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?

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

John is right, my confusion. ignore my last sentence, though be aware you are obliged to tell your house insurer that something is going on. This may help you as they will want to ensure the repairs are done to a suitable standard. Also mortgage company if in play.

[Roger HartParticipant @rogerhart88496]

If the insurers are not cooperative or seem unfair you can go to the Financial Services Ombudsman.  Their website or Citizens Advice can point the way.  Vulnerable users can get handled more quickly.

Best to make sure you have copies of all the correspondence etc.  Also structure your letters etc such that they will if necessary fit together in making a case to the Ombudsman.  Insurers do not like being taken to the Ombudsman.

Some careful handling may persuade the insurers that paying up quickly and generously will be in their best interests.  Make it easy for them.

 

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Just a quick question, is that earth wire connected to the gas pipe ??

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Larry,
Just from the photo I can say yes, that is an earth wire connected to the gas pipe. It appears to have been properly installed. I can’t say for sure without details of the electricity supply type and installation but it is likely that this earth is to protect against differences in voltage between the electrical earth and the gas pipe which is buried in local earth. This is called equipotential bonding and in this case the “earth” wire goes back to the Main Earth Terminal at the meter.
It’s a complex subject and the requirements change. The wire should not be providing an electrical safety earth for anything.

Robert.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Some light reading for you, Larry:

https://registeredgasengineer.co.uk/technical/technical-bulletin-102-2/

MichaelG.

[HowiParticipant @howi]

A point to note:- A no claim bonus is just that “No Claim” it is not a “No Blame bonus”.

 

[stew 1Participant @stew]

Hi all.

I bought the house from a chap who had been renting it out to tenants, so all services were fully checked out and ‘proper.’ The gas engineer was satisfied with the installation and had no issue with the setup, so that’s good.
The git who crashed the car had borrowed it off a friend. The Police found he had no insurance, no licence, and was drunk. The car was untaxed and SORN, and had no MOT.

It was however insured… I informed the vehicle’s insurance company. The owner, to my knowledge, has yet to report it!

Claim is going through my home insurance, who will no doubt battle it out with the vehicle insurer.

It’s a quagmire of paperwork, phone calls, emails, victim statements, etc. The driver lives two doors away, and is renting from a housing association, so I’ve reported him. There is a list of ‘previous’ so they’ve served him a section 8 notice to vacate. My other neighbours have been very supportive.

It’s quite the learning curve. I just want a quiet life! 🙄

 

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Am so sorry to hear of your problems.

I fear that you may well have problems with the car’s insurers. Since the car was not driven by the owner, and assured, they will probably, initially try to have nothing to do with it, particularly since it was SORN

And the drunk driver was unlicenced.

But you say “borrowed”, that might make the owner an accessory, and so liable. What do the Police say?

(Probably no point in pursuing a civil case against the driver, since he may well not have the means to pay such a claim, unless he has some form of personal insurance)

Sounds like a legal quagmire, with you could do without, for a whole variety of reasons.

I hope that all will go well for you.

Go at it hard and strong and don’t take” No” for an answer.

Howard

[stew 1Participant @stew]

Well, like I say, I pay my house insurance so it’s not my battle how the house insurance people deal with the motor insurance company. That’s their legal department’s problem. I’m down one garage and I’d really like to be back up and running before winter! We have an assessor coming out next Friday so at least things are moving.

 

[stew 1Participant @stew]

Hmmm, using man-maths, is this the excuse to buy a shed, so I can have a temporary lair while the garage is fixed?!

I think my wife may support it as she’s always wanted a potting shed.

Joking really, but the germ of an idea is lurking at the back of my mind..

 

 

[stew 1]

On stew 1 Said:

Well, like I say, I pay my house insurance so it’s not my battle how the house insurance people deal with the motor insurance company. […]

Spot-on, Stew

MichaelG.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, if your insurers start being funny about things, tell them you’ll not renew with them again. But I do hope you get a good and acceptable settlement with them.

Regards Nick.

[Mike JosephParticipant @mikejoseph75242]

Sorry to hear of this one. Just a suggestion – when things calm down and after the assessors do their worst, try contacting ‘Men in Sheds’ (https://menssheds.org.uk/) to see if they could help out at all.

Good luck (puts my problem with aliphatic glue in perspective!)

Mike

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