am i totally to blame or not

[jamesrxx951]

ok i would like some honest opinions here. i work a car dealership as a wrench. today at lunch i had my car in the so i could wash it. well after lunch i was backing out of the shop and was following some one else out. i stopped because i saw someone moving a car in a stall and i didn't want them to hit me once the coast was clear, a matter of seconds was all it was i procceded out of the shop in reverse and all of a sudden bang right into the overhead door. someone closed the door on me and i ran into the bottom panel of the door, and scratched my freestyle up on the lift gate. my boss is making my pay for the door because he "feels" i should of seen the door coming down. my response is when you are backing you are looking directly behind for people and not looking up, and inorder to see the top of my car in the mirror they would have to be pointed up, and if that was the case you couldn't see the lower portion of the car and road. i do feel that i am partly responible because i am the driver but the person that closed the door should be more accountable because they should have looked before closing the door to see if someone was coming. opinions please.

[flying skunks]

just suck it up and deal with it ... be happy that you still have a job ...

[2walla]

Actually what about the safety on the overhead door that should have sensed that something was in the way and stoopped it?? Sounds like an OSHA violation...

[rcflyguy]

I worked for 12 years at a door company, and I have seen it all! I have never heard a good excuse for hitting a door. Even tho someone did close the door, the door's safety's should have stopped & reversed the door. (Photo eye or safety edge)

Unless, the door made it all the way to the floor, then you shold have seen it. In that case you would be at fault.

[jamesrxx951]

we do have 2 door safetys. a hose and an eye. they work but not real well, some times you have to run over the hose a couple of times to activate door. it has a few holes in it. the door hit the top 1' of my car.

[reyn3545]

Schidt happens... and if it happens in the workplace, your company has insurance to cover the damage. His deductable might be higher than the door, but that kind of stuff happens all the time. If someone shut the door with you still in the building.. maybe they are also to blame. If there's not an infrared sensor to stop the door, maybe the company's to blame... and if the door was completely shut and you backed into it, maybe you are to blame... Who's to say?

If you boss is trying to hang you with the repairs, you should probably let that be a lesson about what type of boss you have. Maybe it's not the right time to quit and go somewhere else, but when the time comes.....

[66stang]

I think it's the guy who closed the door while you where backing out! But the boss will just see it as my door, your car. How much damage to the garage door and the car?

[smokin]

this is an accountability issue here and if the shoe was on the other foot what would you want to happen. if your boss was over at your house and he, accidentally mind you, ran into your garage door backing out of your garage damaging your door... would you want him to feel responsible and be accountable for the fact that he was driving and hit your door? i would bet so. this door was in fine condition until you, regardless of malice or intent, hit it with your car. should the owner of the shop be required to write checks to cover your negligence? well... that is the question isn't it? i am certainly not trying to be mean here... but if you broke it you bought it. that's how things need to work to be ultimately "fair".

in this economy, don't make it even more expensive for your boss to employ you! that wouldn't be advisable.

[jamesrxx951]

it was $400 in damage to my car just some paint needed. door not sure yet. just to let you know about my boss, we told him in dec that the heat was inop. and when we got that cold snap here in ohio the shop got down to 30-40 degrees. well we were pissed to be nice. after a day and half he finally called some one to repair the heat. naturally parts had to be ordered. i still accept some blame, but i didn't think to look up when backing the door was open.

[3dextreme]

I am wondering here if the guy that closed the door was the one that opened the door for the car that you were following to get out and did you tell anyone that you were going out also. If the guy opened the door for that car he could not have known that you were on your way out also. Now if he just decided to close the door, then I say that he should at least pay for half of the door.

