Car Damage - a leg to stand on?

dreoilin

Hi guys.

All advice greatly appreciated here...

I currently live in the city, and when I first moved here, while awaiting my parking permit, I used to park my car on a street that had a limit of 2 hours. I only parked it here after 6.30pm so I wouldn't have to pay for parking all through the night. I moved it again in the morning.

I went to my car one morning to find that the entire street was flooded. My car had been lifted up on to the pavement, and while the engine still had power, the entire interior was destroyed, the electronics were gone (no steering, no windows, no anything with buttons), and the airbags had deployed causing them to smash the windscreen.

My insurance company wouldn't cover this as I don't have comprehensive cover (I'm a young driver, basic quotes are astronomically high as it is). The city council admitted liability for the flooding in the local newspaper a couple of days later, stating that a pipe had burst in the nearby water station on account of it not being manually closed after a power out.

Where I'm going with this is - should the council be held responsible for the damage to my car? Yes, it's always a case of 'park at your own risk', but does that extend to something of their own doing?
dreoilin is online now Report Post

colm_mcm

I think this usually falls under act of God.

punisher5112

Nothing you can do. Two threads is a bit overkill

dreoilin

@punisher5112, I'm new to this, play nice.

Mint Sauce

colm_mcm wrote: »

I think this usually falls under act of God.

Council admited liability though bad maintenance of the water main. Doesn't sound like act of god. Look into it further OP.

dreoilin

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Council admited liability though bad maintenance of the water main. Doesn't sound like act of god. Look into it further OP.

Thanks for the feedback!

savagethegoat

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Council admited liability though bad maintenance of the water main. Doesn't sound like act of god. Look into it further OP.

I agree, a cloudburst is an Act of God , a burst water main is someone's responsibility.
Where you were parked is immaterial.

edburg

dreoilin wrote: »

Hi guys.

All advice greatly appreciated here...

I currently live in the city, and when I first moved here, while awaiting my parking permit, I used to park my car on a street that had a limit of 2 hours. I only parked it here after 6.30pm so I wouldn't have to pay for parking all through the night. I moved it again in the morning.

I went to my car one morning to find that the entire street was flooded. My car had been lifted up on to the pavement, and while the engine still had power, the entire interior was destroyed, the electronics were gone (no steering, no windows, no anything with buttons), and the airbags had deployed causing them to smash the windscreen.

My insurance company wouldn't cover this as I don't have comprehensive cover (I'm a young driver, basic quotes are astronomically high as it is). The city council admitted liability for the flooding in the local newspaper a couple of days later, stating that a pipe had burst in the nearby water station on account of it not being manually closed after a power out.

Where I'm going with this is - should the council be held responsible for the damage to my car? Yes, it's always a case of 'park at your own risk', but does that extend to something of their own doing?
dreoilin is online now Report Post

If you have said article might be worth having a conversation with a solicitor of sorts (you may get half hour/hour free) and they should be ale to give some idea.

Might be good idea just in case to walk street see if there is owners risk signs around they should have some info on there or website for info.