Help with council claim
Discussion
Late last year i managed to crash my car whilst taking my children to the town.
I was reversing into a parking slot and managed to hit a metal bollard. I couldn't see the bollard from my rear view mirror as it was slanted over. It had clearly had been hit previously and had not been repaired.
The bollard also slanted towards the parking bay.
I have been to see a dent removal specialist (pah) who tells me that it will cost £80 to repair my car. I put a claim together for Wiltshire council and waited until today (three months) for a response. Their letter informs me that they can find nothing wrong with the bollard and will not pay any compensation.
Here are some pictures of the offending bollard.
So what can i do now? Do I write back to the council to complain further?
I was reversing into a parking slot and managed to hit a metal bollard. I couldn't see the bollard from my rear view mirror as it was slanted over. It had clearly had been hit previously and had not been repaired.
The bollard also slanted towards the parking bay.
I have been to see a dent removal specialist (pah) who tells me that it will cost £80 to repair my car. I put a claim together for Wiltshire council and waited until today (three months) for a response. Their letter informs me that they can find nothing wrong with the bollard and will not pay any compensation.
Here are some pictures of the offending bollard.
So what can i do now? Do I write back to the council to complain further?
I'm am going to say what everyone else is likely to say mate, and in honesty you may not want to hear it. So here goes.
The Bollard is clearly not protruding into the parking bay. Also the Bollard may not have been damaged already (only your word to take for it). Lastly you probably should have seen the bollard, since when reversing into that space it would be clearly visable in a wing mirror.
Please don't take this as me having a go at you, but that's how the council will see it. Council's want to be paying out money like you want a hole in your head, they have been seriously strapped back with the cash. I would drop it and chalk it down to experience!
ATB
Mike
The Bollard is clearly not protruding into the parking bay. Also the Bollard may not have been damaged already (only your word to take for it). Lastly you probably should have seen the bollard, since when reversing into that space it would be clearly visable in a wing mirror.
Please don't take this as me having a go at you, but that's how the council will see it. Council's want to be paying out money like you want a hole in your head, they have been seriously strapped back with the cash. I would drop it and chalk it down to experience!
ATB
Mike
Grenoble said:
SWE6SPEED said:
Just an observation but it doesn't look like the bollard encroaches the parking bay?
Indeed. A mild slope that doesn't encroach on the bay would imply a lack of observation rather than an ability to claim.Owe it to experience and move on
Did you drive forwards from the left, past the vacant bay, then reverse into it?
Did you drive forwards from the right and cross to the opposite side of the road to reverse in?
In both cases you would have driven past the bollard and should have spotted it - not council's fault that you didn't.
Don't rely on mirrors when reversing.
Did you drive forwards from the right and cross to the opposite side of the road to reverse in?
In both cases you would have driven past the bollard and should have spotted it - not council's fault that you didn't.
Don't rely on mirrors when reversing.
k should the council fork out because you aren't observant when parking? What this guy says - £80 of damage is not worth your while to chase I think - especially on a pretty dubious claim...
If the council did pay out then that would cost them that (plus some for admin overhead) and they would also be obliged to fix the bollard before someone else came along and hit it (which looks fine tbh)...
Before people have a go at me about being blase about £80 I am talking about the OP - looks like he has three cars and therefore not really worth getting worked up about when any one of those cars could easily cost him 80 more or less in any given service.
If the council did pay out then that would cost them that (plus some for admin overhead) and they would also be obliged to fix the bollard before someone else came along and hit it (which looks fine tbh)...
Before people have a go at me about being blase about £80 I am talking about the OP - looks like he has three cars and therefore not really worth getting worked up about when any one of those cars could easily cost him 80 more or less in any given service.
SimonV8ster said:
What a result !! Only 80 quid damage !!
pay it and move on.............
pay it and move on.............
haha that is Marlborough High Street, I have to park along there everyday!
Is this a windup? You been on the Sherry for breakfast?
How is it the councils fault? If anything THEY should bill you, as you cant prove You didnt knock it down in the first place!!!!
To park in the space you have to parallel park, so you drive past any obstacles before reversing in, so its pretty obvious what you need to be aware of!!! Its not like reversing down a narrow alley or similar where you cant see whats behind you before.
Even if it wasnt at angle it would only be a few inches taller!
If its only an £80 repair I'd bite his hand off and pop into the opticians, which are a few shops down from the offending bollard...
Is this a windup? You been on the Sherry for breakfast?
How is it the councils fault? If anything THEY should bill you, as you cant prove You didnt knock it down in the first place!!!!
To park in the space you have to parallel park, so you drive past any obstacles before reversing in, so its pretty obvious what you need to be aware of!!! Its not like reversing down a narrow alley or similar where you cant see whats behind you before.
Even if it wasnt at angle it would only be a few inches taller!
If its only an £80 repair I'd bite his hand off and pop into the opticians, which are a few shops down from the offending bollard...
I agree with the majority here and I'm a lawyer. Ain't no way they can be held liable for you hitting that given it's nowhere near the parking bay marking.
Your claim is total bollards. £80 - you got off lightly.
You might just as well try to sue the manufacturer of your car for negligently not offering enough visibility.
Look at it another way - what if that bollard had been a child - would you be claiming against the parents?
Your claim is total bollards. £80 - you got off lightly.
You might just as well try to sue the manufacturer of your car for negligently not offering enough visibility.
Look at it another way - what if that bollard had been a child - would you be claiming against the parents?
Edited by LuS1fer on Thursday 24th January 10:16
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