Bookers delivery driver damaged my downpipe

AnonMonkey

Hi all,

Over a week ago, Bookers wholesale delivery drivers (not deliverying to me but to my local corner shop) tried squeezing through a small alleyway with their large van, and in the process of doing so, hit into and broke my gutter down pipe which is attached to my exterior wall.
We were in the house and immediately reported this to Bookers and have taken a picture of the driver and registration of their van.

I’ve had to call up their headoffice last week due to lack of communication from them. They had someone call me back who said that they are about to submit insurance. And that all I could do is wait for insurance to contact me.
I expressed my concern because insurance usually takes a long time to settle, quoting months for insurance to settle. If the pipe is not fixed and it rains (which it has twice since the incident), then my wall will be damaged. The guy on the phone reassured me that it was going to take a matter of days or maximum weeks for this to be sorted.
This conversation was a week ago and i’ve not had contact from Bookers or any insurance company. All conversations so far has been via telephone therefore I am getting worried.

Does anyone know what I could do in the meanwhile
The cost of replacing a down pipe is dear and I cannot afford to do this.
Will I be able to request Bookers to send me details of their insurer and the claim identification number so that I could contact the insurance company myself?

I’d really appreciate it if anyone can help me on this matter.

shaun_from_Africa

Do you have the registration number of the lorry?
If so, you can get the insurance details from here:
https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

It's £4 for a search but if you have a smartphone then you can get the details for free:
http://stayinsured.askmid.com/roadside.html

Your other option would be to contact your house insurer and grt them to sort it out.

waamo

You can find out who their insurers are yourself for a small fee.
http://m.askmid.com/mt/www.askmid.com/mobile/?un_jtt_redirect=un_jtt_iosV

Put a claim in as they seem to be dragging their heels.

neilmcl

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Do you have the registration number of the lorry?
If so, you can get the insurance details from here:
https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

It's £4 for a search but if you have a smartphone then you can get the details for free:
http://stayinsured.askmid.com/roadside.html

Your other option would be to contact your house insurer and grt them to sort it out.

Kind of depends on whether they're going through the vehicle's insurer or the company's public liability insurance.

shaun_from_Africa

neilmcl wrote: »

Kind of depends on whether they're going through the vehicle's insurer or the company's public liability insurance.

It won't matter.
Even if Bookers have decided to use their public liability insurance, there is nothing to stop the OP claiming directly from their motor insurers and as this was a motoring accident, their vehicle insurers should already have been informed of the incident.

In fact, if the OP was to telephone Bookers again and ask for the details of the insurance, the company would be breaking the law by not giving them this information.

macman

The cost of a 2.5m length of plastic downpipe is about £4.50. A 15 minute job to change it, just needs a screwdriver to loosen the clamp screws and maybe a small stepladder (vehicle damage is presumably at or near ground level, so no heights involved). An easy DIY job, or a local odd-job person would do it for £20? You don't need a roofer.
Far less time than you have probably spent already chasing up the insurance...
I would tell them in writing, that due to the urgency of the repair, you will proceed to repair it and recharge it to them. A rain shower or two is not going to damage your wall: if concerned just wedge something behind the broken downpipe to deflect the flow outwards temporarily.

neilmcl

macman wrote: »

The cost of a 2.5m length of plastic downpipe is about £4.50. A 15 minute job to change it, just needs a screwdriver to loosen the clamp screws and maybe a small stepladder (vehicle damage is presumably at or near ground level, so no heights involved). An easy DIY job, or a local odd-job person would do it for £20? You don't need a roofer.
Far less time than you have probably spent already chasing up the insurance...
I would tell them in writing, that due to the urgency of the repair, you will proceed to repair it and recharge it to them. A rain shower or two is not going to damage your wall: if concerned just wedge something behind the broken downpipe to deflect the flow outwards temporarily.

That's all a bit of an assumption. Yes it would've broken the clamps lower down but It could then quite have easily broke the pipe at the point it connects at the guttering. Not exactly a 20min DIY job with a step ladder!

I agree about no rain damage in the short-term though. No real urgency imho.

George_Michael

macman wrote: »

An easy DIY job, or a local odd-job person would do it for £20? You don't need a roofer.

In which case, I would have expected Bookers to have sorted the matter out by now and to have authorised a small payment from their petty cash to ensure that the damage caused by their employee/contractor was fixed with little or no inconvenience to the OP.

AnonMonkey

Thank you all for your help so far.
My house is 3 stories and where the pipe snapped is halfway on the second floor. It is also a cast iron pipe so we think will cost more.
I!!!8217;m very glad to hear that it!!!8217;s not a worry in the short term.
The main thing worrying me is that all conversation has been by telephone, All I have are empty promises. I would feel much better if I have confirmation from their insurance that this is being dealt with.
Does anyone know how long it could take insurance to contact me?

dacouch

neilmcl wrote: »

Kind of depends on whether they're going through the vehicle's insurer or the company's public liability insurance.

If the vehicle hit the drain pipe it can only be the vehicle insurance

dacouch

I would suggest you obtain a quotation to repair the damage from a tradesman you trust. Then when the Insurers come back you will have the prices ready for them.

Obtaining the price now will save wasting time when they come back to you and ask you to obtain a quote

Depending on the cost they might ask for two quotes.