Electric co charge for cable damage

[hairyben]

Landscape gardener mate rang me the other day - he stuck a spike in a power cable which blew up and resulted in attendance by the distributor (he was pretty lucky really)

Now they want to stick him for several grand - they will undoubtedly talk of safe digging techniques, cable detectors etc, and claim that their charge for repairing his damage to their cable is wholly justifiable.

Thing is the cable was 12" deep in a back garden (very unusual placement, normally they come from the road) It's a pretty bad job from 100 years ago to have a cable here and while no-ones without blame, they should take the hit and fix their dodgy network, rather than dream up exorbitant charges. I've told him to request the distributors own guidelines on how their cables should be buried, which of course it won't come close to, but the guy himself is a gardener and doesn't exactly talk legal jive that well. Anyone got any advice to help make them back off? He has public liability and wants to hand it to them but I'm worried they'll just pay out then hit him on renewals.

[hairyben]

SVTRick said:

Just one point why are you claiming the power company should take the hit as their Network is Dodgy, was it working without any issue before damaged by third party ?

As any MOT inspector will confirm working without issue and being of a reasonable standard arent the same.