What are the chances of getting a tradesman to pay for vicarious damage?

[Pennies]

I've just had an electrician round who has disovered that the reason why our circuit keeps blowing is because when we had our ceilings decorated 6 weeks ago the decorator removed the spotlights and when he replaced them he didn't make sure the wires were clear of the bulb.

The result is that most of our spots need replacing as the wires are totally melted and the damage in some places is so bad it has actualy burnt the plaster in the ceiling so in some places we have great big holes where we've had to remove the damage.

This is going to cost an arm and a leg to fix in both electrician bills and getting the ceiling replastered.

Do you think the decorator will cough up?

I wonder if public liability would cover him for it. I suspect that it would. Worth a try if you can clearly prove it was his actions that caused the problem.

I might approach local trading standards first to get their view on the best way of dealing with this

Get the electrician to write a letter to that effect, and copy it to the decorator.
A reputable tradesperson would make amends.

I do think that the decorator should pay up, providing that you can prove that he caused the problem. You do need the evidence that this is the case. But if he is a good decorator, if you approach him and explain the situation, then he should rectify it. Possibly you could ask him for a qualified electrician to undertake the rectification work.

Good idea about trading standards. I doubt an electrician will put his name to a letter though.