A car through a wall is a structural emergency with a security problem attached. EMC shores the opening, secures the building the same day, and manages a claim that involves two insurance companies instead of one.
Active leaks and exposed roofs get priority dispatch.
Our own job-site photos from Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia — no stock images. Each one shows exactly how we handle this type of work.
Interior wall damage and exposed framing documented after an impact loss.Photo provided by EMC Response
Broken drywall and exposed wall framing show the interior condition following an impact loss.
Exterior view of a vehicle impact at a brick home.Photo provided by EMC Response
A vehicle is shown against the exterior brick wall of a home, documenting the position and visible impact area.
Night response at a vehicle impact opening in an exterior brick wall.Photo provided by EMC Response
Fire rescue personnel work at an opening in a brick wall after a vehicle impact, with the interior room exposed.
Vehicle impact opening covered with sheeting the same night.Photo provided by EMC Response
The hole left in a brick wall after a vehicle impact is covered with poly sheeting, with debris on the ground below.
Temporary board-up sealed with flashing tape, holding until full reconstruction.Photo provided by EMC Response
The impact opening is closed with OSB sheathing sealed with flashing tape as a temporary hold until full reconstruction.
Vehicle-into-building calls are routine work in a dense suburban county. The pattern repeats: a driver mistakes the accelerator for the brake in a driveway or storefront lot, a car leaves a curve on a road like Branch Avenue or Route 301 and takes out a corner of a house, or a delivery truck backs into a garage or loading area. Commercial storefronts on busy corridors take the majority of them.
The damage almost always extends beyond the visible hole. Impact energy travels through framing, so headers over adjacent openings crack, floor joists shift, and masonry veneer separates from the sheathing several feet away from the strike. Anyone who scopes only the hole is scoping it wrong.
Shoring comes first. If the vehicle took out load-bearing framing, temporary posts and beams go in before anyone clears debris, and in serious cases we bring in a structural engineer. Then the building gets closed: plywood board-up over the opening with proper fastening, weather sealing, and a secure perimeter, because an open wall overnight is an insurance problem of a completely different kind.
We check whether the impact struck a gas line, water supply, or electrical service and get the utility shut down and out before anything else proceeds. For commercial properties we work around operating hours where possible so the business can reopen the unaffected portion quickly.
Vehicle impact is a named peril on standard homeowner and commercial property policies, so your own insurance covers the damage and you pay your deductible. Separately, the driver's auto liability property-damage coverage is responsible for the harm they caused, and your carrier will typically subrogate against it to recover the payout — and, in many cases, refund your deductible once they collect.
Practical guidance: file with your own property carrier immediately rather than waiting on the driver's insurer to accept liability. Waiting adds weeks while your building sits damaged, and your policy requires you to mitigate promptly regardless of who was at fault. Get the police report number, the driver's insurance information, and photographs of the vehicle in place before it is towed. For commercial owners, business interruption coverage may also apply if the impact closes part of your operation.
Evacuate the affected area and keep people well away from any wall that took the hit — partial collapses often happen after the initial impact, not during it. Do not attempt to move the vehicle out of the structure; if it is holding a wall up, pulling it out is what brings the wall down.
Call 911, then call us. We dispatch emergency shoring and board-up 24/7 across Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia.
We work with major insurance carriers
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Learn more →If your roof is leaking or exposed after wind, hail, or fallen debris, a properly installed tarp helps reduce further interior damage until repairs are scheduled.
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