Do I have any recourse?

All Fired Up

Hello,

I have recently received a Fire Department charge for over €800 for the fire department to attend a crash I was involved in. I was very confused when I received the charge as I had not rang for them myself, I knew they were not needed, and when they turned up, which I was mortified about as I was just waiting on a tow truck and suddenly two trucks turn up, asked was I OK (literally one fireman got out and came over to ask if I was hurt or had I anyone that was coming to collect me to bring me home etc) and then the two trucks turned and left. I asked if I could know what the charge was for and was told it was "probably for helping out at the scene or something" but that they do not have an exact record or what it was for as it would just say they had attended the scene in their records.

What I want to know is am I liable for this? As there was no fire and I had no need to be cut out of my car, my insurance will not cover it (apparently a very common clause in insurance policies that no one seems to be aware of that I ask!). I really cant afford to hand over €800, and I do not want to belittle the fire brigade in any way but I don't really know what I would be handing over the money for either as they literally did not do anything other than say "You OK?" I would never have called them to the scene myself and not once did I ask for anyone else to.

I have been given a form to fill in to asses my earnings and my husbands to see if they will reduce the charge based on these, but I just feel very put out that some over dramatic bystander has effectively charged me €800. I had heard this man while he was on the phone and told him that I was fine and that I was not hurt, I was out of my car and no one else was injured or involved thankfully, but I knew from the way he was talking he was enjoying the excitement and was acting like he was on an episode of ER.

Do I have any way out of this without handing over a serious amount of money?

Liam McPoyle

Your motor insurance should cover you for fire brigade call out charges, have you notified your insurer about the accident?

GM228

Which Fire authority was it OP? There are also "no service provided" or simply call out fees (€800 sounds high for such).

To note it is the users or beneficiaries who is liable, not those who called them.

galwaytt

All Fired Up wrote: »

Hello,

I have recently received a Fire Department charge for over €800 for the fire department to attend a crash I was involved in. I was very confused when I received the charge as I had not rang for them myself, I knew they were not needed, and when they turned up, which I was mortified about as I was just waiting on a tow truck and suddenly two trucks turn up, asked was I OK (literally one fireman got out and came over to ask if I was hurt or had I anyone that was coming to collect me to bring me home etc) and then the two trucks turned and left. I asked if I could know what the charge was for and was told it was "probably for helping out at the scene or something" but that they do not have an exact record or what it was for as it would just say they had attended the scene in their records.

What I want to know is am I liable for this? As there was no fire and I had no need to be cut out of my car, my insurance will not cover it (apparently a very common clause in insurance policies that no one seems to be aware of that I ask!). I really cant afford to hand over €800, and I do not want to belittle the fire brigade in any way but I don't really know what I would be handing over the money for either as they literally did not do anything other than say "You OK?" I would never have called them to the scene myself and not once did I ask for anyone else to.

I have been given a form to fill in to asses my earnings and my husbands to see if they will reduce the charge based on these, but I just feel very put out that some over dramatic bystander has effectively charged me €800. I had heard this man while he was on the phone and told him that I was fine and that I was not hurt, I was out of my car and no one else was injured or involved thankfully, but I knew from the way he was talking he was enjoying the excitement and was acting like he was on an episode of ER.

Do I have any way out of this without handing over a serious amount of money?

Who called them ?
If someone wants €800 from me, they'd better be able to detail what it is they did for the money.

And, no, your car insurance doesn't always cover it, even if you did need them btw - read the small print.