Fly Balls in Baseball Parks and Windshield Damage

The summer fun of a local baseball game often grows tense the moment a player hits a fly ball. These hardhit shots may go out of the field and towards cars in the parking lot. And when a ball hits a windshield, a crack is likely to develop. As a result, immediate glass repair is typically necessary to manage this issue.

At local baseball fields, people often park as close to the playing field as they can to view the action. Unfortunately, this type of parking job puts their car in the primary firing line for fly balls. And the moment that a ball goes airborne, the vehicle is in immediate danger.

People who are near a fly ball can put their hands or other protective items over their head and run away from its trajectory. Those people parked in a car don't have that luxury. By the time they get their car moving, the fly ball will already have hit their windshield.

And when a fly ball does hit a windshield, glass damage is almost inevitable. The force of a baseball is high enough - and focused on a small enough area - to create a crackin the windshield. And these cracks - even if they start small - can become a real issue.

Drivers who've ever had a crack on their windshield know that even the smallest cut in the surface can quickly spread to become a bigger issue. For example, expert website Angie's List discusses the various ways that the bumps caused by driving a car can slowly, but inevitably, cause a crack to inch across a windshield and become a significant problem.

For example, a person driving down a bumpy dirt road jostles their windshield and could cause the crack to widen and lengthen. Even worse, extreme weather situations- especially cold temperatures and ice - could cause the windshield to expand and contract and cause the crack to further its advance across a windshield. And since a fly ball will produce a fairly large crack, this damage will likely be worse.

Note: Anyone trying to pursue a lawsuitagainst a baseball field for this type of damage will likely be out of luck. Simply put, people who attend baseball games assume the risk of car damage and the park owners, therefore, are not liable. Thankfully, insurance often pays for repairs, particularly if an individual gets minor repairs done as soon as the impact occurs.

Car owners with a damaged windshield should take their car into repair as soon as possible. In some cases, though, they may need to get their car towed. Baseball damage to a windshield may vary in intensity but could cause safety issues if it blocks the driver's vision too severely. Insurance is likely to pay for towing, as long as the car owner has it on their policy.

However, immediate repairsmay help to minimize the spread of the crack and could prevent the need for a replacement window. For example, a ball that just glanced off the windshield may only cause a few scuffs and cracks that can be quickly filled. However, a hard-hit ball is likely to cause more severe damage that will require windshield replacement.

Thankfully, windshield replacement typically only takes a few hours to finish. In fact, if the driver cannot drive their car due to the cracked windshield and needs the glass replaced, many repair experts make house calls to help out. These experts bring a new windshield right to the car and replace it using the tools right on their repair truck.

By now, it should be evident that immediate windshield repair is a wise choice for anyone in this situation. So please call us at Perfection Auto Glassthe moment a baseball hits your car's windshield. Our professionals will provide you with the care and attention that your vehicle needs to get back on the road as soon as possible.