Apartment garage door came down on the back of my car.

[chuckywang]

I live in an apartment complex in Chicago with community garage parking. The garage door is set up right next to the street, so there is very little room for you to stop between the door and the street to wait for an opening to turn onto the street. As I was leaving for work this morning, I didn't pull out far enough and the door came down on the back of my wagon. It came down with enough force to rip one of the letters off the back of my car and then came down on the rear bumper as I pulled forward a little when I heard the impact. I haven't been able to assess any dents or anything because the car is dirty from the Chicago winter.

My question is: who is liable for this damage? Shouldn't there be a safety mechanism that if the garage door hits something it should go up automatically? It shouldn't be able to go down with enough force to rip the letter off the back of the car.

 

[Sukhoi]

Which letter?

 

[RagingBITCH]

If it's a new enough garage door opener, then it will have a mechanism to go back up. The old ones don't. Regardless, they have no liability for this because YOU didn't pull out far enough. You could try but I'd just laugh in your face.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
Which letter?

The "S" in SUBARU. The car now just says UBARU.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
If it's a new enough garage door opener, then it will have a mechanism to go back up. The old ones don't. Regardless, they have no liability for this because YOU didn't pull out far enough. You could try but I'd just laugh in your face.

I should add that the reason for this is because there was a car parallel parked illegally right next to the garage door opening so I couldn't pull out all the way or else I'd be really close to that car. It was a defensive driving instinct.

 

[MrPickins]

So did you click a button to close the door, or does it do it automatically?

 

[MrWizzard]

Sorry you don?t really have a case; if it had fallen down while you are under it from lack of maintenance maybe, but in this case it?s just simply you did not pull far enough forward.

Old garage doors don?t have to be up to code because they were built to code at the time of construction.

 

[Insomniator]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
Which letter?

The "S" in SUBARU. The car now just says UBARU.

LOL

also, it really sucks if they have no liability, because they certainly fucking should.

Actually, how could they not have liability, if a toddler for some reason happened to be crushed by that door the owners of the building would get the crap sued out of them.

 

[Tim]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
Which letter?

The "S" in SUBARU. The car now just says UBARU.

Thank god it wasn't a 'onda...

 

[MrWizzard]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
If it's a new enough garage door opener, then it will have a mechanism to go back up. The old ones don't. Regardless, they have no liability for this because YOU didn't pull out far enough. You could try but I'd just laugh in your face.

I should add that the reason for this is because there was a car parallel parked illegally right next to the garage door opening so I couldn't pull out all the way or else I'd be really close to that car. It was a defensive driving instinct.

Maybe you can go after the person who was illigally parked, mabye, but even then you need pictures of the infraction and what happened needs to be well documented. I have a feeling you are no longer there and at work and when you get back that car will probably no longer be there huh.

 

[rudeguy]

Those letters are just glued on. Using the term "rip" is just silly. It peeled the letter off your car.

You didn't pull far enough forward, end of story. Go to the dealership, pay $5 and get a new S.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: MrPickins
So did you click a button to close the door, or does it do it automatically?

It opens and closes automatically when you are leaving. Also, this is not the first thing that has gone wrong with the garage door:

1) On one occasion, I came back home and there was a note on the door saying to call the doorman to get it opened.

2) On two occasions, I came back home and the door wouldn't open even though I knew the remote worked. This is because the garage door borders the sidewalk and an alarm sounds when the garage door opens to alert pedestrians that a car is coming out or in. I clicked the remote, the alarm sounded, but the door didn't open. I had to get out of my car and manually pry the door open myself.

 

[Itchrelief]

That'll buff right... err I mean glue back on?

 

[krylon]

I think you should cry more about it. Or L2Drive.

 

[Deviant Grasshopper]

WTF - you pulled under an auto-opening door and just sat there?


I'd say the liability is on you, bud.

 

[OUCaptain]

Agree with krylon and Grasshopper. Your fault, deal with it.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: Deviant Grasshopper
WTF - you pulled under an auto-opening door and just sat there?


I'd say the liability is on you, bud.

This is a new garage door. I pulled out as far as I was comfortable with, and only the rear of the car was hit. Is it reasonable to assume that with a new garage door, the sensor would not allow the door to close if something was underneath it?

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: Deviant Grasshopper
WTF - you pulled under an auto-opening door and just sat there?


I'd say the liability is on you, bud.

This is a new garage door. I pulled out as far as I was comfortable with, and only the rear of the car was hit. Is it reasonable to assume that with a new garage door, the sensor would not allow the door to close if something was underneath it?

ask your insurance company...everyone will probably keep bashing on you for not pulling forward far enough...