Are Supermarkets liable for damage caused to tyres in their car park?

[william76]

I visited Tesco recently. Their car park displayed no signs disclaiming liability for anything that happens to your car. When I finished shopping and went to my car all was well, my drivers side front tyre was fully inflated. As I reversed out and moved off I noticed some juddering after 20 yards, well before I'd actually left the car park. I thought it was the recently serviced gearbox at fault. Pulled over just outside car park. Drivers front tyre completely flat. There was a chunk of metal that had put a 1 1/2 inch gash in the tyre. They claim to clean the park park every morning but I doubt that, it's always messy. I cant help feeling they should cover the cost of a new tyre. It seems unjust I do a £50 shop then have to shell out £145 on a new tyre cos they cant keep their car park in order. Tyre was practically new.

[andy-hughes]

You may well find they will accept liability.

A few years ago, my wife found a note on her car asking her to contact the manager when she was parked on the local supermarket car park.

He confirmed that there was some minor damnage to the bonnet of her car because a security guard had confronted a shoplifter, and ensuing struggle had caused them to roll over the bonnet, leaving some scraches.

The supermarket accepted liabilkity and paid for all repairs - so although they have signs denying liability for loss or damage, you lose nothing by pursuing them, politely of course, you need their co-operation.

[hc4361]

Andy hughs wife got compensation because an employee of the supermarket was directly involved in causing the damage by action, not inaction.

It is highly unlikely the supermarket will accept liability in your instance. No disclaimer signs are necessary. It would be unrealistic to expect the supermarket to inspect and clean all areas of the car park all the time - you don't know how long the metal was there.

[Postdog]

have you not seen the notices they put up? of course they won't accept any liability.

[B00]

I'm almost positive they'll have a sign up somewhere disputing any liability, just because you failed to notice it, it doesn't mean it wasn't there.

However as Andy has already said ,there's no harm in contacting the store and asking, if you don't ask, you don't get.

[jackthehat]

Unless you can tie the piece of metal 'directly' to Tescos and their car-park, I think you'll find yourself on a hiding to nothing.

[AlBags]

Tesco would argue that their car park was kept tidy and clean.
Unless it was a part of a shopping trolley .. or one of their 'goods' that caused the damage, they would not admit liability, I would have thought.
Bad luck .. I know.

Even a 265/30 x 19 Skyline tyre does not cost £145 tho.

[joko]

you can buy a tyre for much less than that...why would it cost you £145?

i agree though, unfortunately, unless you can prove it was off a trolley or something, you cannot just blame tesco for everything just because it was on their public land

[Andyvon]

William probably went to Kwik-Fit Joko.

[william76]

Car park DOES NOT display a Disclaimer Notice. Supermarket is relatively new. I dont scrimp on cheap tyres, chunk of metal was about 2 inches by 2. Enough to wreck the tyre, small enough to be unnoticed

[redcrx]

and a customer may have dropped it into the parking space 1 minute before you pulled in. Why should it be tescos fault in any way?

[B00]

Have you contacted them William? What've they said?

[jackthehat]

If it was small enough to go unnoticed......why do you think that the Tescos staff should have noticed it any more than you did?

[AlBags]

Next steps ...

Identify the metal article
Change your tyre shop.

[SpikeyBush]

1. All Tesco stores I have been to have had disclaimer signs. Maybe someone pinched it from your local store and sold it for scrap. It could even be the securing bracket that they broke that fell to the ground and penetrated your tyre.
2. Can you prove that the damage was done on Tesco property? Look at it from Tesco's view. You could have run over that bit of metal anywhere. If it gets to be public knowledge that they pay out willy-nilly, you'd have every Tom, Dick and Harry claiming for tyres that they actually got slashed for sleeping with someone else's wife, or other misdemeaners.

Even though I think your chances are slim, you've nothing to lose by asking Tesco to oblige. It may help your position if you have a clubcard statement that matches the public debt of Greece.