OpenReach indirectly dinged my car - thoughts?
Discussion
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?
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?
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?
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?
chow pan toon said:
mrbarnett said:
shtu said:
OP, you need to move your car again.
Send me the invoice when you crash it.
No need as you're not holding a heavy implement and suggesting it "might" get damaged if I don't comply...Send me the invoice when you crash it.
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