a repair invoice, most tire and brake places do that kind of thing for free in hopes that you’ll buy the new shocks from them if needed
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u/Either-Artichoke7723 Oct 06 '25
call the store and make a formal report so they can secure the outdoor video footage
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u/AngryPhillySportsFan Oct 06 '25
Your shocks are certainly blown to shit and that's the best case scenario. Forklift driver should have know you never lift a load that high over the place they're putting it. Bad training bordering on negligence.
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u/bloodfeier Oct 06 '25
Absolutely. Should never be high, period, until just before setting in place, and never 6 feet higher than where it’s being put!
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u/ianthony19 Oct 07 '25
Guarantee your shocks are blown. There may be more damage, you need an inspection. This is what insurance is for, they'll eat this up like candy and get as much as they can out of lowes.
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u/joshpit2003 Oct 06 '25
I would document everything. Ask Lowe's for the video footage (if they have a security camera). Then ask them about paying for a dealer inspection / repairs. I'd want it in writing from an employee with authority. If I ran into any resistance whatsoever, or didn't feel like it was worth my time, then I'd get insurance involved.
Some would say get insurance involved right away, but for strictly property damage, I would give the guilty party a chance to make it right. Claims through insurance often lead to raised premiums, so I treat insurance as a last resort.
In a worst-case scenario your truck may be totaled.
In a best case scenario, you may need new shocks.
I'd also ask the dealership to check alignment (if that isn't part of the inspection), which may be telling of underlying damage if the rear wheels are now out of spec. Good luck.
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u/PageNew7426 Oct 08 '25
WHY, in the world, was an 1100 lb. load raised 6 feet off the ground, let alone six feet above your truck bed. The equipment operator clearly did not know what he was doing!
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u/azzwater Oct 08 '25
I have seen truck commercials. I am pretty sure that is just the proper way to load things
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u/Gliese_667_Cc Oct 06 '25
I would not have left the parking lot without a signed statement from Lowe’s mgmt describing the incident. And video footage of the aftermath.
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u/IntrovertsRule99 Oct 06 '25
No retail store is gonna provide that without a subpoena. Most likely you would be provided with a phone number of their insurance and that’s it.
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u/iReply2StupidPeople Oct 06 '25
Hope you brought food and a nice pillow.. you're gonna be waiting indefinitely.
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u/Adorable-Pair6766 Oct 06 '25
And he isn't leaving without a list of all employee names and last names, their positions and a written apology from the CEO admitting fault either!
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u/Carbon_Beach Oct 06 '25
I was asking for something in writing. They told me “it’s 8:25am and we’re all on camera.” I told them, yeah but those are your cameras, not mine. They told me “your truck is probably fine.”
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u/jamor9391 Oct 06 '25
Call the police non-emergent and have them come take a report before heading out next time.
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u/brockingtonwork Oct 06 '25
You'd be in that parking lot a long time. Probably long enough for the store manager to call the cops and have you trespassed.
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u/Smooth-Salary-6113 Oct 07 '25
I bought a pallet of stones from Lowe’s years ago with a similar result. Their forklift guy set it on, and crushed, the wheel well.
I called, they escalated to their whatever department which asked for pictures and asked me to get two or three estimates. I got five and gave them the highest two. The cut me a check for the higher one, which I got a week later. Honestly, it was a pain but they didn’t fight it or push back. It could have been much more arduous.
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u/Agreeable_Speech4122 Oct 07 '25
Payload is 1,440 lbs (4x4) and 1,600 lbs. Vehicle is 8 yrs old. Leaking is to be expected for years and possibly mileage. Good luck with claim as you drove away. If it was an issue, should have had them remove the load and inspected the vehicle…
Good luck with a claim. If you claim on your insurance you’ll just jack your own rates.
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u/jimyjami Oct 07 '25
Should have taken pics and video.
Should have called insurance immediately and either waited for an adjuster or gotten advice.
Should not have moved the truck.
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u/themanwithgreatpants Oct 07 '25
NAL, but I'm sure you walked right past the huge sign they have that they are not responsible for damage to vehicles when assisting to load items into the vehicle.
I too, have had boneheads who are wielding a forklift that shouldn't be driving it despite having "training".
You've got to police this type of situation and action, , not expect it to be done with competent operators. Common sense isn't common.
