OpenReach indirectly dinged my car - thoughts?

OpenReach indirectly dinged my car - thoughts?

Author
Discussion

mrbarnett

Original Poster:

1,090 posts

92 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
Not really sure where I stand on this one. My partner is working from home today and noticed workmen and traffic lights going up outside our house. Turns out BT OpenReach are digging up the road and pavement outside our house - it's the first we've heard of it.

My car is parked on my drive, but it's a short drive so its nose was pretty close to all the machinery digging up the pavement. A workman asks my partner to move the car in case it gets damaged. I think he was probably trying to be helpful, but the drive is tight, and the road complex with its sudden traffic light control. My partner doesn't really drive my car and hasn't ever manoeuvred it and in trying to get it out has dinged the bumper.

Now, obviously she has damaged the car, but she only damaged the car under the advice of a representative of BT OpenReach. They asked her to do something, with the suggestion that the car will get damaged if she doesn't comply, that has lead to the car getting damaged.

Had BT OpenReach made any attempt to contact us and explain their plans, I would have found somewhere else to store the car for the week and it would not be damaged, but they made no such efforts. Had they not chosen to dig up the road and ask for the car to be moved, it would not be damaged. Do you think I have a case to claim back the costs of repair?

Narcisus

8,054 posts

279 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
Is this for real ? biggrin

Privanthe

66 posts

84 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
Not at all. Your OH's inability to drive your car does not constitute fault on the part of Openreach, especially considering it was only a friendly notification in order to make any accidental damage a smaller likelihood.

Your Dad

1,924 posts

182 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
mrbarnett said:
Not really sure where I stand on this one. My partner is working from home today and noticed workmen and traffic lights going up outside our house. Turns out BT OpenReach are digging up the road and pavement outside our house - it's the first we've heard of it.

My car is parked on my drive, but it's a short drive so its nose was pretty close to all the machinery digging up the pavement. A workman asks my partner to move the car in case it gets damaged. I think he was probably trying to be helpful, but the drive is tight, and the road complex with its sudden traffic light control. My partner doesn't really drive my car and hasn't ever manoeuvred it and in trying to get it out has dinged the bumper.

Now, obviously she has damaged the car, but she only damaged the car under the advice of a representative of BT OpenReach. They asked her to do something, with the suggestion that the car will get damaged if she doesn't comply, that has lead to the car getting damaged.

Had BT OpenReach made any attempt to contact us and explain their plans, I would have found somewhere else to store the car for the week and it would not be damaged, but they made no such efforts. Had they not chosen to dig up the road and ask for the car to be moved, it would not be damaged. Do you think I have a case to claim back the costs of repair?



BlackLabel

13,251 posts

122 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
mrbarnett said:
Do you think I have a case to claim back the costs of repair?
No.

Evercross

5,881 posts

63 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
mrbarnett said:
Not really sure where I stand on this one. My partner is working from home today and noticed workmen and traffic lights going up outside our house. Turns out BT OpenReach are digging up the road and pavement outside our house - it's the first we've heard of it.

My car is parked on my drive, but it's a short drive so its nose was pretty close to all the machinery digging up the pavement. A workman asks my partner to move the car in case it gets damaged. I think he was probably trying to be helpful, but the drive is tight, and the road complex with its sudden traffic light control. My partner doesn't really drive my car and hasn't ever manoeuvred it and in trying to get it out has dinged the bumper.

Now, obviously she has damaged the car, but she only damaged the car under the advice of a representative of BT OpenReach. They asked her to do something, with the suggestion that the car will get damaged if she doesn't comply, that has lead to the car getting damaged.

