Crashed Car into Rocks in Car Park,what next?

Right lads I dunno how to phrase this for starters but here goes. Last night I had a job interview in Stillorgan Ind park and on the way out of the companies car park they have several big rocks/boulders which I did see so avoided them. There was a particular big one that I did not see that had a very sharp edge sticking out that wedged into the side of my car and I could not move. Basically it has ripped the skirting on the side of the car and both doors on the driver side are very badly damaged and have to be replaced. I took it to a renowned panel beater/crash repair guy in town today who gave me an estimate of €2,800 to replace both doors and fix the damage it did. I am totally devastated and don't have that sort of money so I will have to claim off my own insurance so I'll be loaded when I renew next July!.
Thing is, should I put a claim in against the company or will I just pay for it myself out of my insurance. I don't want to have a big fight with this company either and to make it worse I was offered the job today, interview went really well.
Do I have a claim?, was it my own fault for not seeing that rock and sharp edge sticking out, granted it was pitch black out and hard to see but I am observant and never saw that rock.
Any advice would be great, thanks in advance from a very depressed person today!

Sounds like your own fault, I mean if you drove down the road and hit a parked car it would be your fault. Unless there is something about it being illegal to dump large rocks somewhere, but sounds like the big rocks were part of the landscaping, or at least the company will probably claim so. Or maybe there is something that will work in your favour because it happened on the companies land, I dont know about that.

Yeah I know what you are saying but you'd have to be totally lacking on concentration to hit a parked car. I have never had an accident and I'm driving 12 years, no claims, never had so much as a tip so this is really upsetting me. I was planning on trading in next year so that's put a stop to that now!. Yes I think the rocks are part of their landscaping but from what I could gather it's happened a few times before from what they were saying to me so they really should have gotten rid of such a dangerous thing after the first time. I doubt I will claim, firstly haven't got the bottle for an argument and it could go on for ages and my car needs to be repaired asap, have it booked in for next Thursday.

I hope other people here can give you good advice, hopefully you have some ground to claim.

You drove your own car into a large stationary object and you want to blame someone else?

Are you for real?

I didn't say I wanted to blame someone else, but there is nearly €3k worth of damage to my car that has not a scratch on it. There is no way in hell anyone could see the thing, the bloke behind me even said it. He couldn't believe what he saw. They were very nice and helpful to me and I am not the type to go claiming off people coz I wouldn't like it done to me but there is a question to be asked about such a dangerous object sticking out where cars go in and out of and it obvioulsy was not the first time!. My husband went over to have a look this morning and he thinks it was an accident waiting to happen and knows I wouldn't be that thick to just drive into something. I was doing about 5mph driving out of there coz I had to turn left and it still wrecked my car. I'm just p*ssed off about it and will go thru my own insurance. I would feel a better person for not claiming as they were really nice to me and I felt mortified.

Unfortunatley you were driving on private propery at your own risk I would think that normal lighting and or hazard signs do not apply as on public road. I think you are stuck with the cost

The only good thing about going thru your insurance is that for that size of estimate, they will appoint an assessor and he'll negotiate with the garage to get you the best possible deal. You could politely ask your insurance company if they would be willing to protect your NCB, loyal customer, XX years accident free driving etc - QDI does this SOMETIMES, you'd still have loading on your policy but any NCB would be intact.

Unfortunately from your prospective - I agree with other posters, that even tho these rocks weren't made very visible - if it was that big, you should have been able to avoid it. Sorry.

How old is your car?

p.s. I genuinely feel very sorry for you.

this would pi** me off big time , personally I wouldnt accept it !
Its like hitting a pothole, most people are put off by making a claim - I was so fed up with broken alloys then detonated air bags, I successfully claimed all costs against corporation ... enough is enough !
I am also aware of a sales rep. claiming from a client because he damaged his car in clients carpark on low level post !