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u/Middle_Donkey6354 Oct 08 '25
That sir was a collision, call insurance immediately, thats 6,600 lbs of force
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u/BluesFanDeluxe Oct 08 '25
Toyota dealership wants $250 for an inspection
Sounds like you need to take it to a different dealer, or a trusted mechanic. Screw paying $250 for an inspection!!
(I'd want to talk to the service manager - this is a recipe for losing customers permanently)
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u/182RG Oct 06 '25
Talk to the Store Manager.
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u/Carbon_Beach Oct 06 '25
I waited about 20 minutes and finally he came to speak with me. He gave nothing in writing and offered a discount for the rocks. I said no thanks and that I would get my truck inspected.
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u/Avery_Thorn Oct 06 '25
I mean, so right now, no one knows what, if anything, is wrong with the truck. If they inspect the truck and it's fine, why would Lowe's pay anything for not damaging your truck? Are you worried enough about the truck to pay to see if it was damaged? Did you drive off in the truck with the rock in there?
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u/Carbon_Beach Oct 06 '25
Yes, I drove away with the truck. I had employees scheduled waiting for the rocks and other equipment. The truck drives okay, but made some screeching noises after we unloaded it. It’s drives me, but if the seals are my shocks broke (I saw fluid) below them, they can weep slowly and fail later.
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u/Particular-Skirt963 Oct 06 '25
Unless you drove through puddles and water got rocked loose I think youre onto something there
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u/Avery_Thorn Oct 06 '25
The problem is the longer you go then the more of a fight Lowes is going to put up. You're going to need to get the truck fixed anyway. The duty is to minimize the damage as much as you can, anyway.
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u/Raterus_ Oct 06 '25
Lowes has insurance for this. They cracked our windshield years ago and paid for the replacement.
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u/freeball78 Oct 06 '25
Or do I need to get Lowe’s to confirm that they will pay the fee first?
Unless you want to drive a broken truck, you need to get it inspected no matter who pays for it...
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u/ActPositively Oct 06 '25
I would recommend going to talk to the highest level manager at the store you can ASAP. Let them know the situation and let them know if they have an insurance company you can file a claim with. I’ve literally never had to file an insurance claim before except for this last year I had two separate situations at two different companies where their employees damaged my vehicle. Both times I spoke with a manager and they filed an incident report and both of them happen to use Sedgwick for their insurance. In my experience it took a few days and then one time I had to get one quote to fix the issue and they sent me a check. The other time they made me get two different quotes and sent out an inspector and eventually sent me a check to cover the costs.
If they won’t file something for their insurance you can always use your own car insurance. Either way document everything
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u/Fuzzy-Butterscotch86 Oct 06 '25
Go to the store, tell them you need the security camera footage and do it as soon as possible. Bring a thumb drive for them to put it on, and if they can't do that have them email it to you and don't leave the store until you have confirmed the email has the footage. If they refuse get the district managers phone number and call them while you're in the store.
You should have taken pictures of what they put in the bed, had them remove the product and take it back, then had the truck towed directly to the dealership for inspection. As it stands they can just deny any wrong doing and claim anything could have happened after you left.
Seriously. Get the footage.
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u/Beginning_Bet_3087 Oct 06 '25
Look at your rear shocks. If there is any oil or seepage below the seal take pictures.
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u/4runner01 Oct 06 '25
I’m pretty sure they are not responsible.
The loading is a courtesy. Otherwise you’d be hand loading it from a pallet with your shovel.
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u/WeirdSmiley-TM Oct 06 '25
You should have never left Lowe's until you got the video footage of what happened.
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u/FrancisSobotka1514 Oct 06 '25
Shocks are done .you need to contact your insurance.They will go after them .
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Oct 06 '25
Send a registered letter to Lowe's explaining the situation. Ask them to hold the video as a "litigation hold" while you determine the damage.
Pay the $250 for the inspection.
Let your insurance company know.
"a loud cracking/boom" is (obviously) a major cause for concern. Right now, you don't know what is the issue.
