MSE News: UK braces for snow disruption

Former_MSE_Megan_F · 26 February 2018 at 1:13PM

Commuters are being warned to expect major disruption as temperatures plummet due to the so-called 'Beast from the East' winter storm...

Read the full story:
'UK braces for snow disruption - your rights'

Click reply below to discuss. If you haven!!!8217;t already, join the forum to reply.

gasandgo · 28 February 2018 at 8:27PM

I have booked a car service and a MOT on-line. If I cannot attend due to the snow do I have to pay, or should I be able to ask to re-arrange?

KeithP · 28 February 2018 at 8:55PM

gasandgo wrote: »

I have booked a car service and a MOT on-line. If I cannot attend due to the snow do I have to pay, or should I be able to ask to re-arrange?

Discuss your options with the service provider.

kittychan · 1 March 2018 at 4:11AM

Please can I have your tips on recovering as much as I can on flights missed due to traffic cause by the Beast from the East?

We left York straight after work on Tuesday, around 7pm, to catch a flight from Heathrow at 9.40am on Wednesday. We were meant to stay overnight with my parents but ended up stuck on the A1m for 14 hours behind a lorry and in heavy snow and went straight to the airport. We arrived at 9am and, understandably, were too late to check in so missed our flight. My brother-in-law called the helplines in Tokyo (our final destination) and Paris (our stopover destination) to notify them that we would not make our flight or connection but was told there was nothing they could do. We called the UK helpline when it opened at 8am and were told the same thing.

At the airport the airline said we could not be put on standby for a later flight because our tickets were non transferable and there was nothing they could do because it was technically our fault that we missed our flight. We found a flight via a different airline so booked one-way tickets.

We later learned that missing our outbound flights invalidated our return ticket. Having bought one-way tickets with the other airline we now have to pay for separate return tickets. This will leave us over £2,000 out of pocket, which is obviously not something we can afford.

Because we did not travel by public transport and were not involved in a car accident, our travel insurance won't cover anything.

I gather that we can apply for a tax return on our original flights. Is there anything else we are entitled to? Any and all help very much appreciated.

Doc_N · 1 March 2018 at 7:33AM

That's a dreadful situation, kittychan, and I'm very sorry you find yourself in it.

I can only think of two possible options, neither of them particularly likely to succeed, but perhaps worth a try.

1 Throw yourself on the mercy of the airline re the loss of the return ticket. Those rules are there to protect airlines against price manipulation on ticket purchases - not this sort of situation. They'll probably not budge, but if you explain the exceptional circumstances, perhaps in an email to the CEO (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) if it doesn't work further down, there's a tiny chance you might succeed. It can do no harm to try.

2 Check very carefully the actual wording of your travel policy just in case your situation can be squeezed within it. It probably can't, but look at every possible interpretation of the wording just in case. Failing that, again throw yourself on the mercy of the insurer. Some companies (very few, admittedly) might just be prepared to help.

Sorry I can't be more helpful, but that's all I can think of for now. Good luck.

Doc_N · 1 March 2018 at 7:36AM

For some reason c e o e m a i l .com appears as a row of exclamation marks. This is a bizarre website sometimes!

Magsvs · 3 March 2018 at 2:23PM

Yesterday, whilst driving out of a private car park outside my local supermarket, my vehicle slid on ice/snow and I hit the curb. Whilst at a very slow pace, approx. 5mph, it has broken something meaning it is undriveable(not sure exactly what yet as I can't get it to the garage until monday).

My question is; does the supermarket/ car park owner hold some liability for this, as get should have cleared the snow/ gritted for ice?

From what I have found so far, i think they are..

Under the Workplace Regulations and visitors under!section 2(2) of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957?

KeithP · 3 March 2018 at 3:10PM

Magsvs wrote: »

Yesterday, whilst driving out of a private car park outside my local supermarket, my vehicle slid on ice/snow and I hit the curb. Whilst at a very slow pace, approx. 5mph, it has broken something meaning it is undriveable(not sure exactly what yet as I can't get it to the garage until monday).

My question is; does the supermarket/ car park owner hold some liability for this, as get should have cleared the snow/ gritted for ice?

From what I have found so far, i think they are..

Under the Workplace Regulations and visitors under!section 2(2) of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957?

I would suggest you drove into the kerb.

In my opinion there is only one person to blame here.

LadyDee · 3 March 2018 at 4:24PM

You lost control of your car, why should anybody else be responsible? The responsible thing to do would have been to heed the weather warnings and stay home 'til the snow thawed (essential workers excepted of course).

Doc_N · 3 March 2018 at 4:27PM

Magsvs wrote: »

Yesterday, whilst driving out of a private car park outside my local supermarket, my vehicle slid on ice/snow and I hit the curb. Whilst at a very slow pace, approx. 5mph, it has broken something meaning it is undriveable(not sure exactly what yet as I can't get it to the garage until monday).

My question is; does the supermarket/ car park owner hold some liability for this, as get should have cleared the snow/ gritted for ice?

From what I have found so far, i think they are..

Under the Workplace Regulations and visitors under!section 2(2) of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957?

Possibly, but it would be difficult to establish liability, and there's probably a notice somewhere disclaiming that liability. If there's no notice, the case would be arguable, but certainly not clear cut.

Magsvs · 5 March 2018 at 10:40PM

Clearing the work!!!8217;s car park

The workplace car park is covered by!regulation 12(3) of the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992!and so employers are under a duty to ensure that all entrances, exits and traffic routes for vehicles and pedestrians are kept free from ice and snow as far as reasonably possible. Employers therefore must be proactive in taking account of weather forecasts and putting measures in place to include clearing snow, gritting surfaces and if necessary closing or diverting routes used by workers and visitors.

Employers do not have to remove every last trace of snow and ice from every part of the ground outside its premises, but employers should have the materials and resources to deal with the snow or ice and be able to carry out these measures. Employers should therefore have grit or gravel in store. The gritting should take place before workers arrive to work. The areas to focus on are car parks, delivery areas, main entrances and exits. If they fail to take such appropriate measures then they may find themselves liable to claims.

Clearing the car park at school and at hospital

Schools and hospitals are employers as well as places where pupils and parents, patients and visitors routinely call. Those institutions must ensure that the paths and car parks are cleared.

MSE News: UK braces for snow disruption

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