Father and Son Compensated for Damage to Vehicles from Neighbouring Construction Work

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A father and son have successfully claimed compensation for damage to their five vehicles caused by a construction company's application of insulating material on a neighbouring property. The vehicles suffered significant damage due to the spraying of materials, which the court found resulted from the company's failure to exercise the necessary caution.

According to lawyer Fatima Al Shirawi, the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against both the owner of the company and the contracting firm responsible for the insulation work, seeking a total of 16,892 dinars in damages. The plaintiffs argued that the spraying occurred near the area where their vehicles were parked, and the company did not take adequate precautions, leading to the insulation materials contaminating their cars.

The plaintiffs reported that the damage included the melting of the vehicle paint and the creation of small holes, substantially reducing the market value of their cars. In response to the situation, they initiated urgent legal proceedings and appointed an expert to prepare a technical report on the incident. The expert's findings supported the plaintiffs' claim for damages, confirming the costs required to repair their vehicles.

After notifying the company of the necessity to pay for the repairs, the plaintiffs received no response, prompting them to pursue legal action. The court reviewed the case during several sessions, during which the company’s representative contested the expert's report.

Before reaching a final decision, the court decided to conduct an investigation to verify the plaintiffs' claims regarding the damages to their vehicles and the costs associated with repairs. The court allowed both sides to present their evidence.

Witnesses for the plaintiffs confirmed that the chemical materials sprayed had indeed damaged their vehicles. One witness stated that they accompanied the first plaintiff to a car dealership for an assessment of three vehicles, where they were informed of expected repair costs: approximately 7,000 dinars for the first vehicle, and 2,500 dinars each for the second and third.

Conversely, witnesses for the defendant company claimed that their workers had covered a distance of approximately 80 meters from the property site, and that the plaintiffs’ vehicles were located about 138 meters away from the spraying area.

However, the court determined, based on the testimonies and the expert report, that the damage to the plaintiffs' vehicles was a direct result of the defendant company's negligence.

Consequently, the court ruled that both defendants must jointly compensate the plaintiffs with a total of 13,247 dinars and 430 fils, in addition to covering court costs and attorney fees, as well as the expert's fees.