Had BT OpenReach made any attempt to contact us and explain their plans, I would have found somewhere else to store the car for the week and it would not be damaged, but they made no such efforts. Had they not chosen to dig up the road and ask for the car to be moved, it would not be damaged. Do you think I have a case to claim back the costs of repair?
This is not going to go well....

mrbarnett

Original Poster:

1,090 posts

92 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
Haha - yes. I'll be pretty pissed off if I have to spunk hundreds of pounds repairing the bumper of an otherwise mint car because some toolbox decided it needed moving. shoot

Evercross

5,881 posts

63 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
mrbarnett said:
Haha - yes. I'll be pretty pissed off if I have to spunk hundreds of pounds repairing the bumper of an otherwise mint car because some toolbox decided it needed moving. shoot
Terrible way to talk about your OH. wink

AWRacing

1,710 posts

224 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
mrbarnett said:
Haha - yes. I'll be pretty pissed off if I have to spunk hundreds of pounds repairing the bumper of an otherwise mint car because some toolbox decided it needed moving. shoot
Thats no way to talk about your other half...

Hindsight is wonderful but she should have left it where it was, if they then damaged it they would be liable, as it is they are not.

Narcisus

8,054 posts

279 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
mrbarnett said:
Haha - yes. I'll be pretty pissed off if I have to spunk hundreds of pounds repairing the bumper of an otherwise mint car because some toolbox decided it needed moving. shoot
Teach the Mrs to drive properly or do body repair. Sorted !

xjay1337

15,966 posts

117 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
mrbarnett said:
Not really sure where I stand on this one. My partner is working from home today and noticed workmen and traffic lights going up outside our house. Turns out BT OpenReach are digging up the road and pavement outside our house - it's the first we've heard of it.

My car is parked on my drive, but it's a short drive so its nose was pretty close to all the machinery digging up the pavement. A workman asks my partner to move the car in case it gets damaged. I think he was probably trying to be helpful, but the drive is tight, and the road complex with its sudden traffic light control. My partner doesn't really drive my car and hasn't ever manoeuvred it and in trying to get it out has dinged the bumper.

Now, obviously she has damaged the car, but she only damaged the car under the advice of a representative of BT OpenReach. They asked her to do something, with the suggestion that the car will get damaged if she doesn't comply, that has lead to the car getting damaged.

Had BT OpenReach made any attempt to contact us and explain their plans, I would have found somewhere else to store the car for the week and it would not be damaged, but they made no such efforts. Had they not chosen to dig up the road and ask for the car to be moved, it would not be damaged. Do you think I have a case to claim back the costs of repair?
Are you joking?

Evercross

5,881 posts

63 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
The title of this thread is so wrong, both in narrative and intent.

TheLuke

2,218 posts

140 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
AWRacing said:
mrbarnett said:
Haha - yes. I'll be pretty pissed off if I have to spunk hundreds of pounds repairing the bumper of an otherwise mint car because some toolbox decided it needed moving. shoot
Thats no way to talk about your other half...

Hindsight is wonderful but she should have left it where it was, if they then damaged it they would be liable, as it is they are not.
This is it, they effectively shifted the risk of damage onto your wife, who promptly took it hehe

KP328

1,806 posts

194 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
Just wondering, was the BT van a Transit or a Vivaro ?

mrbarnett

Original Poster:

1,090 posts

92 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
As an employee, if I instruct somebody to do something that has a negative consequence, surely my employer is liable?

Put another way, if an electrician advised you to touch a wire, and the wire turned out to be live and gave a shock, would the electrician not be liable? What if that person died?

designforlife

3,734 posts

162 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
This has to be a wind-up...

Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area

7,015 posts

188 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
Does she have a stiff neck? Trouble walking?

Christmassss

650 posts

88 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
Ummm...no. Your partner was in control of the vehicle, no one instructed her to damage it.

mrbarnett

Original Poster:

1,090 posts

92 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area said:
Does she have a stiff neck? Trouble walking?
Now you mention it, since the incident, yes laugh

Starfighter

4,908 posts

177 months

Friday 10th May 2019
quotequote all
That would have some level of negligence. In your case the only negligence was down to your other half.

You could inform your insurers and ask them to pursue Open Reach. Expect to be laughed at and next year’s premium to be higher.