Drunk driver broke my workshop!

[stew 1Participant @stew]

Hi all.

Last weekend a drunk driver ploughed through my garden wall at speed, flattened my young apple tree, and ended up into my garage wall. Luckily he hit the opposite end to where my machine tools (lathes, drilling machine) etc. are. I have a Chinese Mini Lathe, a Hobbymat MD65, and a Clarke drill press. Not the greatest or most prestigious gear admittedly, but it’s my ‘happy place’ and Iove engineering and tinkering with my lathes.

I was busy building workbenches to make the place into a nice little hobby workshop, and the bugger has gone and ruined it.

Once I managed to wrestle the keys off him (he was trying to drive off) I called the Police and they arrested him.

I took loads of photos and I’ve been in touch with the insurers who are sending an assessor out.

Garage was built in the early 50s and is double skinned and there are horizontal and vertical cracks everywhere, as well as a hole in the wall. Part of the wall has collapsed against my model aircraft building bench which had been moved while I built new benches.

What a mess…

I really hope they demolish it and rebuild.

 

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I wish you Good Luck

… You deserve some !!

MichaelG.

 

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

“I really hope they demolish it and rebuild.”

Looks the best solution and what an opportunity !

Main thing with any accident however caused no one is injured or worse !  Material things are relatively easy to fix, nevertheless sorry for your problems.

John

[stew 1Participant @stew]

Thanks guys.

Yes, with any luck I may be able to come out of this with a better workshop.

Busy ordering boxes and bubble wrap so I can pack everything up for storage. I’ll be doing ‘armchair engineering’ for a few months..

I got apples off that tree last year. Had to stand over it and give it the obligatory ‘last post’ with an imaginary bugle.

Sigh.

[Andrew CrowParticipant @andrewcrow91475]

Hi Stew, sorry to see your damaged garden and workshop. Perhaps before you rebuild the workshop you should replace the garden wall and put in some extra reinforcement so that the potential problems caused by selfish incompetent drivers will be stopped by the wall.

Andy

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Take him to the cleaners what a t**t

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Could have been worse…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/22/it-was-so-unreal-norwegian-man-wakes-to-cargo-ship-in-his-garden?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

If the driver has insurance you should not be out of pocket at all. You might even be able to claim for loss of enjoment of your hobby while it is repaired.. Have you had the gas meter and pipework checked for leaks?

Robert.

[Roger HartParticipant @rogerhart88496]

Be wary of insurance assessors,  not necessarily your friends.  A local chap hired an architect to advise on the repairs to flood damage.  He got a gold plated job.  But he had been in the insurance industry and knew their little ways.

Not necessarily to screw the system but to make sure you don’t get a bodge job that will affect house sale down the line.  Perhaps keep your options open,  if the insurers play fair you may not need to play hardball or involve lawyers.  But not everyone plays fair – on either side and sometimes the kicker comes late in the negotiations.

I had a claim a long time ago and felt the assessor was on a ‘get it off the books’ bonus.  He did not like process or procedure.  Not nasty but firmness was needed.

 

[stew 1Participant @stew]

The Police got the gas engineer out within an hour. He did a full check. All OK. (Vehicle was recovered within an hour too, very impressed).

I’m quite nervous about the assessor visit, I’ve deliberately not moved anything. I really don’t want a repair, I’d prefer the whole lot cleared and start again, as the concrete pad it’s built on had heaved anyway (my work area was at the back on the most level area). I imagine it would be quite hard to repair anyway, and surely they’d not rebuild on an uneven pad?

It’s all a hassle I could do without. It was a bare, dusty and nasty cobwebbed hole when I moved in, and it’s taken a lot of time and effort to paint the walls and floor while having stuff stored in there. I’d finally got it into reasonable shape and then bang…

I’m off work (Fire Service) recovering from mental health issues, so this is quite a knock. My hobby has been a very important part of my recovery.

The garage is on the side of the house (seperated by a covered passage) so it’s the first part of the house you see as you drive past, so if I ever sell, ‘kerb appeal’ is a factor.

Thanks for all your replies chaps. I appreciate your comments and advice.

 

[stew 1]

On stew 1 Said:

Busy ordering boxes and bubble wrap so I can pack everything up for storage.

 

Start a log book. All chargeable activities of time and consumables. Even phone calls.
One option is they offer lump sum as mentioned above to ‘get it off the books’ but that does not allow for project management costs and inflation. Remind them that delays at 3.5% inflation must be allowed for. Also check what affect it will have on future premiums.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Is this your home insurance of the driver’s?  If you are claiming through your home insurance they would presumably counter claim against the driver’s insurance (if he had any…). As it was in no sense your fault surely it shouldn’t affect your no claims in that case?

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