Problem with neighbour - insurance!

goldbyron

I defrosted my fridge/freezer last night and left towels to soak the water up. This morning my neighbour informed me that she had a leak in her front room. I checked it out and it was a small leak which had not left any permanant damage or affected her furnishings etc. I offered her the opportunity to come upstairs and assess whether my fridge defrosting had caused the damage although she declined. She had got a roofer out and they confirmed it wasn't the roof (small roof over ground floor flat). She stated at 9.30 that she will continue to wait in for the insurer to come out and will miss out on a days pay. I said I was happy to return from work at any point to let them into my flat if needs be. I am not 100% sure it was my fridge that caused this although it is a likely cause. I left offering to pay for an paint to cover up the small damage done and she said this was fine. However this afternoon I received a text which stating she was 'livid' and was seeking advice on getting compensation for a days loss of earnings due to my carelessness.
Any advice on whether she has a leg to stand on especially as we are not 100% sure it was my fault. Also I feel she could have gone to work after 9.30 as I assured her that there was no major plumbing issues in my flat. Any advice would be greatly appreciated? Thanks

FlameCloud

She would have to prove that you were negligent, although of course she would first have to prove that it was your freezer that did the damage.

Daz1

Would home insurance cover 3rd party damage under accidental damage or other clause?

epsilondraconis

You could always write to her saying that you are willing to offer say £50 as a gesture of goodwill because you don't want to lose her as a friendly neighbour.
You need to make clear in the letter that you are not admitting responsibility for the damage. Also I would recommend beginning the letter with the wording "without prejudice".