Ouch… damaged car on company property! Help

I hit a security bollard on corporate grounds (not my company) today doing substancial damage to my car. The bollard is an up/down type and one of a line that stretches across the customer parking area. Most were retracted but four of five were up, one of which was blocking part of the parking area. My car was parked right next to the bollards and due to the direction I approached my car (right / rear) I didn’t notice it and it was impossible to see from the drivers seat – I pulled out and simply drove straight into it.

Returned later and it had a nice big cone on it to warn other customers. My guess is it’s broken and IMO the company failed in there care of duty by not making the hazard clear to their customers. But legal is not my area.

Does anyone know of links that might shed light on corporate responsibility regarding customers and their possessions when on corporate grounds? The service manager came out, we had a chat and he said he’d call later (no call). I’m going to write to the general manager and send pictures but would welcome comment.

These ones were up

Seen from the side

Seen from head height in the drivers seat

What it did

When I returned later that day

So you crashed into something and it’s someone else’s fault?

Sorry, your fault

I once reversed into a post in a church car park.

But I don’t believe in God so I guess it’s my own fault really.

Cheers guys… funny, but not helpful.

So you crashed into something and it’s someone else’s fault?

Well it was there when you got in the car so you might have seen it then. Your photos from drivers hight is soooooo wrong, you cant see your bonnet and your side mirror is showing way up the wall, no sign of the ground at all so its impossible to tell if you really could or couldn’t see it.

On the other hand it is up within the traffic road way which may be a point you could argue.

You’re right though, it was virtually invisible without that cone. Would you mind putting some arrows into your other pictures as I can’t quite make out where the bollard is?

http://www.specsavers.co.uk/

There’s a bollard?

If you didn’t see the bollard from the driver’s seat, why do you think you would have seen the bollard?

I did shout bollards to you, but as i was riding a bike past you , you probably didnt see me either.

“What’s that crunching noise? Better keep going ”

Dude, your hit a bollard. Duty of care my @rse.

They probably put the cone there to stop you doing any more damage while you were on site 🙂

When I first got my hgv licence (25 yrs ago) I did things like this a couple of times, plenty of blind spots in a wagon, at first I wanted to blame people for not closing gates fully or leaving stuff lying around, after a bit I learned to look around more and pay a bit more attention before doing something, you might get something out of them..you might not..
But I bet you don’t do it again…….

Wibble, I took the photo sitting straight, but it is a bit low I agree. Two more…

Another from the drivers seat. The bollard I hit is near the wing mirror.

Here’s a shot from the passenger seat

In the first pic the markings indicate that you’re expected to park diaginally in that space…did you?

From the 4th picture is looks like you parked straight, i.e. parallel to the bollards.

I’m assuming the general manager waited till it was safe (i.e. you’d turned off the engine and stepped away from the vehicle) before leaving the safety of the building.

God, you lot are harsh.

Something very similar happened to me a few years back. Driving along, quite happily. Heard a crunching sound coming somewhere from the LHS of the car…

Stopped a few hundred metres down the road – it was only one of those stupid recumbents. I swear I couldn’t see him when I got in the car.

Anyway, he tried to say it was MY fault! Banging on about how I should be aware of what is going on around me when I’m in the car!

I punched his face in.

after a bit I learned to look around more and pay a bit more attention before doing something, you might get something out of them..you might not..
But I bet you don’t do it again…….

I appreciate the comment but really, how many people walk round their car [edit] before they drive off just to make sure there isn’t an obstruction in the road?

Project… really…? comparing a two foot high bollard to a cyclist. Or are you very, very small?

What car is it? There seems to be a lot of damage, the body work has literally been sliced open.

You realise you will probably get a bill for repairing the damage you caused to their bollard 😳

God, you lot are harsh.

Harsh. But fair.

Were the bollards up or down when you arrived ? If the latter then you may have a point. If the former then it’s a WTF.

I seem to recall that there’s little recourse on private land…your insurers will probably tell you to speak to the landowners or tenants.

I suspect that, unfortunately, liftman is right.

But don’t quote me on that…I have no idea what your insurers will say really.

Bite the bullet – you were driving, it didn’t jump out at you, sometimes it is someone else’s fault, this one is down to you IMHO. You did a proper job though, respec’… 😀

I hit an ‘invisible’ post the other day in a car park. My wife said “Mind the post!”, I thought she was talking about another post so I ignored her and hit the post. In conclusion, my fault 😳

what if there was a kid sat by the side of your car playing marbles?

run it over and sue its mum?

blame culture these days is **** ridiculous.

also, you put about a foot long dint in your car why not slow it up a bit when you hear a scraping?

finally… if you weren’t driving a faux off-road jacked up chelsea tractor **** mobile perhaps your line of sight would show you things at normal car eye level. all those eye level photos do is show me your car is too high up.

Either your car is made if the thinnest/cheapest metal available,

or you really Hoofed it out of that parking space !

Plus, as mentioned above. If you were parked straight then you were not using that parking space as it was intended, as the lines are painted diagonally. Which would have made it very easy to get out of that space without hitting the bollard.

Sorry if it sounded harsh, I know how you feel having done it myself a few times, 😥
The point I was making was.. regardless of blame its another experience that will make you a better and more observant driver, you won’t do it again, even if some numptys left a pallet of tv’s behind you…
Edit

how many people walk round their car [edit] before they drive off just to make sure there isn’t an obstruction in the road?

Just lean forward a bit, and look around, or if your cars that big maybe you should…

Thats the problem with 4×4 drivers. They think they can just drive about without paying much attention as they feel so safe in their big gas guzzling cars. I think this’ll teach you a good lesson. It might be worth “going back to basics” and getting something smaller and more eco friendly. Something that you actually have to drive with a care in the world.

What it I did

davidtaylforth – Member

Thats the problem with cyclists. They think they can just ride about without paying much tax as they feel so mug on their eco friendly machines. I think this’ll teach you a good lesson. It might be worth “going back to basics” and getting something safer and contribute a bit of tax. Something that you actually have to drive with a care in the world.

Is this statement any better?

Surely you can’t even begin to judge someone by what type of car they have!

I’m pretty sure it should be obvious to you by now…

** You drove your car into a post **

That’s pretty much the end of it. You were driving, you were responsible.

It may sound harsh but as hinted by other posters, you will not make the same mistake again and hopefully this will make you more observant in general.

And much as it pains me to use this as an example… but some kids are about the size of that bollard…just count yourself lucky that this time you made a mistake it was only your car that was damaged.

Looks nasty but you should has sseen that.
I got a NIP in the post this morning. 40 I’m a 30 😮
It was that dual carriageway near the national cycle centre, I was bang on 40 as I thought that was the limit.
Clearly I wasnt paying attention, but my mistake looks a tad cheaper than yours!!

Blimey you lot are a tough bunch.

The idea that this put’s me firmly in the ‘blame everyone else’ bracket is a bit humbling… Chelsea tractor though… really? And as I’ve never hit a child I assume I’m pretty attentive most of the time.

Simply didn’t expect a bollard to be raised in the middle of my route out of my space, that’s all. As I was parked in the parking lot of the company who had just serviced the car I’m hoping they will take some responsibility as IMO the bollard should have been dropped or clearly identified.

For the record. I was parked correctly and yes, I gave it an almightily whack! I wasn’t going fast but as the bollard would not move and is considerably stronger than my car so it made a right mess.

Keep it coming though… entertainment for the rest of you on a miserable Friday evening 😥

As I was parked in the parking lot of the company who had just serviced the car I’m hoping they will take some responsibility as IMO the bollard should have been dropped or clearly identified.

The garage parked your car there?