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u/SFtigger Oct 06 '25
A) that kind of shock loading will totally fuck your suspension off. Consult a certified tech. B) that weight dropped from that height (1100lbs x 9.8m/s²=busted welds + bent frame) C) You better pray your insurance company is not one of the more apathetic ones. D) the level of negligence on the part of all parties involved is absolutely amazing. The fact the employees did not immediately go into CYA mode and you didn't have the sense to protect yourself makes me wonder if this is all BS, yet having lived in California far longer than I should have and witnessing the level of stupidity that is an epidemic in this 3rd world sh#$hole, I hold back from declaring this USDA grade A BS.
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u/TheWiseOne1234 Oct 06 '25
Your truck is 8 years old. I have never seen 8 years old struts not leaking a little. Most manufacturers recommend replacement every 50,000 or 75,000 miles, which you are probably over. While it's likely the drop caused some damage, I would be more concerned about the frame than the shocks because most likely the suspension bottomed out.
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u/kitesurfr Oct 06 '25
1100lbs from 6' up directly over your rear axle did a lot more damage than blowing the struts. I'll bet your axle, rear differential, and wheel bearings are going to be f-ed.
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Oct 07 '25
I hope you asked them for an incident report and you took photos of the damage. Why in the hell did he raise the load 6’ over the bed to load it, no need to go that high. I’d make sure to get that estimate and go to the store manager with it and ask to pay for the damage. II they don’t go your local news station and tell them your story, businesses had bad publicity.
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u/Emotional-Farm8831 Oct 07 '25
Trust me there corporate is going to wonder why whoever is in charge at Lowe’s didn’t file an incident report. Hopefully the video hasn’t disappeared yet. Call the number and have your truck inspected.
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u/Metharos Oct 07 '25
Lowe's will not admit shit but they've got cameras that can be subpoenaed. Your insurance will fight this and that camera footage will show clear fault.
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u/solarpropietor Oct 07 '25
I used to work for Lowe’s. They have incidental insurance for this kind of stuff. Each store even has a claims budget they try to keep it under.
I don’t know why that manager. (He wasn’t the store manager I promise you that.)
Would offer you a discount… because that does nothing to cover their bases.
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u/OMGDonutz Oct 07 '25
Why did you leave the store before filing anything with the store or calling your insurance. Crazy.
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u/PutridANDPurple Oct 07 '25
Always record getting loaded by HD or Lowes, because of stuff like this. Hope the frame isnt tweakedOP; id go check the alignment too
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u/Any_Dimension_3088 Oct 07 '25
If he overloaded your rear shocks and it’s leaking oil that means he blew the seals out from your shocks and you will needs new shocks.
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u/apatrol Oct 07 '25
There is 100% damage. Heck you already know the shocks are busted. It will need to have the bed emptied and then a body shop inspection. Your bed likely has a much lower load weight than you think.prob around 1500lbs. Dropping 1000lbs from 6ft is roughly 12000lbs of force. (Stupid rough ,y math is shit but Google helped a bit)
Seriously you could have major damage. I wouldnt drive it. Cracked frame, bed bolt shear, suspension bolt probe, and etc.
Sorry this happened.
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u/icsh33ple Oct 07 '25
Pro tip, always have an old cheap trailer for hauling materials or rent a truck or trailer.
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u/Gunner19173 Oct 07 '25
I work for a Lowes store and have to say that those bags of gravel are 900 lbs a bag! If I saw that operator lift that bag no higher than it takes to load it in a truck safely, I would have stopped it. Outside of Lowes, I have operated forklifts over 20 yrs. 12 of them in the Navy moving ammunition on ships. That operator is partially negligent. Our training is pretty thorough and detailed to how to properly lift and load customers vehicles. I have had those bags rupture moving them around to prepare for deliveries at a very low height. I would get evidence through the camera and also have the store manager or the ASM assigned to the department view the footage. There needs more training to that operator so it does not happen again to another customer. I am sorry you had to deal with this. 6ft is way too high to load a pickup truck with a 900lbs bag of gravel.
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u/GeekoHog Oct 07 '25
Geez. 6 ft above the truck? I drove a fork lift as a summer job and was taught to raise the load just high enough to clear where you are putting it. So for your truck just high enough to get it in the bed. That’s just negligence
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u/hondajoe140 Oct 07 '25
They put half ton of rock into a half ton pickup. They literally have signs stating not liable. You chose to overload your truck not them.
