Woman Hears A Crash. Then She Sees What Landed On Her Car: 'I Hope That Waste Management Doesn’t Just Let That Slide'

A woman’s video showing the unusual way her car was totaled is getting a second life on TikTok nearly a year after it was first posted.

It’s unclear how TikTok Screen Legends (@ttkscreen) resurfaced the since-deleted clip, but it shows a trash compactor truck pressed against the back of the woman’s car. According to the woman, the damage was enough for the vehicle to be declared totaled.

The resurfaced video has continued to rack up millions of views and has even revived reactions from creators who commented on it when it first made the rounds last summer.

One of them was Tyler (@genuine_georgia_farmer), a farmer based in Georgia.

“Man, that sucks,” Tyler says. “I hope that Waste Management doesn’t just let that slide. I don’t think they can.”

He says that if the trash truck operator were at fault, he doesn’t think Waste Management will “legally survive” the dispute.

“I’d like to know more about that story, but I think you’re probably going to be good,” he adds, suggesting the woman could receive a settlement or other compensation if she weren’t responsible for the accident.

As of this writing, TikTok Screen Legends’ repost has more than 4.3 million views.

Why Would This Be Considered A Total Loss?

A car doesn’t have to be crushed beyond recognition to be declared a total loss.

Insurance companies typically compare the estimated repair cost to the vehicle’s actual cash value before the crash. If fixing the car would cost close to—or more than—what it’s worth, the insurer may decide it’s more economical to total it instead.

According to AppraisalEngine, the exact threshold varies state-by-state. Some (i.e., Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida) set a specific percentage in law, while others let insurance companies decide using a total-loss formula that weighs the vehicle’s value against repair costs and its expected salvage value. The Insurance Information Institute says those decisions are based on economics, not just how dramatic the damage looks.

Large commercial vehicles, including garbage trucks, can also cause extensive damage to most cars. Even at low speeds, the impact can “do severe damage to a passenger vehicle, and cause catastrophic injuries in the process,” according to Foley Law Firm. 

Modern cars are generally more expensive to replace, too, as they are packed with cameras, sensors, and other electronics that often need recalibration or replacement after a collision.

Foley Law Firm reports that, should this happen to you, “the driver, sanitation workers, or waste disposal company can be held liable in garbage truck accidents.” But if the driver collided with the garbage truck, their insurance would cover the initial cost of damages, depending on their policy. 

“Regarding trash disposal companies, these businesses can be held accountable if they are negligent in their hiring and disciplinary practices, have a poorly [maintained] fleet of garbage trucks, or otherwise create [dangerous] conditions for workers and motorists,” Foley Law Firm says.

If that happens, the vehicle usually doesn’t end up in a landfill. Totaled cars are typically sent to salvage yards, where hazardous materials are removed before usable metals, plastics, and other components are recycled or resold.

That’s why two crashes that look similar on the surface can end with very different outcomes. The deciding factor is often the repair estimate and the vehicle’s value.

‘The Ol Trash Compactor Falling From The Sky Trick’

Many viewers couldn’t get past the same question the woman herself never answered.

“I like how the search is ‘how did the trash compactor end up on her car?’” one commenter wrote. “Because that was my first question as well.”

“My brain can’t comprehend how this happened,” another added.

Even people who said they worked around heavy equipment were baffled.

“......as a roll.off container driver. How tf does this happen?” one viewer wrote.

Others focused on what should happen next if the trash truck operator was responsible.

“Get a lawyer ASAP,” one commenter wrote. “You’re going to need compensation for a new car, plus the damages to the home and yard.”

Another took it a step further. “Itemize bill to Waste Management,” they wrote before listing the totaled car, damage to the home and deck, and “emotional scars due to fear of parking my car in-front of my home now.”

Not everyone treated the situation so seriously.

“Perfectly normal, happens all the time,” one person joked.

“Sorry, ma’am, your claim is denied. You do not have the trash compactor hazard as part of you[r] policy,” another quipped.

“Hey, uh.. you can’t park there..." a third viewer wrote.

“The ol trash compactor falling from the sky trick,” another joked.

A few commenters reminded the woman that, as stressful as the crash may have been, the most important thing was that no one appeared to be hurt.

“Be glad you weren’t in it,” one person wrote. “It’s just a car.”

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Another added, “It’s just a thing. Insurance will handle it, it will be okay- and you didn’t lose anything that can’t be replaced.”

Motor1 reached out to TikTok Screen Legends and Tyler via TikTok direct message We’ll update this story if we hear back.

 

 

 

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