To not pay for friend to get her phone fixed after I smashed it?

[katie3347]

Friday night me and my friend went out for drinks.
We were stood at the bar and I turned around quick and knocked my friends phone out of her hand,it hit the floor and smashed the screen.
It's still working but the screen is totally cracked.

She was a bit upset saying she didn't have insurance and couldn't afford to get it fixed.
I can't afford it either and shouldn't she have had insurance on such a expensive phone?
Anyway I haven't mentioned it since ..aibu to just not mention it again?
I know she probably expected me to pay to get it fixed but it was a accident and she was the one who let go once I hit her arm.

[Butterymuffin]

Ooom ta, that makes me feel better about not insuring my phone!

Shit behaviour to a friend OP. I'd pay in full if I was better off than the friend, and offer half if I was hard up. In your case you should give her the £40 at least.

[Bellends]

And don't claim on house insurance unless you want your premiums to sky rocket. Worth it for bigger things but not a bloody phone screen!

[LollyPopsApple]

OP hasn’t been back since she posted this.

It’s almost like it didn’t happen, but was instead a question designed to get everyone frothing and debating for twenty pages (and counting).

Wonder if we’ll see it in the papers.

[Ngaio2]

Two issues here.
Whether you value your friendship as worth less than a replacement screen/ half a replacement screen.
Whether in the law of torts you are liable for the damage.
It’s generally accepted that by going into a public space with other members of the public that you are consenting to accidental/non deliberate acts which might otherwise amount to assault. Walking down a busy street one has to accept the risk of being bumped into or even being knocked down if the other person was behaving in a reasonable manner in the circumstances. Ditto injuries caused during sports events provided the other person was playing within the rules.
By holding a phone in a crowded bar one has to accept that there is a risk of damage, however slight. Someone could get jostled and empty their glass over the phone, is another scenario.
So OP you take your choice pay up in the spirit of friendship or act like a stranger to the friend and say you are not legally obliged to pay, that you owed her no duty of care re her possessions as this was a pure accident.

[SalemBlackCat]

@IWannaSeeHowItEnds But we don't know the friend was using it, some people just hold their phones and not doing anything. If she wasn't using it, it should have been put away in a bag or pocket.

[chickenanbeanz]

So if you, for example, accidentally broke somebody's window when pissed you shouldn't pay to get it fixed? Of course you should the same principle applys to your friends phone YABU you caused the incident so you should at least offer to part cover the cost

[IWannaSeeHowItEnds]

You're reaching there Salem. Most people keep their phone in a pocket or bag, inless using it. Even if she was just holding it, that's her prerogative. She didn't balance it on her fingertip or spin it around on the bar, therefore she isn't careless or irresponsible with it.
In the end though, it's a straightforward choice for the OP. Act like a dick and lose her friend for the sake of £80, or put right the damage she caused and keep her friend.

[Annette69]

Bore. I just hope you teach your children the value of their own things and others. I’m so pleased the majority on here understand the importance of that.

[NellyBarney]

The point of insurance is to be able to afford to pay for damage YOU have caused and are liable for (e.g. car insurance, pet insurance). Your friend could obviously sue you for the damage caused, that's why I hope you have home insurance. It might be cheaper for you just to offer her the money to repair her screen, instead of paying higher premiums.

[BastardGoDarkly]

Why are people still addressing the op?

[BusyEmz]

🤨 umm why is this even a question? 😒 The fact you asked is because you know you should assist in some way or another but you want people to help justify your stupidness.

If you are her friend like you suggest you are then offer her something at least. Something is better than nothing. Who’s to say she may say don’t worry about it. But give her that choice.

🤦🏽‍♀️ I cant with people, everyone is your friend till it comes to money.

[MarianneAgain]

Only read the first page and the last... here in France it would be the OP's insurance who would pay for it as personal liabiity insurance comes with standard household cover. You are insured to repair or replace other people's stuff if you break it.
You don't have personal liability insurance, OP? Isn't that rather remiss of you if you are accident prone? Since you caused her to drop her phone breaking its screen then you should pay for the repair.

[BloodyDisgrace]

I'd pay if I smashed someone's phone, even accidentally.

[pumpkinyael]

'd pay if I smashed someone's phone, even accidentally.

especially if I smashed it accidentally, tbh.

[winniestone37]

There's no law we have phone insurance- you broke it at the very least you should offer something. I'm stunned you're even asking tbh.

[winniestone37]

@BusyEmz I couldn't agree more!!

[MadCow999]

Shouldn’t ‘have’ to pay but would be nice gesture to give token amount. personally think it’s pretty cool to have cracked screen (so long as it’s still usable)

[itdoesntmatterwhereimfrom]

Cool to have a cracked screen? Eh??

Did I read that right?

[MadCow999]

Here in UK people are inclined not to take responsibility, no PL ins, no health ins, no ID (think police state and against their rights) just wait till Brexit, no EU courts to protect us, needing Visa and ID on request. Ppl think they want their sovereignty back - blinkered

[Lovelymess]

I would at least offer to go halves on it. That's the most fair thing all round

[Grilledaubergines]

Here in UK people are inclined not to take responsibility, no PL ins, no health ins, no ID (think police state and against their rights) just wait till Brexit, no EU courts to protect us, needing Visa and ID on request. Ppl think they want their sovereignty back - blinkered

Yeah, you’re talking utter shit here.🙄

[Bluntness100]

Here in UK people are inclined not to take responsibility

Could you just not be arsed to read the thread then, filled with many Brits urging her to take responsibility?

[MaisyPops]

itdoesntmatterwhereimfrom
Only with teenagers. I've heard a fair few students laughing about cracked screens. Personally I think any parent who buys their child a latest model smart phone when the screen is forever cracked is a fool. But then I also think people who don't put screen protectors and cases on devices and then whine if/when they get damaged are foolish too.

[surreygirl1987]

@madcow999

[itdoesntmatterwhereimfrom]

Mad cow are too now Maisy? I'm confused.