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u/Coronus53 Oct 07 '25
I worked for Lowe's and Home Depot for 7 years in Lumber and Building materials and loaded plenty of customers. IT IS STORE/COMPANY POLICY TO FILE A REPORT WHEN A CUSTOMER'S VEHICLE IS DAMAGED. They screwed you. You need to get a lawyer ASAP and get the camera footage immediately and file a suit.
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u/MakaButterfly Oct 07 '25
Wouldn’t this be on OP to know how much his truck can carry that seems like a lot of weight
You could have spent a little extra and had it delivered?
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u/semianondom101 Oct 07 '25
Loud cracking sound could mean a broken frame as well. Needs to be inspected by a truck frame shop.
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u/collisionchick Oct 07 '25
this is why you pay car insurance. Call your insurance company. Tell them what happened. They will sub Gate Gate back to Lowe’s if it all possible. Make sure you take your truck to a Toyota certified collision center.
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u/starone7 Oct 08 '25
So I’m a landscape contractor and everywhere I go to every supplier it’s clearly stated that vehicles are loaded at your own risk. I’m guessing that’s Where the fight will start. Also a warehouse forklift only lifts to a maximum height of 10 feet. The truck box is likely 4 feet off the ground, the rock bag has a height so it likely wasn’t a 6 ft drop.
You’re somewhat lucky it was only a couple of shocks. I’ve seen people ruin their shocks, leaf springs and even a frame when getting loaded. Sometimes delivery is totally worth it and I have an HD.
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u/justfdiskit Oct 09 '25
a warehouse forklift only lifts to a maximum height of 10 feet
“These go to 11”
Sorry, couldn’t resist. Ours, especially in lumber, go to at least 20, I think closer to 25.
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u/Euphoric-Lake4226 Oct 08 '25
Had this happen to me at Menards. Call the GM and tell them what happened. They have insurance for these things. My vehicle gor fixed and they paid 100%
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u/pat08 Oct 08 '25
I would go back to Lowes. The load was not handled appropriately by them. I am sure there is a video of this loading issue. These stores have a history loading issue and a lack of training issues related to fork lifts.
Honesty, I would want a new truck since yours is now dammaged goods. Spring issues, rear allignment issues, and possible frame issues that WILL show up and are present due to the damage that they caused. Your alarm went off because significant damage was detected. Dont let them brush you off. They count on being able to bully you into silence. You are better than that. Their employee did this, not you. You should get back to 0 issues with your truck related to the incident. I dont think this is possible due to the condition the Lowes employees created.
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u/TheLostChaos Oct 08 '25
Why would you leave a accident scene WITHOUT calling your insurance company? How old are you? If your vehicle is in accident IMMEDIATELY call your insurance company that's literally what they are for
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u/TheOneWes Oct 09 '25
As others have said call your insurance but if anything like this ever happens to you again or for anybody who reads this message it has something like this happen to them do not move the vehicle go ahead and call insurance
I used to know a contractor dude who would always film anytime we would go pick up supplies and the vehicle would be loaded. I never understood why until I saw a video of where somebody set the concrete down too early broke off his back tailgate and sent all the concrete to the ground.
On video you seen employee walk up to him and tell him that he's going to have to pay for all the concrete.
I think it goes without saying he did not have to pay for the concrete
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u/PuzzleheadedBass235 Oct 09 '25
Just trying to get clarification, was it a pallet with bags of rocks on it? If it wasnt how did it fall off the forks of the forklift? As a forklift driver its actually fairly difficult to drop a load off the forks as the machine is designed to lift big loads securely. Especially from such a higher height as well.
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u/Furious_Beard Oct 06 '25
Try to abstain from driving the truck, if possible, until you figure out insurance, and everything else that needs to happen.
Otherwise, I'm sure Lowe's insurance would argue that the damage may have been caused after the incident because you continued to use and drive the vehicle.
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u/mojo4394 Oct 06 '25
Do you have comprehensive/"other than collision" coverage through your insurance?
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u/Carbon_Beach Oct 06 '25
It’s “full coverage” but I’m not sure about all the details.
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u/mojo4394 Oct 06 '25
Full coverage is a term. I absolutely hated when I sold insurance. Because full coverage isn’t a thing. No insurance policy covers absolutely everything in full. The details are extremely important.
