Car damage at the work car park!!

sam1970

My employer, NHS Hospital, decided last year to build a multistory car park for staff and put double yellow lines every where else to force staff to use the new car park which they charge us £25/month to use. Also there is no guarrantee of a parking space as the issued more permits than the available spaces. On Friday, one of my colleagues went to the car park at the end of the day to find that someone has keyed his brand new car. It was scratched badly on both sides. He ran to the barrier and called the security staff through the phone system. They attended few minutes later just to tell him that there is a big sign on the wall stating that he is parking at his own risk. There were no CCTV cameras or any other monitoring equipment. they adviced him to claim it on the insurance as he is not going to get any where with the hospital!!! I feel very angry for him as this could happen to any one of us..it is bad enough that we have to pay for the privelge of coming to work....Can the hospital wash their hands off this incident? This is a paid for car park and not free street parking!!!

passatrider

You have answered your own question really. The sign on the wall states that you park at your own risk and they take no responsibility for anything that happens to your vehicle. I'm afraid your colleague has no comeback legally.

Sooki

What's the point of having security staff, if they have no responsibilty for security they are merely attendants!

There are some nasty people out there, mysteriously there have been no 'accidents' on our works car park since CCTV has been installed.

Wig

Are the general public allowed access to inside the car park? If they are...Why? There should be a security entry system to the car park so that only staff can get in with a manned entry/exit to stop filth walking in under the barrier.

Park outside the hospital and walk in.

Get your union reps to pressure for CCTV

sam1970

thank you guys...the public cars are not allowed in as you need a swipe card to open the barrier but there is nothing to stop any one walking in. I do not think for a minute that whoever did this is a member of staff but my point is that we have been forced to use the car park, we pay for it with no guaranttee of a parking space and it is not secure!!so what are we paying for?

Quentin

Wig wrote: »

Are the general public allowed access to inside the car park? If they are...Why? There should be a security entry system to the car park so that only staff can get in with a manned entry/exit to stop filth walking in under the barrier.....

sam1970 wrote: »

I do not think for a minute that whoever did this is a member of staff.........

You both seem to be saying there is no "filth" amongst NHS staff?

Just not true!

Quentin

sam1970 wrote: »

... my point is that we have been forced to use the car park.....

How did they force you?

Is there no union representation left?

TrickyWicky

So you're paying for a service of parking AND having your car protected yet they've installed inadequate (if not none) CCTV to monitor the car park?

Negligent springs to mind. Many places put up signs saying "We accept no responsibility" etc but that doesn't do much in the eyes of the law. As long as you have logged the complaint at the time of the incident on an official report form there is not much they can do to wangle out of this especially if the security staff haven't been logging thorough patrols in the site diary (EG they just sit in the office watching TV all day).

Might cost you a bit though..

TrickyWicky

Quentin wrote: »

Is there no union representation left?

Unions are useless unless its an issue of national scale.

custardy

TrickyWicky wrote: »

So you're paying for a service of parking AND having your car protected yet they've installed inadequate (if not none) CCTV to monitor the car park?

Negligent springs to mind. Many places put up signs saying "We accept no responsibility" etc but that doesn't do much in the eyes of the law. As long as you have logged the complaint at the time of the incident on an official report form there is not much they can do to wangle out of this especially if the security staff haven't been logging thorough patrols in the site diary (EG they just sit in the office watching TV all day).

Might cost you a bit though..

given many people pay for parking
does that mean you are covered by the parking providers at all times,else they are negligent?

sam1970

Quentin wrote: »

How did they force you?

Is there no union representation left?

We have been forced to use the car park as the they put double yellow lines every where else on hospital premises and we are not allowed to use visitors car park. Parking around the hospital is not an option as it is a residential area and staff had their cars damaged in the past (paint stripers, scratches, smached windows...ets) by angry residents...I live 25 miles away from the hospital so public transport is not an option