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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask who's responsible if a window cleaner falls off his ladder on your property?

113 replies

todayandnottomorrow · 16/04/2023 18:33

We have a new window cleaner starting that many people in the area seem to use. He uses ladders. I suddenly thought, what if he falls on my property and hurts himself? It got me panicked. Would I be accountable?

OP posts:
GoodChat · 17/04/2023 13:25

OP don't use him again if he doesn't have insurance. If you have a porch roof or similar and he cracks a tile or breaks a drainpipe etc he won't pay for the repair.

GoodChat · 17/04/2023 13:26

FarmGirl78 · 17/04/2023 10:11

You've asked a daft question and understandably you're getting flack for it. But I think you're enjoying choosing to get offended by peoples comments.

Maybe you still don't see how ridiculous a question this is. Stop being outraged and stomping off from Mumsnet like a sulky child and consider your original question. I can understand this thought 'crossing your mind' but if the next thought through your head wasn't "of course it wouldn't be my fault" and instead was "I must ask others" then you need to think about employing someone to make decisions for you. 🙄

Who pissed on your cornflakes?

TrueScrumptious · 17/04/2023 17:45

Robyn847 · 17/04/2023 09:10

If asking yourself this question got you panicking I think you need to address your anxiety issues.

You may not recognise how unreasonable a thing this is to worry about if your anxiety hasn't been diagnosed. I realised my anxiety wasn't normal when I found myself in tears worrying about (amongst other things) the possible issues that might arise when my neighbour put a 12 inch high border between our front gardens.

When you get down the path of dealing with your anxiety you'll be able to look back and realise this wasn't anything that 'normal' people would worry about. (And I use the phrase 'normal' very loosely! 🤣). I think that's people are not understanding why you're asking about something that to them is so obvious and would never raise a question.

To me, having anxiety is like being an alcoholic where people say "I've not drank for 20 years but I'm still an alcoholic. Every day is a battle not to have a drink". I know I would still be panicking about things like foot high garden fences and window cleaners ladders if I didn't have the mental tools to dampen down my anxiety.

I could of course be way off the mark, but until you can see it you won't realise how ridiculous a question this is to get you panicking.

Show quote history

The question isn’t ridiculous, though. It’s a perfectly sensitively thing to wonder about and ask about on a forum like this.

I think your judgement of the situation is way off the mark.

TrueScrumptious · 17/04/2023 17:47

Sensible, not sensitively.

Neededanewuserhandle · 17/04/2023 17:51

GoodChat · 17/04/2023 13:25

OP don't use him again if he doesn't have insurance. If you have a porch roof or similar and he cracks a tile or breaks a drainpipe etc he won't pay for the repair.

Not having insurance wouldn't prevent him paying for damage he does. Having insurance wouldn't mean an automatic payout from them either.

GoodChat · 17/04/2023 18:04

@Neededanewuserhandle but it makes it all a lot less clear cut

Robyn847 · 17/04/2023 19:18

TrueScrumptious · 17/04/2023 17:45

The question isn’t ridiculous, though. It’s a perfectly sensitively thing to wonder about and ask about on a forum like this.

I think your judgement of the situation is way off the mark.

Show quote history

My point was that it was a ridiculous question to get panicked about. Which is what the OP said in her first post. That it got her panicked. Getting in a panic over questioning whether or not a window cleaner should have a ladder isn't normal. That was when I realised my anxiety wasn't normal, when I wasn't sleeping because my neighbour had put a 12 inch tall fence up. It just rang bells with me.

Neededanewuserhandle · 19/04/2023 18:00

GoodChat · 17/04/2023 18:04

@Neededanewuserhandle but it makes it all a lot less clear cut

No it doesn't. Insurance against the liability for injuries or damage still relies upon the existence of a legal liability upon someone for the damage of injury. Since strict liability is much less prevalent than people think, liability isn't automatic and therefore, neither are insurance payouts.

mikado1 · 19/04/2023 18:11

I always check if they're insured. A tip I was given when I first bought a house.

Sturnip · 19/04/2023 18:48

It really isn’t a stupid question though, given the concept of occupier’s liability.

Elvis1956 · 19/04/2023 19:01

I used to be an insurance claims manager. Firstly you WOULD be liable if you did anything to injure him...i.e carelessly bump into his ladder. Or if your house through lack of care by you injured him, such as a wobbly paving slab or tile falls off the roof.
HOWEVER...If you have decent building s insurance it will cover your liability as householder...so you would be insured for any injury.

check he has public liability insurance so if he damaged your house or you you can claim
and personal injury insurance so if he got hurt it would pay him....But given the job I doubt he has as premiums will be high.

as you are purchasing services from him. You are in a contract of service not employment so your duty of care is not so great and he is responsible for his own safety/risk assessment etc

piedbeauty · 19/04/2023 19:03

Hintofreality · 16/04/2023 18:37

Depends whether or not he falls from the shock of peering through your bedroom window and sees your Husband recreating Sam Smith’s nipple tassel dance.

😂😂😂😮😮😮

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