Why is this rock so close to the car park area ? why is it not properly light - it might be ok for employees I have to assume you were'nt driving around the flower beds !
2800 euro is a lot of money ( I would buy a car for that ) ...is it a new car ?are they quoting for new doors etc.( will you be given new parts )

What heppens if you pay or claim and new week the same thing happens and someone has the bottle to approch your new employer ....and win !then they decide to move the rock ?.......
Im sorry if it was me Id approach new empolyed in "advisory" way with estimate in hand ..... but Id love to see 2800 euro damage for slow rock damage !
now you have me upset !!

...sorry for all bad spelling - im so annoyed ....but Id get round there and have some photos taken a.s.a.p. ..... and as for insurance estimators getting you the best deal ....if the garage says it needs two new doors because of the cost ...he'll agree,,,they get paid ( after they repair the doors on the car) oh ....and they tell you they give you a car for 3 days...big deal ....2800 euro later !

....your new employer might also think you have fire in your soul if you approach them ! ( unless of course the job is carpark attendant)

My car is a 2000 Honda Accord, had it since new and it's my baby. I used to change my car every 2 years but it's a great car and never needed to sell it but I was going to go for an estate in the new year!
I don't really want to come across as difficult to this guy in the company that have since offered me the position, thing is I knew the interview went well and I was more or less offered the job on the spot. He was very nice to me but I was a bit cheesed off when he said it's happened lots of times. I agree it should be lit up, it's pitch black up there, you would need to have supermans laser vision to have seen that rock, it was the sharp edge on it sticking out that I did not see. I could be lucky and he might ask me how much it's costing me to fix it and meet me halfway or something. I am getting another estimate off another place today or I am half thinking of getting rid of the car as and starting afreash coz €3k is alot of money to put into a car that's worth €7k tbh!. I'm just pissed off and cannot believe this happened. I am going to have to go thru my insurance anyway if I fix it rather than sell it. My excess is €125 and any claim under €2k doesn't affect my NCB so I might pay the €870 myself and claim €2k off the insurance or something like that coz I will lose out when I go to renew!. thanks for the replies.

if the rock is sticking out on to the roadway which "reasonably" needs to be used in order to enter and exit the property then you would have a case against the PL cover which the property owners would have...especially if it is not marked as an obstruction with a sign, illuminous paint etc.
Contact your insurers, ask for the claims dept and explain it to them and let them advise you - they will prob consult with thier inhouse legal team in order to decide liability.
Good luck

oh my, headachecity.....thats unfortunate. i suppose that just happened at the wrong place and wrong time, i would think take a picture of the damage done and the entrance for ur future reference.
if u have already working in the company u might able to know any previous approach other staff involved with the same accident.
obviously ur new manager playing do not know, thats all office politic...

Polo, what am I like!!. It's been one nightmare after another recently. I was just unfortunate, if you had heard me the other night you would have thought I was mad calling myself all sorts of names.
I know from the MD of the company that it has happened before, he has made contact and wants me to take the car up so he can see the extent of the damage so heading up in a little while!!.

...if its any use - I know sometimes Bodyshops in Dublin are expensive - but if your willing to get an estimate on it, out of Dublin , I can recommend someone who just fixed my mums car !
even if you want to send me photo / pm ... I would try and get you rough quote.

don't blame urself mate..Shi7 happen sometimes, at least theres no personal injuries. touch wood!
i think u have ur right to let the company that such incident happened, and hopefully they will do somehting about it.
a friend of mine had the same accident and bought parts from salvage parts, i think their web site is damagedcars.ie
u maybe able to find a 2nd hand door from them which may cost you less..i know u must be dead busy sorting out ur new house!

did you just get the one estimate for the car? how about trying another garage, source a door from a dismantlers if possible and don't tell them it's an insurance job. ring around dismantlers and get a price for a door anyway.

Isnt this a retorical question?..You just said it yourself.

Headachecity said:

...was it my own fault for not seeing that rock and sharp edge sticking out, granted it was pitch black out and hard to see but I am observant and never saw that rock.

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Your lack of concentration does not warrant a claim against this company. Its your fault and nobody elses. Take it on the chin and learn from your experience.

You should be lucky it wasnt a situation were other drivers/pedestrians even, were also involved. Sounds like you really mashed your car. I would claim from your insurance and make sure you're a little more careful on the road - even if it is only a carpark!