[smokin]

	Quote: Originally Posted by reyn3545
	Schidt happens... and if it happens in the workplace, your company has insurance to cover the damage. His deductable might be higher than the door, but that kind of stuff happens all the time. If someone shut the door with you still in the building.. maybe they are also to blame. If there's not an infrared sensor to stop the door, maybe the company's to blame... and if the door was completely shut and you backed into it, maybe you are to blame... Who's to say? If you boss is trying to hang you with the repairs, you should probably let that be a lesson about what type of boss you have. Maybe it's not the right time to quit and go somewhere else, but when the time comes.....

reyn, you know i VERY rarely disagree with you! don't hate on me for this one man!

in today's economy, it is VERY expensive to employ people. in this particular case, the owner of the building had a good, none marred door at the beginning of the work day and after lunch, he had a messed up one. the leftist in people would immediately suggest that the store should pay! when they say that they are de-personalizing the situation. WHO is the STORE? the owner! why would he have to both right you a paycheck, very possibly out of the goodness of his heart and his own personal checking account if his dealership is doing as well as mine right now, and incur damage expenses to cover an issue he was not involved in? this is more entitlement and it is just not right. this does not encourage accountability at all. it is more blame game and passing of the buck. someone ALWAYS has to PAY! unfortunately for employers, it is usually them..... twice!

again, i mean no hard feelings to the gentleman involved in this incodent at all. this is just my view. i have had the same type thing happen at my store and i ended up footing the bill.... it was about a $3000 bill as it involved 2 customer cars when one of my techs backed on into the other. my employee just didn't have the funds to pay at all and if you know anything of the insurance side of the "garage" portion of your small dealership policy you do NOT want an internally caused claim in your first 2 years of operation! that would SKYROCKET your premiums for the rest of forever. paying for it out of my pocket was the only viable answer... IT SUCKED AND I HATED IT! it shouldn't have been that way but just like all other entitlements.... we that provide are asked to provide even more.

[jamesrxx951]

smokin absolutly no hard feeling on your opinions at all. and you are right you have to separted personal feelings from what is right and wrong. the door was open during the entire lunch period and why it was closed at that time who knows. i personally feel that i am partially at fault and should pay something but not the whole thing.i also feel and it is my opinion about this that some leaway should be giving in my behalf. but i am biased to.

[jamesrxx951]

the door was already dented and bent prior not perfectly good, but it worked, untill i was done with it.

[smokin]

	Quote: Originally Posted by jamesrxx951
	it was $400 in damage to my car just some paint needed. door not sure yet. just to let you know about my boss, we told him in dec that the heat was inop. and when we got that cold snap here in ohio the shop got down to 30-40 degrees. well we were pissed to be nice. after a day and half he finally called some one to repair the heat. naturally parts had to be ordered. i still accept some blame, but i didn't think to look up when backing the door was open.

again, i too own a smaller car dealership and fortunately we didn't have heat issues this winter. BUT, if we had, with the auto industry in financial shambles it's in, i would have given my employees the option of payroll and a jacket or heat from THEIR furnace and their couch at home! now, i'm kinda kidding there but, the truth is that most employees really have no idea how much it costs to employ them. agiain, they don't realize that when "the store" pays for something it is actually the owner doing so. it is a shame that it is common practice for us to begrudge our "owners" their income even after they write us ours.

we need to realize that the checking accounts that have been delivering our payroll checks to us for all of these years aren't like the govt's printing presses... they ARE running out of money. every penny is probably being pinched at your store right now and this mishap that you had was just a very unfortunate one "timing wise". i know that atleast twice a day i have a new reason to worry about "the books" at my store. it is a very stressful time for "the dealer" right now... i don't know your owner, but maybe he's really not that bad a guy???

again, please understand that i am not claiming to know everything about you and your employer. i am just posting from a vantage point that i have as an owner in a similar atmosphere. i don't want you to feel as if i am coming down on you in the least. i don't want to and it wouldn't be my place to do so! good luck with the bummer situation. tomorrow will bring a new opportunity for better happenings.

[aerofli]

Pay for the repairs. It will cost you more if don't in the long run. Pick only battles that you can confidently win when your job involved.