car wash liability

[madmike13]

I took my car to the carwash and

 

when it came out of the automatic car wash

the rear driver side bumper panel was peeled off.

 

The owner of the car wash was looking around the car and started taking pictures of where the bumper panel was removed.

 

He pointed out that there was a scratch and a dent in the back area.

 

He pointed out that the car had to have been in an accident which caused the panel to stick out.

 

Since the panel was already sticking out one of the brushes must have snagged onto the panel and ripped it off.

 

He confidently stated that he was not liable for the damage.

 

Any advice?

 

Are they or are they not liable for the damage to my car?

 

Thanks!!

[dx100uk]

and was there previous damage?

 

dx

[chiefengineer]

I've seen situations where a little tiny nudge (e.g. someone scraping your bumper in a car park) could cause it to be mis-aligned just enough for the brush to catch it. The dent he mentioned here is most likely the key. Does it look like the sort of minor dent caused by a gentle nudge? On the other hand, could it have been caused by too much pressure on the brush?

[MaisyMouse]

Has the part of the bumper disappeared completely in the drain of the car wash.

 

If not, and you have it, what is preventing you from sticking it back on ?