Car Incident need advice please??

[Craigles86]

Hey cud anyone help please......... a roof slate blew off a building today due to the high winds and smashed the rear window of my car. Is the owner of the building responsible for this bearing in mind of the unusual high winds.

[grahamengineering]

You could ask your insurer to initiate a claim if it could be proved the building owner had been negligent. But given the conditions today it is unlikely they would.

 

In all fairness it is a circa £70 cost to get it done under your winow insurance that wont affect your no claims. Is it really worth the hassle?

[patdavies]

you stand very little chance.

 

You would have to prove that the building owner was negligent in that they knew there was a possibility of a tile moving due to lack of repair and also that there were no abnormal weather conditions - fat chance of that today. This is what you pay your own comprehensive insurance for.

[kurvaface]

I think circumstances like this are the reason why buy insurance...no?

[sailor sam]

Hey cud anyone help please......... a roof slate blew off a building today due to the high winds and smashed the rear window of my car. Is the owner of the building responsible for this bearing in mind of the unusual high winds.

 

Answered your own question me thinks. Unless the owner of the buliding had a hot vindaloo the night before, i don't see how he could be responsible. According to the Autoglass advert, if you contact them and you have fully comp insurance, they will sort it without affecting your NCB.

 

Please Note

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek face to face professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my reputation 'star' button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

Edited December 8, 2011 by sailor sam

[crem]

According to the Autoglass advert, if you contact them and you have fully comp insurance, they will sort it without affecting your NCB.

 

Personally I would check with your insurance compnay first as to which windscreen company is their authorised installer. We have had a thread on here where Autoglass did the repair but the insurance company refused to pay because they use a different company.

[Topcat345]

I had this happen to me quite a few years ago. A ridge tile blew off my neighbour's roof straight onto the bonnet of my car. His insurance refused to pay out due to the fact it was an 'act of God' so I had to claim under my own insurance. I felt my neighbour could have offered to pay my excess as a matter of goodwill but he didn't! Hope you have better luck, given it's your windscreen.

[kurvaface]

I had this happen to me quite a few years ago. A ridge tile blew off my neighbour's roof straight onto the bonnet of my car. His insurance refused to pay out due to the fact it was an 'act of God' so I had to claim under my own insurance. I felt my neighbour could have offered to pay my excess as a matter of goodwill but he didn't! Hope you have better luck, given it's your windscreen.

 

 

ACT of God....there is no such thing as God. Insurers should come into the 21st century and stop using this stupid excuse for their failure to beat the gamble that an accident wont happen. What you descibe sounds very much like a process resulting from a combination of forces overcoming the friction and gravity that held a ridge tile in place leading to the tile taking a trajectory that eded at the bonnet of your car.

 

God...indeed!!

 

If my insurer ever tried this one on me, I would take them to court and demand that they prove God caused the accident lol.

[Topcat345]

Agree with your sentiment! It happened many years ago when I was far less inclined to stand up for my rights (and I remember thinking I didn't want to fall out with my neighbour - pity he didn't feel quite the same by not offering to pay even half my excess!). I think these days I would have at least explored every angle to see if there was anything I could do about it. Am currently involved in a dispute with a driver who caused a minor bump to my car but is now lying about what happened (have opened a thread on this on here about it). What drives me mad is if a situation is unjust and people who are in the wrong are otherwise going to get away with it ...... !

[grahamengineering]

Agree with your sentiment! It happened many years ago when I was far less inclined to stand up for my rights (and I remember thinking I didn't want to fall out with my neighbour - pity he didn't feel quite the same by not offering to pay even half my excess!). I think these days I would have at least explored every angle to see if there was anything I could do about it. Am currently involved in a dispute with a driver who caused a minor bump to my car but is now lying about what happened (have opened a thread on this on here about it). What drives me mad is if a situation is unjust and people who are in the wrong are otherwise going to get away with it ...... !

 

Actually I think what you have stated is an indication of what is wrong with the world today. Your neighbour, I assume didn't go up and loosen the roof tile? If he had taken all reasonable precautions it is an accident. Nobodies fault hence why you pay car insurance. Why must someone always be to blame when something goes wrong in our lives?

[kurvaface]

I think it is less abouty folks placing blame and more about those who should, not taking responsibility.

 

Eg in this case the insurer should have taken responsibility. They are in the business of risk and when things don't go their way they have to accept that that is when they pay out.

 

Eg SOGA and used car sales. All to often you hear of car dealers who abdicate their responsibilities to their customers. If people took "responsibility", there would be no need to "blame" but unfortunately we live in a culture where one does not have to be responsible.

[grahamengineering]

To the best of my knowledge kurva the OP hasn't contacted their insurer. They were wanting the building owner to cough up.

 

As for the SOGA example, it has no bearing here but to answer it fairly. Of course there are bad motor traders, but there are also a lot of bad customers as well. Many who will say anything to try and get their own way. Remember that faulty car the dealer sold was once someones pride and joy but they traded it in when it needed repaired. More than likely not telling the trader. You then have the cases in SOGA where customers believe it gives them the right to a perfect new car. SOGA is sensible enough to realise that isn't true hence the customer goes around saying how bad done by he is.

[Topcat345]

Grahamengineering, you are missing the point. I didn't blame my neighbour for what happened (just thinking that it would be a nice gesture of goodwill if he paid some of my excess!). His insurance company apparently just washed their hands of it saying "act of God" and at that age, I didn't challenge it - just accepted what they said. They may have been starting out by trying their luck and if so, they succeeded. I wouldn't just accept it at face value these days and I doubt you would either.

[kurvaface]

To the best of my knowledge kurva the OP hasn't contacted their insurer. They were wanting the building owner to cough up.

 

As for the SOGA example, it has no bearing here but to answer it fairly. Of course there are bad motor traders, but there are also a lot of bad customers as well. Many who will say anything to try and get their own way. Remember that faulty car the dealer sold was once someones pride and joy but they traded it in when it needed repaired. More than likely not telling the trader. You then have the cases in SOGA where customers believe it gives them the right to a perfect new car. SOGA is sensible enough to realise that isn't true hence the customer goes around saying how bad done by he is.

 

 

 

Yeah....pesky customers........who needs em?