Crazy Situation

jamieh

Hi all,

Bit of a crazy situation....what do ye think.

Around the time of 'the breeze freeze' my Dad was stopped at a stop sign, tractor with trailor in front of him overshot the stop sign. He then started reversing, banged straight into dads car....causing 8k worth of damage. Luckily happened outside a Garda station and two of them saw the whole thing happen. The council worker driving the tractor claimed total responsibility.

Dad got a rental car from the garage for the last 6 weeks. Car is now fixed. Council will only pay for a rental car for 2 weeks, point blank refusing to pay for the other 4 weeks (2000 euro). I think he's just going to pay it just so he can get his own car back.

What do ye reckon?

smash

Got to a solicitor and contact his insurance company... then tell all the local papers and complain to your TD!

Sam Kade

Last time someone crashed into my car I was told that I couldn't claim for a replacement car. The garage that repaired the car same garage as I bought gave me a car free of charge while my own was being repaired paid them well too as I ended trading the car for a newer one.

Anan1

There is an entitlement to a replacement car while the car is being repaired, but 6 weeks??

Homer

What was he driving that cost 500 euro a week to rent??

Drummerboy08

Ok, lets get some info here.

- What caused the repair to take 6 weeks?
- What rental vehicle was your father in? Was this the car he was offered, or did he insist on this vehicle?
- Who's name is the rental in?
- Have you spoken to a solicitor?

If this is the car your father was given, and the delay on repairs was caused by something outside of your father's control, then I'd talk to a solicitor. A letter into the council should sort it out.

If your father insisted on a certain grade/type of rental car, then I can kind of understand why the council will not pay for it. The standard car an insurance company will provide is something along the lines of a Fiesta/Micra etc.

Anan1

I'd imagine one is entitled to a similar grade of car to the car being repaired, but I can't see any justification for a six week repair time.

Berty

I had a Passat for €121 per week. What was he driving?

Why did it take 6 weeks to fix the car? Even 2 weeks is a lot unless the car was nearly totalled.

He would be expected to have a replacement car of equal size and value to what was damaged.

Solicitor all the way. Garage should give a letter detailing why it took 6 weeks and then the car hire should be covered as long as it can be quantified and is outside of your fathers control and he was not responsible or the cause of the damage.

Anan1

Berty wrote: »

Solicitor all the way. Garage should give a letter detailing why it took 6 weeks and then the car hire should be covered as long as it can be quantified and is outside of your fathers control and he was not responsible or the cause of the damage.

I'd be thinking the garage rather than the council are responsible for the excessive repair time.

Berty

Anan1 wrote: »

I'd be thinking the garage rather than the council are responsible for the excessive repair time.

What I meant is that the OP's father is not responsible but probably thought "feck it, I have a nice rental car, who care's how long it takes".

I meant the council are responsible financially.

Anan1

Berty wrote: »

What I meant is that the OP's father is not responsible but probably thought "feck it, I have a nice rental car, who care's how long it takes".

I meant the council are responsible financially.

I don't think the council are (or should be) responsible for six weeks car rental. They are responsible for repairing the car and renting a replacement car for a reasonable time, but I think six weeks is taking the p1ss. €500/week also sounds excessive, from what i've heard so far it sounds as though the garage might be taking the council for a soft touch.

Homer

Anan1 wrote: »

I'd imagine one is entitled to a similar grade of car to the car being repaired, but I can't see any justification for a six week repair time.

Really? When somebody caused minor cosmetic damage to the bonnet and bumper of my boxster and I had a rental for two weeks they laughed at me when I insisted on something better than a micra! After complaining I ended up in an Opel astra "sport" 1.4 that wouldn't pull a knacker off your missus..
Defo agree the council were probably being taken for a ride but the cost of the rental still has me puzzled!

jamieh

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Ok, lets get some info here.

- What caused the repair to take 6 weeks?
- What rental vehicle was your father in? Was this the car he was offered, or did he insist on this vehicle?
- Who's name is the rental in?
- Have you spoken to a solicitor?

If this is the car your father was given, and the delay on repairs was caused by something outside of your father's control, then I'd talk to a solicitor. A letter into the council should sort it out.

If your father insisted on a certain grade/type of rental car, then I can kind of understand why the council will not pay for it. The standard car an insurance company will provide is something along the lines of a Fiesta/Micra etc.

Hey,

- The repair took took 6 weeks, had to wait for parts to come in - extensive damage. Was originally told 4 weeks, but it took 6 weeks in the end.

- He was given a 320d as a replacement car. (His own car is a 630i). He wasn't fussy as to what car he was given - they just gave him a 520d. He asked the council if the problem was related to the type of car he was given as a replacement as they said no.

- Don't know who's name the rental is in to be honest. I actually made a mistake with the 2k figure - that was the total cost.

- Got in touch with a solicitor, but he didn't that it would take too long to go through courts/solicitor letters etc. He just wants his car back.

Realistically he's prob just going to pay for the replacement car himself, but seems very unfair having to fork a substantial amount of money - even when someone reversed into you while you were stopped at a stop sign.