Unfairly blamed for damage-- what do i do?

Mike

Unless you did it, you have no obligation to pay to fix it. It seems a bit rude to even accuse you...Your colleague might find some wisdom in going to a shopping centre and looking at how many vehicles line up with that dent..
crazie

In a previous life I was a general insurance broker.
If you did not do it dont pay him - he will either claim from his own insurance or sue you himself. I doubt that his insurance company would see any value in persuing you. He will need to produce evidence that you did the damage (witnesses)

There is no law to stop you paying the repairs (ie exclude insurance companies) However If you do, get him to sign an indemnity.

(Dont take this to be legal advice - or Insurance advice - it is not legal for me to do that)

Unless they came up with sufficient evidence to convice me that my vehicle caused the damage I wouldn't pay a cent, being possible is not sufficient evidence. Darn rude of them I reckon.

Wait till he is there, grab the sleghammer out of the car, stick it through his door, adn point to it, and say, THAT I did.. the other I didnt.
if your going to pay for it anyway, may as well make it worth while

Tell him……..To build a bridge, and get over it

I think its a bit rude I mean I would have asked if you did it and if the answer was no and there was no other evidence you just have to suck it coz thats life. Unlike in Bali you are innocent until proven otherwise

You say the ding is 4-5 mm across and will cost $1500.00 to repair.Does your so called friend drive a gold plated Rolls 4x4.
If you doubt you done any damage let alone $1500.00 worth, don't pay, if you know you did then you should pay up but get a proper quote, ding & scratch should do, not rebuild the door through a panel beater.

What sort of colleague are you talking about? All that needs to be said is that you absolutely did not do the damage and that your word is good. If this is any sort of friend then thats all that would be needed as they will believe you. If its a work colleague it gets a bit more difficult, but as stated don't pay for what u didn't do. Remember in this country we are still innocent until proven otherwise. Good luck with it.

Mike

Clearly your colleague has determined that there is no ongoing friendship to preserve, and perhaps there is some pre-existing animosity toward you or your type of vehicle. So that means you don't have to be so concerned about the social niceties. All you need say, in a letter perhaps, is that you definitely didn't do it. It was mostly likely inflicted by a child forcefully opening a door, or someone maliciously damaging their vehicle, and that accidental damage from someone such as yourself would not have caused such serious damage.

Was the damage alleged to have been caused by your drivers door, or could one of your passengers have done it without you being aware?

Having been the victim of both kids (as above while I sat in the car), and malicious damage, I know that minor dings cost about $60 to fix. Major dings involving respray of the whole side of the car cost over $1000.

It may have been possible for your car to have done it, but then, has he ever parked alongside another vehicle ever? That is equally possible.

If you did feel the need to preserve the peace whatever the cost you might offer to help pay for the damage while still denying any responsibility, but clearly state that you are doing this for that reason and not because there is any way you could have caused the damage.

Mike, is it equally possible you didnt do it?...was your car parked next to his all day?
meaning someone else may have parked there for a short while

any signs of paint on your or his car...

was dent clean....suggetsing it was older than the day it happened?

Mate I wouln't pay a cent or admitt you did it unless you did. Don't even say i'm not sure. Either you did or you didn't. my quess you didn't or you would remember. To cause $1500 worth of damage no way. This is a work friend, TELL HIM/HER TO JAM IT.and as truckster stated I would do better than that. If your going to get blamed for it make it worth while,make use of your arb bullbar or rear stepbar same as myn especially if you have the tow hitch still attached they can do big damage more than $1500. Work Freind ha DONT PAY A CENT NO PROOF NO MONEY !!!! Take Care Vitara

Hey Guys,

Like others have said.

You have said you didn't do it so he needs to accept that. If he doesn't then that is his bad luck and if he goes on about it to you then you maybe need to tell him that you are ticked off that your word is being questioned.

At the end of the day if you didn't do it then don't pay or admit any liabilty.

Nah - he (she) thinks you did it - he doesn't know you did it - he wants to blame someone - you know you didn't do it - does he check all of his doors thoroughly everytime he returns to his vehicle ? You are watching an exercise in human nature - he'sbleepoff and looking for a solution - you don't have to be in the story - if you state that you are careful with doors and didn't do it, its over !

If you do decide to pay let me know where you park. I've got a few dings that could do with a touch up. hey if a few of us join in we should get a bulk and save you a few bucks.

Sorry....can't help myself :)

I agree with everyone on that one. If you did not do it don't pay up and obviously he's not worth keeping as a friend.
My wife used to work in a shopping centre and the poor Daewoo Lanos she drove then was covered with dents and marks all over some of which more than 20cm long! Nothing we could do about it. People just don't care about other people stuff. So tell him he is actually lucky if he's got only a 5mm dent!
What proof has he got that you did it. It could have been there for weeks or done that day by someone else. People can do some damage trying to pass through cars with trolleys.
Good luck with it.
Rgds,
Sly.

The onus of proof is for him to prove that you did it. If you didn't do it - then don't pay. By paying you are admitting liability.

If he was a friend he would accept that, if he doesn't then he is not a friend.

What Karl said - if you pay, you are admitting guilt.
(remember a bloke in the US by the name of Jackson.......?)

Hi Mike,

am in full agreement with everything said, also IMO there is no loss in not having "friends or colleagues" as rude as that.
I think my rigpic signature covers this situation.

Avagoodn
Pezza

Mike,
Give him 40cents and tell him?her to go and ring someone who gives a Sh** about their petty opinions.

Get a few quotes and tell the collegue you like them and would like an ongoing friendship with them.

Tell them that there 'is' doubt and you are an honest person, but if you both agree beyond a shadow of doubt it was YOU then pay.

If you dont agree beyond a shadow of doubt you'll split it 50/50 or 70/30 or whatever.

It seems you are in a wonderful opertunity to make a new life long friend. People do strange things even you do, it's called human nature

Friends dont come easy and if it does not pan out that you are friends in the long run you've paid say $800 toward some dent you did not do, in order to repay all the little ones you did actually do to others.

Lifes roll on and on and on.

iMusty

tell him to ring mr dent(should be some one like that in nsw) we used him a few times around $40 for a dent removal and no need for respray.

if your door is not marked you didnt do it. simple as that. a ding on a door will leave a corresponding mark on the other vehicle. if youhave no mark you have no worries.
also, reverse the argument. whats to say your colleague didnt hit YOUR vehicle. you may well be the victim. not the colleague.

So...after all the advice in the world...... what was the outcome? Did this bloke pull his head - in or did you pay up?