Car Windscreen Smashed - School or parent responsible - Advice please

lalahland

Thanks to all for your comments. I have emailed the school reiterating what was said, have attached pictures of the damage and have spoken to the parent who seems lovely in all honesty but does not believe she is responsible for her 15 year old as she was not looking after him at the time.

I do admit that I question the statement that a football was responsible for the damage as the damage is so extensive so wonder too if a bag may have been thrown instead. I'm hoping the school CCTV may shed some light on what happened but only the police can look at it.

Anyway I have contacted my insurance who have said that I need to report the incident to the police in order to make a claim who are in-turn saying that this was not an act of vandalism but will still visit me over the weekend.

I am paying out of pocket for the windscreen replacement which is booked for tomorrow morning and am hoping desperately that the insurance will cover the cost and either the school or parent will cover the excess. This is my first year of driving, had the car for just a month, so am concerned that having a claim will affect my renewal amount. I will also need to have the car valeted inside and on the bonnet as there is glass everywhere

roddydogs

Also operate the heater fan on full (carefully) as glass may be inn the system.

Glassman

lalahland wrote: »

Thanks to all for your comments. I have emailed the school reiterating what was said, have attached pictures of the damage and have spoken to the parent who seems lovely in all honesty but does not believe she is responsible for her 15 year old as she was not looking after him at the time.

I do admit that I question the statement that a football was responsible for the damage as the damage is so extensive so wonder too if a bag may have been thrown instead. I'm hoping the school CCTV may shed some light on what happened but only the police can look at it.

Anyway I have contacted my insurance who have said that I need to report the incident to the police in order to make a claim who are in-turn saying that this was not an act of vandalism but will still visit me over the weekend.

I am paying out of pocket for the windscreen replacement which is booked for tomorrow morning and am hoping desperately that the insurance will cover the cost and either the school or parent will cover the excess. This is my first year of driving, had the car for just a month, so am concerned that having a claim will affect my renewal amount. I will also need to have the car valeted inside and on the bonnet as there is glass everywhere

You need the car put back to its pre-incident condition. IOW, the windscreen should be the same (especially if it is the factory fitted glass with the car manufacturer emblem on it). If the car is new, this will be even more important if there is any manufacturer warranty in place.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

lalahland wrote: »

Thanks to all for your comments. I have emailed the school reiterating what was said, have attached pictures of the damage and have spoken to the parent who seems lovely in all honesty but does not believe she is responsible for her 15 year old as she was not looking after him at the time.

I do admit that I question the statement that a football was responsible for the damage as the damage is so extensive so wonder too if a bag may have been thrown instead. I'm hoping the school CCTV may shed some light on what happened but only the police can look at it.

Anyway I have contacted my insurance who have said that I need to report the incident to the police in order to make a claim who are in-turn saying that this was not an act of vandalism but will still visit me over the weekend.

I am paying out of pocket for the windscreen replacement which is booked for tomorrow morning and am hoping desperately that the insurance will cover the cost and either the school or parent will cover the excess. This is my first year of driving, had the car for just a month, so am concerned that having a claim will affect my renewal amount. I will also need to have the car valeted inside and on the bonnet as there is glass everywhere

Right as per CCTV you have a right view it as your property was damaged there is no special law that requires police to view it not even under DPA. You can submit a Subject access request to the local Education Departments Information officer or DPA officer, they have a duty to then edit out anything that is not directly involved with the incident and pass it onto you promptly. Don't let the school FOB you off on that and I would also hand a SAR (subject access request to the information officer at the school with a CC on the bottom to the LEA).
If you get no JOY then ask your local MP to intervein.

I would deem the school negligent in the fact that they have admitted there was no one covering that area to monitor a no ball games policy and enforcing it. as a result a child was playing "ball" (as that is the schools official line on that) in a non permitted area and not being monitored the windscreen and vehicle was damaged.


You could also make it official by also writing to the schools head and asking for their Public liability insurance details.


I am also of the stance another poster has said, tell both parties they till then end of the school day to battle out between each other who is going to take responsibility before you go after BOTH as a belts and braces claim and a judge decides who is responsible.


Regardless of what caused the damage, the school should be picking up the tab IMHO, I know my girls school has a house at the end of the play yard and balls do go astray from pupils, the local council often replaces window pains and rectifies damage a pupil makes promptly as the school has a parental responsibility whilst the child is in uniform and thus liable for any damages that pupil makes whilst their in that uniform

Norman_Castle

lalahland wrote: »

I'm hoping the school CCTV may shed some light on what happened but only the police can look at it.

Can the school look at it?

If a ball did this it certainly wouldn't need retrieving from the bonnet. If it was another object it would only be retrieved if it was needed by the owner or could identify them.

lalahland

The school is sadly not being very cooperative and is not even responding to my calls. One late afternoon yesterday, one this morning and an email sent early this afternoon. Fingers crossed they will get back to me on Monday.

antrobus

Norman_Castle wrote: »

...If a ball did this it certainly wouldn't need retrieving from the bonnet. If it was another object it would only be retrieved if it was needed by the owner or could identify them.

I would have thought that, if the car windscreen was "completely smashed with glass fragments scattered on the dash, seats and even the rear seats", then whatever object did the damage went through the windscreen and came to rest within the interior of the car. The scratches on the bonnet were likely caused by someone climbing up on to the bonnet to retrieve said object.

lalahland

Nothing went through the window but it must have weighed a lot to cause so much damage. Funnily enough all of the windscreen repair folks have commented saying that a football is unlikely to have caused such damage which leads to the question "What was thrown at my car?" Fingers-crossed it doesn't rain (I live in Scotland) as it would leak water into the car - May have to tape some bin-liners across it tonight

antrobus

lalahland wrote: »

Nothing went through the window but it must have weighed a lot to cause so much damage. Funnily enough all of the windscreen repair folks have commented saying that a football is unlikely to have caused such damage which leads to the question "What was thrown at my car?".....

As a matter of basic physics, what do you think happens when a heavy object strikes a window? Normally, it is one of two options; (a) the object either goes through the window (smashing it as it does so) or (b) it bounces off the window (but nevertheless possibly cracks and damages the window).

In this situation (a) seems the most likely scenario, particularly since it explains the lack of a heavy object shaped dent in the bonnet. Which you would have likely got, had the object bounced off the windscreen.

Not that I think that it makes any difference to the legalities.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Can the school look at it?

If a ball did this it certainly wouldn't need retrieving from the bonnet. If it was another object it would only be retrieved if it was needed by the owner or could identify them.

The school would certainly have looked at it already, Fortunately they are unable to erase it as its uploaded to a central server now rather than recorder to a DVR.


In any case the OP has lawful request to view the footage and it doesn't matter what policies the school has, they must operate within LAWS.