Question
If my car was damaged in a car wash, who pays for the repair?
The mirror was knocked off my car and there are lots of scratches and a big dent from the car wash. Will the gas station that owns the car wash pay for my damage or do I have to file a claim?
Answer
The answer to your question will depend completely on the specifics of how the damage occurred.
The gas station will pay for the damage if:
- If your vehicle was not moving and the brushes or moving parts of the car wash damaged your vehicle then the liability would be on the owner of the wash.
- If you were in control of your vehicle when the damage occurred - for instance, you drove your car into something in the process of washing the vehicle