Accident at car dealership - what are my rights?

Okell

TheSpectator said:

Okell said:

It's all moot as the OP doesn't want compensation...

Which begs the question, what do they want?

He has actually told us - but I'm not sure what he's really getting at:   "...  I am not seeking compensation, but I want to know my rights and what steps they should have taken..."

If he doesn't want compensation I'm not sure he has any other rights...

stevetuk

Okell said:

TheSpectator said:

Okell said:

It's all moot as the OP doesn't want compensation...

Which begs the question, what do they want?

He has actually told us - but I'm not sure what he's really getting at:   "...  I am not seeking compensation, but I want to know my rights and what steps they should have taken..."

If he doesn't want compensation I'm not sure he has any other rights...

Apology and admission of fault to the degree that they were responsible for the condition of the premises, but most importantly an assurance that procedures will be reviewed and the safety of visitors ensured in future.

powerful_Rogue

stevetuk said:

Okell said:

TheSpectator said:

Okell said:

It's all moot as the OP doesn't want compensation...

Which begs the question, what do they want?

He has actually told us - but I'm not sure what he's really getting at:   "...  I am not seeking compensation, but I want to know my rights and what steps they should have taken..."

If he doesn't want compensation I'm not sure he has any other rights...

Apology and admission of fault to the degree that they were responsible for the condition of the premises, but most importantly an assurance that procedures will be reviewed and the safety of visitors ensured in future.

No company is going to do that.

Alderbank

powerful_Rogue said:

stevetuk said:

Okell said:

TheSpectator said:

Okell said:

It's all moot as the OP doesn't want compensation...

Which begs the question, what do they want?

He has actually told us - but I'm not sure what he's really getting at:   "...  I am not seeking compensation, but I want to know my rights and what steps they should have taken..."

If he doesn't want compensation I'm not sure he has any other rights...

Apology and admission of fault to the degree that they were responsible for the condition of the premises, but most importantly an assurance that procedures will be reviewed and the safety of visitors ensured in future.

No company is going to do that.

Well, certainly no Western company.

What was the dealership - Lexus? Toyota? Mazda? Suzuki?

Workplace culture is very different in Japan (and other south-Asian countries). If company officials feel they might have insulted or harmed a customer in any way they consider it important to make an apology, always sincere and often public.
If your backside was heavily bruised you could expect the entire dealership staff to make Dogiza (土下座) before you, where they fall to their knees and bow to you while they grovel and touch their foreheads to the floor in front of you.

Plenty of frosty mornings in Japan. Perhaps the learning point here is that if you are planning to slip outside a car dealership and expect an apology, do it in Tokyo.

Okell

stevetuk said:

Okell said:

TheSpectator said:

Okell said:

It's all moot as the OP doesn't want compensation...

Which begs the question, what do they want?

He has actually told us - but I'm not sure what he's really getting at:   "...  I am not seeking compensation, but I want to know my rights and what steps they should have taken..."

If he doesn't want compensation I'm not sure he has any other rights...

Apology and admission of fault to the degree that they were responsible for the condition of the premises, but most importantly an assurance that procedures will be reviewed and the safety of visitors ensured in future.

You asked what your "rights" are.

Assuming you mean legal rights then, If you don't want compensation and don't want to sue them, you have (1) no right to an aplogy, (2) no right to an admission of fault and (3) no right to an assurance that procedures will be reviewed etc. etc.

Have you written to them outlining what you want and confirming to them that you will not use against them any apology or admission they might make?

In those circumstances they might well apologise for the accident, but it will be meaningless and worth nothing.

If that isn't what you want you are wasting your time and ours...

Ditzy_Mitzy

Alderbank said:

powerful_Rogue said:

stevetuk said:

Okell said:

TheSpectator said:

Okell said:

It's all moot as the OP doesn't want compensation...

Which begs the question, what do they want?

He has actually told us - but I'm not sure what he's really getting at:   "...  I am not seeking compensation, but I want to know my rights and what steps they should have taken..."

If he doesn't want compensation I'm not sure he has any other rights...

Apology and admission of fault to the degree that they were responsible for the condition of the premises, but most importantly an assurance that procedures will be reviewed and the safety of visitors ensured in future.

No company is going to do that.

Well, certainly no Western company.

What was the dealership - Lexus? Toyota? Mazda? Suzuki?

Workplace culture is very different in Japan (and other south-Asian countries). If company officials feel they might have insulted or harmed a customer in any way they consider it important to make an apology, always sincere and often public.
If your backside was heavily bruised you could expect the entire dealership staff to make Dogiza (土下座) before you, where they fall to their knees and bow to you while they grovel and touch their foreheads to the floor in front of you.

Plenty of frosty mornings in Japan. Perhaps the learning point here is that if you are planning to slip outside a car dealership and expect an apology, do it in Tokyo.

Good question!  

One presumes, therefore, that if the incident had occurred at a Ford dealer's, the workers would line up and ceremonially jeer 'Uncle fell on his aris!' with musical accompaniment by Mrs Mills on the old Joanna.  Conversely, the accident wouldn't have occurred at a British Leyland establishment as the workers' picket-line brazier would have melted any ice...  

born_again

As a helpful group.
I will say get some YakTrax.

Excellent for walking on slippery surfaces we have at the moment. Even the poor dog's with 4 paw drive are slipping all over, while owner to having no issues.

DullGreyGuy

stevetuk said:

TheSpectator said:

Okell said:

It's all moot as the OP doesn't want compensation...

Which begs the question, what do they want?

He has actually told us - but I'm not sure what he's really getting at:   "...  I am not seeking compensation, but I want to know my rights and what steps they should have taken..."

If he doesn't want compensation I'm not sure he has any other rights...

Apology and admission of fault to the degree that they were responsible for the condition of the premises, but most importantly an assurance that procedures will be reviewed and the safety of visitors ensured in future.

You arent going to get that... many claims are settled on a without prejudice basis even when compensation is paid. 

Let's say you came to us and told you you'd slipped on ice, ripped your trousers and wanted £50 to replace the trousers. We are only going to do basic investigations because at £50 claim it's going to cost us more to investigate it than it is to pay it. 

We almost certainly would pay it on a without prejudice basis because you could come back 2 years later and say you hadn't realised but actually the fall had caused bone damage thats now turned into arthritis and you're on a waiting list for a double hip replacement etc etc and you now want £1m compensation. Had we admitted liability on the £50 trousers we'd have no mechanism to revisit liability and our admission would stand. We could argue causal chain and if £1m is an appropriate quantum but we'd vastly prefer to still be able to say we arent liable at all or that you had contributory negligence (eg you were trying to walk across a clearly icy surface in socks rather than using the snow boots you had in the car).

stevetuk

This was clearly not the forum with the relevant expertise to ask my question. For those saying not to waste your time, you chose to engage repeatedly and spend it on often simplistic, misguided, or occasionally insulting answers. I came with a genuine request for advice, but Internet keyboard warriors strike again...gosh, I'd hate to know some of you in real life and feel sorry for those who do.

For those who offered genuine and constructive help and advice, thank you! For the person who suggested a different forum, my particular thanks as that seems to be where the expertise lies. 

If I could close the thread I would do so, but by all means don't feel 'pressured' to waste any more of your time with continuing the discussion, as I have found a more helpful and constructive source of information.

LightFlare

I think you’re all skating on thin ice