AIBU to think DS should not pay for damage to driving instructors car?

[Humpyrumpy]

DS damaged the wheel of his instructors car today. Instructor suggests he pays for repair.
AIBU to think that is what insurance is for and that driving instructors cars will inevitably get damaged?

Oh sorry, just x-posted. He damaged his alloys turning a corner?

Instructor's an idiot. Or an arsehole. Possibly both.

No way should he have to pay in this situation!

Definitely not then, tell him to forget it! (and find a new instructor!)

Soupdragon

That is thinking outside of the box :)
If he drove over a low wall I would argue that the car should have dual controls.

WooWoo

I would consider any accident or deliberate event that happened whilst in the car under the insurance of the named driver, the student is learning under the insurance of the instructor so even if he drove deliberately in to a wall (or a car) the insurance is paid through his fees.

If he got out of the car and slashed the tyres (as suggested by soupdragon) it would be a police matter.

Ditch the instructor - your son is not liable and he's got a bloody cheek. The instructor is in a supervisory position - ie he's responsible for ensuring the safe operation of the vehicle, not your son. Obviously if your son was being a deliberate twonk it'd be different but in a normal lesson. No, don't pay anything.

exexpat
you have to tell us, how did the car get written off, and how did you have the nerve to have another lesson after that!!!

I am concerned that the fact the instructor is NOT claiming on HIS insurance, means he may not actually be insured correctly for the job he is doing......ie his insurers may not know what he does for a living, and therefore would not pay out? Sounds well dodgy to me. Don't pay AND also get a new instructor!

He can have his alloys retouched for not a lot of money (why is everything I say tonight an innuendo??)

Santana - yes the guy went on to pass. To be fair he was a huge lad & not aware of his own strength. Gentle giant really .

It actually depends on ds' contract with the driving school/instructor. You need to check.

YANBU. I damaged my driving instructor's car when I was learning, and all he did was tut and shake his head! Can't believe the instructor suggested your DS pay.

OP - check the instructors badge. By law he has to display his ADI badge. If he's fully qualified it will be a green octagon. If he's. Provisionally Qualified instructor it's a pink triangle (I think). You can also ask him for his ADI number & double check.

He could have been joking with your DS I suppose?

DH used to be a driving instructor, hazard of the job.

Yanbu.

That's what insurance is for

candycoated & steppemum - the accident wasn't my fault. Someone came out of a pub car park (on my right) and drove straight into the front/side of the car. I think the engine took the brunt of the impact, and would have needed to be replaced (£££), which was why the car was a write-off.

If I'd been more experienced/if the driving instructor had seen him coming sooner (but I was blocking his view of that direction) we might have managed to swerve out of the way, but it really wasn't anything anyone would have expected. I think the fact he was coming out of the pub car park may have been relevant...

Instructor was very calm about it (to me, at least - he was a former chef from Glasgow, and I think the other driver might have got a bit of an earful) and it didn't put me off driving. Passed test on first attempt a few months later.

I pulled in to close to the kerb and the wheel knocked against it. The cover came off and my instructor just said he has rubbish ones on that wheel as that is the one that gets hit the most and not to worry about it.

He shouldn't have to pay for it.

He needs some alloygators. The driving instructor we used for DS1 had them. I keep thinking about getting them for DH's car, he is always fussing about his alloys. He doesn't care about mine though!

Check your contract, but he shouldn't have to pay imo.

Thanks for that link IamInvisible. I pick up my new car today with alloys, so I think I'll see if he ships to Australia.

No of course he shouldn't have to pay, change instructors if he gets arsey.

yeah that's insurance

Def shouldn't pay.

Qualified driving instructor with a company I take it? Not a mate / uncle / random doing lessons for a few quid?

(I'm not inclined to think the DS's of any given mumsnetter is inclined to set about the driving instructors car with a hammer, so I am taking this on trust )

ds was expressing his desire to learn to drive today... I am hoping that he learns impulse control sometime in the next 12 years otherwise you might be proved wrong. it has been a difficult few weeks.