Vehicle Repair Dispute Challenges City Immunity Law
SAN ANTONIO - A San Antonio woman whose SUV was hit by a police vehicle rushing to a call was told that that the City would not pay for damages to her vehicle. The City cited a law that gives cities immunity if one of their employees crashes into someone while responding to an emergency.
SAN ANTONIO - A San Antonio woman whose SUV was hit by a police vehicle rushing to a call was told by City officials that that the City would not pay for damages to her vehicle. The City cited a law that gives cities immunity if one of their employees crashes into someone while responding to an emergency, according to WOAI.
The accident happened in May, and an officer on the scene told the driver the City would take care of it because the police report shows the accident wasn't her fault. Her 1999 Chevy Tahoe suffered front-end and transmission damage that left it undrivable. The repair cost was $3,500.
Three months later, the City sent Sandra a letter denying her claim, citing immunity.
The City's Risk Management department said special immunity protects the city from having to pay for Sandra's damages, even though the police car came into her lane and struck her car, and she did nothing wrong.
According to the news source, a supervisor later reversed the decision and agreed to send a check for the repairs.
More Safety
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Your fleet may have the right policies, but are they being followed consistently? This practical guide highlights six hidden compliance risks that can undermine public sector and shared fleet operations and shares proven approaches to improve oversight, drive accountability, and maintain audit readiness.
Read More →
5 Days Left to Submit Your 2026 Fleet Safety Award Nomination
Know a government fleet, safety, or risk manager who deserves recognition for making fleet operations safer? Nominations are open through Aug. 15.
Read More →
How the First 24 Hours Can Shape a Fleet Crash Response
How a strong accident response process helps government fleets move from the initial report to recovery while building a clearer record for what needs to change next.
Read More →
How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%
Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.
Read More →
e-con Systems Expands AI Camera Tools for Traffic Monitoring
The systems support license plate recognition, traffic analytics, and video management for transportation agencies.
Read More →
King Township Pilot Links Driver Feedback to Reduced Speeding
How King Township, a best-in-class municipal fleet, reduced speeding by 10.9% and demonstrated a projected 349% ROI by putting safety ownership directly in drivers' hands.
Read More →
Beyond the Fireline: The Critical Role of Public Fleets in Wildfire Response
Behind every wildfire response is a complex network of vehicles, data, and decisions that must work in sync under extreme pressure. Global heating trends require strong fleet coordination and reliable communications to keep crews safe and operations running smoothly.
Read More →
How AI Is Transforming Public Fleet Safety - Part 1
AI-powered safety systems are helping public fleets tackle distracted driving by delivering real-time coaching and measurable behavior change behind the wheel. In part one of our Q&A, Nauto CEO Stefan Heck explains how agencies can improve safety, reduce costs, and navigate implementation challenges with AI-driven technology.
Read More →
Reducing Risk and Improving Safety in Public Sector Fleets with Advanced Driver-Assist Technology
Public sector fleets face increasing pressure to improve safety, reduce liability, and operate efficiently. See how advanced vehicle technologies are helping agencies protect drivers, the public, and their budgets.
Read More →
3 Ways Fleet Tech Builds Public Trust
Managing a state or local fleet comes with levels of accountability private companies don’t have. Read how modern fleet technology helps elevate visibility and safety to strengthen community trust.
Read More →