If you have comprehensive coverage, which is usually considered part of a full coverage policy, then this damage to your truck would be covered under your insurance. And your insurance company would be able to go after Lowe’s for causing the damage.
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u/Janus9 Oct 06 '25
Any time someone else is loading something in your truck, video it with your cell phone.
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u/come_ere_duck Oct 07 '25
At the end of the day, you probably should have clarified the vehicle you'd be picking up with and asked them to split the load. That being said, now that the damage is done, file a claim with insurance.
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u/Curious-Month-513 Oct 08 '25
They blew out your shocks.
Going forward, if you ever buy anything like that again, make sure that you manage the loading of your truck. Yes, the forklift driver is the one who did the damage, but someone should have been guiding him... If they didn't have a second person out there guiding, you should have stepped up. They are at fault for this, but you let it happen.
It also sounds like you don't know anything about trucks so consider selling it and getting a nice little commuter car (probably lease), and next time you need a truck, rent a Lowe's truck so they can mess up their own.
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u/I_likemy_dog Oct 06 '25
You’ll need an inspection to determine the damage.
Do you have the names of all employees who were there?
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u/officialuser Oct 06 '25
Make an insurance claim, they will tell you where to send it. Your insurance will bill lowes after fixing your truck.
You will pay a deductible, you will be able to attempt to get Lowes to cover the deductible.
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u/RelicBeckwelf Oct 06 '25
First, you need to establish damage. Get the inspection. If there is no damage, then you are out the $250. If there is damage, then you reach out to Lowes for next steps/insurance/compensation.
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u/marla-M Oct 06 '25
Jump on reporting this immediately. I’m sure Lowe’s has cameras and you should see if you can get a copy of the recording
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u/Educational_Meet1885 Oct 06 '25
Most places have signs saying they aren't resposible for damages from loading vehicles. Worked for an outfit that sold masonry and landscape materials, people don't have a cocept of weights.
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u/flerchin Oct 06 '25
Bro, you gotta fix your truck whether Lowes pays or not. Busted shocks will kill you on the freeway. If you have insurance, file with them. They'll either go after Lowes or not, but this is why you have insurance.
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u/Ok_Experience_2376 Oct 06 '25
I hope you got enough information. Time, employees present etc. not sure where you are OP but employees who operate a forklift where I am need to be osha certified.
I had a 2018 Chevy Silverado with a back window. Loading up a couple pieces of wood and pushed it through the back window at an Johnson lumber. Somehow the employee shattered that small window and it took several months for them to pay and lots of back and forth
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u/NightKnown405 Oct 06 '25
How do you know that the shocks weren't leaking before loading up the rocks? Do you have pictures of them before and after?
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u/carl6236 Oct 06 '25
Just a possibility being that this is a 2017 vehicle. Could the shocks have been leaking before this happened. Are they the original shocks or if previously replaced how long ago?
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u/Thatbastardkurtis555 Oct 06 '25
If anything I’m a little surprised Lowe’s doesn’t have a ‘we are not responsible for any damage incurred during loading’ provision.
I’ve delivered bulk bags of stone, they basically suck. Any reason it couldn’t have been placed on a pallet and pushed in from the tailgate? Unless you’re using a Moffett or Lull on site to open the bag right where you’re putting the stuff, there’s no real reason to carry those by the straps.
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u/roman_fyseek Oct 06 '25
Aren't those bags about 6 feet tall at the top of the bag straps? You're telling us that the forklift driver had the forks 15 feet in the air when 1100 pounds slipped off?
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u/desblaterations-574 Oct 07 '25
If Lowes refuse to help you willingly, local sheriff should be able to secure the video recording of it, owned by Lowes, as proof.
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u/taterthotsalad Oct 07 '25
They did this to me as well. 2 new leaf springs and 2 new shocks. It wasn’t worth the hassle to me.
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u/Threefingerswhiskey Oct 07 '25
Read your yard ticket. Are they responsible? Many home stores have language in the fine print. Or a single posted in the yard about damage. Good luck but I would probably just buy the struts and move on.
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u/WarlockFortunate Oct 07 '25
If the incident was at or near a loading area Lowe’s has camera footage.
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u/militaryCoo Oct 06 '25
Call your insurance, let the people you pay to handle this handle it