wheel fell off

boyse7en

Friend of ours' daughter found a nail stuck in a rear tyre while she was out, so went into a local tyre fitters. She hadn't got any money with her, so they wouldn't fix it, but they said they would swap it over for her spare wheel for her without charge.
As she was driving home, the wheel fell off, damaging the car. Police arrived, got a breakdown truck (who proceeded to damage both doors on the car, but that's another story...) and she was towed home.

Her dad went to see the tyre fitters, and they basically told him it was nothing to do with them as she should have checked the wheel nut were tight before driving off.
Can that be right?

somech

no the tyre place are liable for all costs

all tyre places recommend rechecking wheel nuts after 50miles

vikingaero

somech wrote: »

no the tyre place are liable for all costs

all tyre places recommend rechecking wheel nuts after 50miles

One tyre supplier I use states on the invoice that the wheelnuts/bolts should be re-torqued after 25 miles.

boyse7en

vikingaero wrote: »

One tyre supplier I use states on the invoice that the wheelnuts/bolts should be re-torqued after 25 miles.

Yes, the fitters in question said that their invoices all stated that the wheel nuts should be checked for tightness, but as she wasn't charged she didn't get an invoice.

Not sure how far she'd traveled before the wheel came off - it's about 20 miles to her home but she might not have gone straight home. Would be surprised if she'd clocked up 50 miles though.

[Deleted User]

Why did she go to the tyre fitters if she had no money in the first place?

mickeypops

boyse7en wrote: »

Her dad went to see the tyre fitters, and they basically told him it was nothing to do with them as she should have checked the wheel nut were tight before driving off.
Can that be right?

Well that's rich isn't it? It's the customers fault that the fitter didn't do the job properly!

Sounds like they took a lacksadaisical approach because it was a favour, rather than a paid job. They are still just as liable though.

Jakg

While they are to blame, it is her car and her responsibility - especially as they swapped over a tyre (which takes time, time which the garage has to pay for) for free.

It's a little harsh to sue someone who was trying to help.

boyse7en

Why did she go to the tyre fitters if she had no money in the first place?

She's 17, 20 miles from home with a massive nail in her tyre and about 100yds from a tyre depot that her dad uses for his tyres. Doesn't seem a ludicrous idea to pop in and see if they could help.

While they are to blame, it is her car and her responsibility - especially as they swapped over a tyre (which takes time, time which the garage has to pay for) for free.

It's a little harsh to sue someone who was trying to help.

I don't know that he's trying to sue them for anything. I know what you mean, they were kind enough to help out a damsel in distress, but in doing so put her into far more danger. If it had been a passer-by who had helped her change a wheel at teh roadside, I'd agree with you - but they are tyre fitting specialists who you would expect to do a proper job. I certainly wouldn't check the wheel nuts before I drove out of the depot - later, yes.

Hintza

My daughter would have been on the phone to me licketty split and the conversation would start:-

"Daaaaaaaaad, you know you love me (I now know that a demand for cashh is coming)........can you just pay on your card for my new tyre" :mad:

somech

tbh not many people check their nuts,

the tyre place should have used a torque wrench (calibrated once a year as an insurance thingy), its highly unlikely they would work loose if properly fitted.

put yourself in her shoes they fitted a wheel it fell off and caused hundreds of pounds of damge would you say oh well they never charged me.
rubbish we would all be jumping up and down wanting compensation

Avoriaz

somech wrote: »

tbh not many people check their nuts, ...

I check mine regularly.

Quite a few times every day in fact.


:A