Son's bike damaged WWYD?

[Psychodisney]

Last night, my DS16 was visiting a friend and left his bicycle on the driveway. An adult who was visiting that house as well, backed out of the driveway and damaged the front wheel of the bicycle.
Apparently, the friend's mother and the adult who hit the bike were angry with my son and felt the total responsibility falls on my son. I agree it was stupid of him to park his bike on the driveway behind a car but, also feel that the driver of the car bears some responsibility as well. I know if I had hit a friend's bike, I would at least offer to pay half.
What do you think?

 

[Mellie2162]

I think your son should not have parked on the driveway behind a car.

 

[KATIESMOMMY]

Totally on your son, he should not have parked in the driveway...he is actually lucky if there is no damage to the vehicle

 

[KK'sMommy]

I think if your son left his car in a driveway, behind a parked car, it is his responsibility. I don't really get why the adults were angry, unless it damaged their car. But if my kids did something like that, at 16, I would make them earn the money to fix it or buy a new bike.

 

[kim929]

After buying the new front tire, I bet he doesn't park his bike in the driveway behind a car... Why would you put your bike behind a car?

 

[hffmnheidi]

He's very lucky there was no damage to the car in question, or you'd be held responsible since he is a minor, by law. Watch any episode of Judge Judy and she'd definitely say it was his fault.

Was the bike parked upright or simply left on the ground? If it was parked upright, the adult should have 'possibly' seen the bike and asked that it been moved, but if it was on the ground, there was no way the adult could have seen the bike.

Make him get a job or take it out of his savings. It's an expensive lesson and one he's not likely to repeat if he sees the costs of his mistakes.

 

[3boymthr]

Well, I would hold my oldest responsible and he's only 14 so I'd say your DS should be responsible too. Let's face it if they're old enough to drive a car they're old enough to make sure their bike is placed somewhere out of the way of a car.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I think at 16, he is old enough to realize that you don't leave your bike in a driveway behind a car. If there were no little kids outside at the time, the driver would not have any reason to walk behind the car to check if anything was left in the driveway.

I say the adult driver has no responsibility towards getting the bike fixed. This is all on the 16yo. JMO

 

[Scurvy]

I might not feel that a 6 year old child was completely responsible for the damage. Little kids leave their stuff lying all over the place and don't think about the possible consequences, so adults have to be hyper aware of the kids and all their stuff. If they don't have little kids around, though, most adults aren't going to be overly vigilant about checking to make sure nothing is hiding behing their car before they start backing up. At 16, your son is definitely old enough to know what could happen if he leaves his bike behind a car in a driveway. He's old enough to be driving, and if he ever has driven then he should be even more aware of how difficult it would be to see a bike parked behind your car. It was a foolish mistake, and it's a shame the bike was damaged, but it's his own fault.

 

[msmayor]

Have to agree with the others...when I was a kid we ALWAYS had the rule...NEVER leave your bicycle on a driveway, EVER. The fault lands one the one who didn't leave it in an area where it couldn't get damaged.

 

[Psychodisney]

OK, the majority wins. He bears total responsibility. We had already told him he is paying for it. He's taking it to the bike shop shortly. I asked him why he left it on the driveway and he said, "It was going to be quick." Sometimes I think 16 yo have little more forethought than a 6yo!

 

[jessandtwo]

The owner of the car is responsible for hitting the bike. As a driver you are required to make sure your path is clear before backing up. The driver didn't make sure that there was nothing in his/her way before backing up and hit something.

Maybe your child shouldn't have left a bike behind a parked car, but that is really not the determing factor as to who is responsible for the damages. The responsibility is always on the driver to make sure the path is clear when backing up.

In a court of law the driver would be held responsible.

 

[Disneyrsh]

ok

 

[torinsmom]

Sorry, if you leave a bike behind a car, then it is not the fault of the driver when it is hit. That's what you call a natural consequence. Of course, if that happened to my 15 year old, he would think it was the driver's fault as well. We all know that it can never be the teenager's fault! LOL

Marsha

 

[Oglet]

Pretend for a minute the bike is actually a motorcycle parked in the driveway I suspect some of the replies may have been different.

Before you reverse you are responsible for making sure it is clear and safe to do so. If the driver had run over a young child or a family pet would be looking at this different?

Should the child have parked his bike behind a car? probably not.... should the driver of the car been aware of their surroundings prior to operating the vehicle.... absolutely.

 

[tinkarooni]

Claims Adjuster here. The answer is different depending on how you are looking at it. Many of you are looking at the question as a parent. So I think that you are probably right about teaching a child responsiblity and taking care of his things. A 16 y/o should not leave his bike laying down behind a car. My question is though was the bike laying down or standing up on a kickstand? If it was laying down the driver of the car would have some responsibility but so would your son, if it was standing up the driver would have all responsibility. Where else would a person park a bike if not a driveway? Certainly not the front lawn or the flower bed. The driver of the car has a responsibility to not back into something. The bike could have been a small child. motorcycle or another car. Although it is not the popular response the answer is probably the driver of the car's fault, although I am missing some key info. I will tell you I have had these cases before a magistrate many many times and I know of what I speak.

 

[Oglet]

Claims Adjuster here. The answer is different depending on how you are looking at it. Many of you are looking at the question as a parent. So I think that you are probably right about teaching a child responsiblity and taking care of his things. A 16 y/o should not leave his bike laying down behind a car. My question is though was the bike laying down or standing up on a kickstand? If it was laying down the driver of the car would have some responsibility but so would your son, if it was standing up the driver would have all responsibility. Where else would a person park a bike if not a driveway? Certainly not the front lawn or the flower bed. The driver of the car has a responsibility to not back into something. The bike could have been a small child. motorcycle or another car. Although it is not the popular response the answer is probably the driver of the car's fault, although I am missing some key info. I will tell you I have had these cases before a magistrate many many times and I know of what I speak.

I totally agree with what you are saying. It goes along with the same argument I was putting across.

 

[allison443]

Pretend for a minute the bike is actually a motorcycle parked in the driveway I suspect some of the replies may have been different.

Before you reverse you are responsible for making sure it is clear and safe to do so. If the driver had run over a young child or a family pet would be looking at this different?

Should the child have parked his bike behind a car? probably not.... should the driver of the car been aware of their surroundings prior to operating the vehicle.... absolutely.

I agree with you as far as the car owner having some liability, however, I think most people are looking at it from the parent's point of view and wanting to teach their kid to be proactive in avoiding these types of situations.

 

[auralia]

legaly the driver is the car is responsable because he hit a stationary object... any time you back into somethign that isn't moving it is your fault... imagine the bike was a pole... if you hit the pole would you blame the owner of the pole... or perhaps that bike was a small child... so much worse or maybe the family dog.... it is the responsability of the driver to know the situation around his/her car at all times the only way it would be the boys fault is if he drove his bike into the car.

 

[trustknoone]

Was the bike laying down or parked upright with kickstand' not that it really matters as it was a parked vehicle in a driveway. I think the responsibility is on the driver, part of driving is not hitting things. I can see where if it was laying down it was a bad idea to put it behind a car, but its still on the driver to make sure the path is clear. If they don't offer to fix the bike you as the parent should just pay and have it fixed and not penalize the child. It was a parked vehicle in a driveway, the kid (16 or 6) parked where you should park. As others have said we wouldn't even be having this conversation if it was a motorized vehicle of some sort.