Mechanic liability?

ClarkGriswold

Well-Known Member
Jul 9, 2016
2,746
Boat Info
Sea Ray 370 Sundancer
Engines
Horizons
Hey all-

My 2000 24 Sundancer is in with our regular mechanic for the dreaded cabin door fix as well as a new carb. Being stuck in the frozen tundra, the mechanic had shrink wrapped the boat for outdoor storage until he pulled it into his shop for the start of work on Friday.

He called to get his partial payment on the work and then called 3 hours later to inform us that the center section of the windshield shattered while he was removing the wrap.

Should this be covered by HIS insurance? My gut says yes... my gut is often wrong. and fat.

thanks,
C
 
If it didnt crack during the shrinkwrap then it got cracked removing the shrinkwrap.
Hard to believe that simply cutting it with a razor knife could crack a piece of glass.
 
.

He called...to inform us that the center section of the windshield shattered while he was removing the wrap

If that is the case I would expect the mechanic to cover it. If it was broken when he opened it is a different story. The words typed here indicate "he" indicated responsibility.

MM
 
If it didnt crack during the shrinkwrap then it got cracked removing the shrinkwrap.
Hard to believe that simply cutting it with a razor knife could crack a piece of glass.

Glass can do strange things in the 20-30 degree cold. A screw in the frame that didn't affect anything could hit just right on the edge of the glass as the wrap was removed and crack.

MM
 
If it was me....I would want to know if it was negligence, or a "Freak" accident. Freak accident I would try and work with him. If they wacked with something, well, thats their problem. Just quoted a new center walk through from Ocean Dyanmics for a Mariah 252....$600.00 plus shipping.
 
If it was me....I would want to know if it was negligence, or a "Freak" accident. Freak accident I would try and work with him. If they wacked with something, well, thats their problem. Just quoted a new center walk through from Ocean Dyanmics for a Mariah 252....$600.00 plus shipping.


Mr Mechanic is pretty adamant he doesn't know how it happened. Quote on new glass:

703-007894 Sea Ray center windshield $1,315.34

I am not pleased.
 
The glass on these boats is very, very expensive (especially older models out of production).

I did flooring on a Sea Ray 280SS last summer that was awaiting new windshield and frame. Shop owner told me it was 15K repair bill !!!
 
I am befuddled by his stance. He doesn't want to submit to his insurance. But, he is willing to cover our deductible. So, I guess I submit to ours and let them go after his insurance?

Regardless, I need a new mechanic.
 
If you let him pay your deductible .... you end up with the claim...which in turn raises your insurance (unless you have some special insurance company) you might want to explain the circumstances to your insurance company to see what they will do.

In my opinion once the mechanic takes possession they are responsible for any damage. It sounds like maybe he doesn't want a claim for some reason.
 
I got new zippers put in all the isinglass windows in the boat. Lots of them cost 3,000US. They scratched the plastic. I put a claim into my insurance so it would be recorded. Been 2 years and it has not been fixed. Take pictures and document. Send an email along with the pictures to the mechanic and your insurance company. I work on the principle my insurance company does not want to pay so they will go after the people that did the damage. Worked once before when a yard damaged the hull due to lifting error. Problem with boat insurance you pay then submit a claim.
You may find it difficult for your insurance company to be willing to consider a claim.
 
Our insurance is cutting us a check. Ordered the glass(yeah, he doesn't want to front the $1400 either) and we move forward. It's 13 effing degrees which limits my ability to just go get it from him and go somewhere else. I am pot committed until the work is done and spring finally arrives.

On that note, anyone recommend a mechanic in the Minneapolis area??
 
Further stuff(sorry, just venting to someone other than my dog...)

Per our insurance adjuster, standard storage contracts state that they are not responsible for damage unless we can prove negligence.

I am digging up our contract later today to verify that.
 
Further stuff(sorry, just venting to someone other than my dog...)

Per our insurance adjuster, standard storage contracts state that they are not responsible for damage unless we can prove negligence.

I am digging up our contract later today to verify that.
That may hold true if the boat is stored all winter untouched & you find something in the spring that was not obvious under the wrap, possibly from a freeze incident or something. Your current case sounds more like an active repair action to me with possible negligence by your mechanic. Now, proving that can be difficult. Either way, I agree with your earlier statement......time to find a new mechanic.

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk
 
That may hold true if the boat is stored all winter untouched & you find something in the spring that was not obvious under the wrap, possibly from a freeze incident or something. Your current case sounds more like an active repair action to me with possible negligence by your mechanic. Now, proving that can be difficult. Either way, I agree with your earlier statement......time to find a new mechanic.


Yours is the exact argument I made to both my wife and the insurance man. They are both resigned to the fact that proving negligence is nearly impossible. So...yeah.

Taking the high road and just want my boat back together so I can move on.
 
Maybe let the mechanic know this incident is going to cost him your future business? And suggest that he file a claim with his insurance company except I'm beginning to doubt he really has coverage.
 
He will be notified of that status once I have the boat back in my possession, for sure.

It's sort of disheartening as we have used him for as long as I have been back in MN and never had an issue other than his overall demeanor being less than pleasant at times. His work has always been good and timely and he is BUSY. So maybe this is a one off thing but his handling of it has soured the drink for me...
 
Don't know where you boat, but if it is on the river, I do have some mechanics that I could recommend, also some to stay away from. If you want you can PM me.
 
This whole thing just sucks. I've owned a high end Euro car repair/performance shop, and my insurance is written in a manner that my insurance is first line, if that makes any sense. It basically means that my insurance company covers issues before any of my client's are touched. Even with that, if it's a relatively small claim, I'll just deal with it internally. Why make an issue over a 1k(ish) claim if it saves future business?
 
On that note, anyone recommend a mechanic in the Minneapolis area??

I use Bayside Marine in Excelsior for everything. They do great work at reasonable prices and Bob (the owner) is a great guy. They're also certified Merc mechanics.

I have an after-market towing cover for my boat and one of his guys put a nice tear in it 2 seasons ago. When I picked up the boat, Bob pointed out the tear to me but he already had it professionally repaired. He could have easily ignored it and denied it but instead he owned up to it and fixed it.

http://www.bayside-marine.com
 

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