Blackburn with Darwen Council’s insurers accidentally send car damage details (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Blackburn with Darwen Council’s insurers accidentally send car damage details
11:30am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News
By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter
DETERMINED Ron Cowgill
A TRAVELLING salesman is threatening legal action after his car was damaged by a pothole which Blackburn with Darwen Council said had been fixed.
Ron Cowgill was told by the council’s insurers Zurich there had been no complaints about the main road surface of Yew Tree Drive since it was repaired on February 6, 10 weeks before his incident.
But the firm then accidentally supplied him with official documents showing four other motorists had reported potholes in the same place near there the A6119 joins Preston New Road over that ‘complaint-free’ period.
Mr Cowgill, of Ramsgreave Drive, Pleckgate, said: “On April 20 I was driving from my home down Yew Tree Drive when I hit a pothole near the junction with Preston New Road where the old Moat House Hotel used to be. I normally avoided them, several of them, but someone was overtaking me so I had no choice.
“It turned out that I needed a new tyre costing me £108 and lost two days work worth £300. I am self-employed so cannot work if I have no car.
“I spoke to the council who referred me to their insurers and after a lot of phone calls got a letter from Zurich Insurance telling me I had no right to compensation as the road had been inspected on January 31 and the potholes repaired on February 6.
“I was losing the will to keep going until I noticed they said that ‘there were no reports of any other potholes prior to your accident occurring’ and then read supporting official documents they also sent to me.
“These recorded four separate reports of potholes at exactly the same place on February 24, March 8, March 15 and April 2, exactly in the period they said there had been no complaints.
“I don’t think they ever repaired the potholes because the chalk marks from the inspection were still there when I hit one of them.
“I am now considering taking this as far as I can, including legal action. They just seem to be trying to fob me off now.”
George Bell, associate director of highways at the council, said: “The matter is in the hands of the council’s insurers so we are unable to comment on the details of the case.”
Comments are closed on this article.
Comments (32)
11:35am Wed 19 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
11:44am Wed 19 Sep 12
happycyclist says...
All that will achieve is to put people out of work who already work in the insurance industry, mechanics, and highway repair teams. So once THEY'RE on benefits, what would you have THEM do?
12:03pm Wed 19 Sep 12
anonther says...
As for wandering round with a wheelbarrow full of tarmac filling holes, this is perhaps not a bad idea. That's what used to be done and very efficent it was too.
Rather than a local example where it took 5 visits to fill 3 holes on our street.
Capita man in van to record hole and white spray round 2 holes, then gang with tarmac to fill. 8 days later Capita man again to white spray third hole 3 metres from previous location. Around comes he tarmac gang and fill hole 3. Followed by man in suit and clipboard to tick a box.
Plus the administration back in the office.
12:10pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Jerzei Balowski says...
12:23pm Wed 19 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
EG. wash my car, clean my windows, polish my shoes, make my tea, tarmack my road etc etc......
It makes financial sense and helps me reconcile all the tax im paying in my excel spreadsheet.
12:33pm Wed 19 Sep 12
mavrick says...
The point of the story is an insurance company has lied to avoid a fair claim. It is high time insurance companies were put under the spotlight, they have got away with not paying fair claims for too long.
12:51pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Ainsybrfc says...
What is being reported here is completley false.
the pothole he is next to in the picture took over 3 weeks to be repaired and i use pothole loosely as it was more a canyon.
even the repair they have done ?(in the picture) is of terrible quality and will still damage cars and i doubt it will last much longer. they need to start repairing potholes properly and not just filling them in with loose gravel with a thin coat of tarmac over it....wont work.
i hope this guy sues them and wins as it might make the council take ownership and repair things properly after all it is what road tax is for!!
1:07pm Wed 19 Sep 12
MJA says...
I can understand the claim for the tyre but why the loss of income? Can he not hire a car? Use the spare (if his car has got one)? Or even borrow a mate's car? How does he know he was going to earn £300 that day? How much of that is profit?
1:07pm Wed 19 Sep 12
philtheflug says...
He doesn't have a lot of spare cash and, as such, he's not able to drink or smoke or go out socialising very often.
It can be done.
I am sure he would be able to claim more in benefits than he currently earns if he were not working but he chooses not to.
1:16pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Pan-cake says...
1:26pm Wed 19 Sep 12
useyourhead says...
1:35pm Wed 19 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
Burberry by any chance?
1:37pm Wed 19 Sep 12
elmo maniac says...
1:40pm Wed 19 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
Bin Laidoff.
1:43pm Wed 19 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
2:15pm Wed 19 Sep 12
CapitaBackHander says...
Good luck to the guy on the cost of tyre but forget the £300 2 days lost work. IF I and I suspect all readers had 2 days work lined up for £300 profit then I would EASILY get my tyre fixed within 30 mins!
2:25pm Wed 19 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
2:27pm Wed 19 Sep 12
HairyBowls says...
3:16pm Wed 19 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
The most he will be reimbursed is the tyre and with the threat of suing, the reply will be, 'please feel free'
5:00pm Wed 19 Sep 12
halfhearted says...
5:33pm Wed 19 Sep 12
useyourhead says...
5:34pm Wed 19 Sep 12
nonjob says...
The council repairing pot-holes?!
Don 't be silly.
They 're too busy having meetings about "social media engagement" and sending each other internal emails on whatever vanity project they're wasting tax payers' money on at present, to be concerning themselves with the real world.
w w w.nonjob.tumblr.com
7:15pm Wed 19 Sep 12
cnorth62 says...
7:35pm Wed 19 Sep 12
l m h jones says...
7:38pm Wed 19 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
8:05pm Wed 19 Sep 12
cnorth62 says...
8:25pm Wed 19 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
8:26pm Wed 19 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
8:30pm Wed 19 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
9:00pm Wed 19 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
It's always being lifted!
1:24pm Thu 20 Sep 12
over-rovers says...
1:41pm Thu 20 Sep 12
elmo maniac says...