not happy

[timwilky]

Well as most of you will know, I have been having the odd moan about roadworks outside my house.

Well yesterday, they removed the heavy steel plate that covers the hole in front of my drive, filled it with MOT and left.

They placed a fibreglass plate upright against my front wall.

There has just been a big gust of wind. Said fibreglass road plate has just hit my car and done considerable scratching to the front wing.

I bet the contractors are going to deny responsibility. I just know it. The lease company are not going to be happy, work will not be happy with it. and somebody somewhere will be expecting me to pay.

[tigersaw]

This really hasnt been going well for you has it. You need a revenge plan.
Once at my prev house, the contractors put ducting in for cable TV, but they were supposed to dig the pavement, but it was easier to dig up the soft just inside all the residents boundary. Once the cables were blown through I dug through the lot to put in a fence post. Nobody ever did get cable down our street.

[the_lone_wolf]

Well as most of you will know, I have been having the odd moan about roadworks outside my house.

Well yesterday, they removed the heavy steel plate that covers the hole in front of my drive, filled it with MOT and left.

They placed a fibreglass plate upright against my front wall.

There has just been a big gust of wind. Said fibreglass road plate has just hit my car and done considerable scratching to the front wing.

I bet the contractors are going to deny responsibility. I just know it. The lease company are not going to be happy, work will not be happy with it. and somebody somewhere will be expecting me to pay.
i had a similar thing happen to my car, large (6ftx4ft) barrier, complete with feet, catch a gust of wind and flew up ontot he bonnet of my car, causing about ?800 of damage

took it up with the contracters, took a year of backwards and forwards but i was fully compensated for the repairs

just write them a polite letter explaining what happened, that you expect the repairs to be paid for and keep it simple, don't rant about the roadworks or anything, just explain the situation and i expect they'll just let the PI insurance handle it, in my case they weren't at all concerned with fighting it

good luck

[-Ralph-]

I assume it's a company car then. Depends on what your work T's & C's are. My last company car I had to pay the first 100 quid of any damage, but I got it back if costs were reclaimed from a third party. That was a policy change though and before that I'd have cost me nothing. It was introduced to to try to get folk to look after the cars.

As its a company car I assume you have no no claims to loose or won't need to declare it as an accident on personal policies.

I'd get photos of where the fibreglass was propped up and where it ended up, and the scratches it made on the way. See if you can give your neighbours details as accident witnesses to say that the fibreglass had indeed been left there. Then tell all this to the insurance company. They are much more likely to be able to exert the kind of pressure needed to get the contractor to accept liability than you are, much more chance of the insurance company claiming from them through the courts. Usually if the insurance company has a third party to claim from they will persue it, they don't want to be out of pocket.

[Demonz]

Did you get some pics?

I had one of those forecourt rubbish bins at the BP station blow across and into the side of the car - ?1500 worth of damage. Was in November. Still going through the motions with their insurers trying to get them to sign off on paying for it... good luck.

[MrMessy]

Definetly need pictures. I drove over a piece of plywood on our access drive and it moved causing car to scrape a stone wall. Contractors for Yorks Water said hole was in middle of road and denied all liabilaty and started to get funny about it until I sent in pictures, attitude suddenly changed and paid for repair:o

[timwilky]

Apologies if image heavy

When, the road plate and a second lightweight plate were removed from covering this.
http://www.twsoft.co.uk/sv/mg/hole.jpg

They took away the heavy metal plate, but left the lightweight one here

http://www.twsoft.co.uk/sv/mg/left.jpg

not surprising that when the wind blew, it ended up here
http://www.twsoft.co.uk/sv/mg/ended.jpg

Whilst the damage is just to paintwork
http://twsoft.co.uk/sv/mg/closeup.jpg

It is bloody annoying.
http://www.twsoft.co.uk/sv/mg/closeup1.jpg

I have just checked, I am supposed to pay the X/S of ?250 on any claim. Whilst it will be recorded as a non fault if I can get the contractors to admit liability, it will still be a claim against my personal insurance record and show up whenever I renew my bike and load the premium.

It is not fair. I am tempted just to try a bit of polish when the car goes back in 3 years time covered by a few weeks of road muck, and simply hope nobody sees it until too late.

[tigersaw]

not surprising that when the wind blew, it ended up here




Against your car that is parked on the pavement?

[Lozzo]

I wouldn't be getting it sorted until you've got the contractors to admit liability, because it'll go down on your own insurance record. They may try and weedle out of it because you parked 2 wheels on the pavement. It wouldn't cost you ?250 to get that sorted by any decent bodyshop, if they do manage to screw out of liability.

[timwilky]

We have to park on the pavement. Otherwise there is not enough room for vehicles to use the road.
http://www.twsoft.co.uk/sv/mg/pavement.jpg

3 cars have been damaged by passing trucks during these works

If we don't park on the pavement. Nothing gets up/down
http://www.twsoft.co.uk/sv/mg/pavement1.jpg

[Lozzo]

Good point, I'd save those photos as evidence of the parking situation and their lack of care in placing the cover. There's a H+S issue there if they get snotty about it.

[Demonz]

What if you just dont advise your insurer. Just get theirs to admit and pay out for fixing it. I think you will just have to get a couple of quotes and send them through to their insurers to give the nod. It seems straight forward enough...

[21QUEST]

What if you just dont advise your insurer. Just get theirs to admit and pay out for fixing it. I think you will just have to get a couple of quotes and send them through to their insurers to give the nod. It seems straight forward enough...

Good thought that. If my memory serves me right, once sorted an accident that way. Got rear ended(nothing major) and was dealth with that way.

There wasn't any fraffing about by them either.....to be honest, not sure if it was the insurance company or the firem that wanted all sorted out ASAP. Quite a large firm. I did sign some paper work saying "full and final etc etc"

Either way, got a couple of quotes and they sent cheque pretty sharpish...but the again , different times and all that.

It must be very annoying of course but does't look too bad on screen. Looks like it may even polish out or as Lozzo says, a good place would sort it out for a lot lot less than ?250.

No harm in trying to get them to accept liabiliy though but I'd try without involving insurance.....at least for now.
The chances of them turning round and claiming, your car was in the wrong and caused X amount of damage to their property, is errr pretty slim ;)


Ben

[-Ralph-]

I know you are "supposed to" declare company car claims as accidents on your personal insurance, but I'd be interested to know how they can record something against your personal insurance record when you are not the insurance policy holder on the company policy, but just a driver, and not even a named driver at that. Most policies just cover all employees within certain parameters such as age.

When asked by your bike insurance "any accidents" and you say no, how the hell would they check? I certainly have never declared accidents in company vehicles when taking out personal policy.

[timwilky]

Well the accident report form has arrived.

They want my name/address/licence number/claims history etc.

Despite it being nothing to do with me. Not my car, or policy. I will be recorded as having a claim. Like it or not this will impact my insurance record etc. I have had to make a claim, I am therefore of higher liability etc.

[Scoobs]

Surely that will just t-cut out.

[timwilky]

No it is through the paint. I tried to polish it out.