Toronto, Ontario — Bell Canada is in hot water after an Ontario man successfully received compensation for paint damage done to his vehicle by a Bell employee, following a months-long legal battle with the telecom giant.
About seven months ago, David Rooney received a car wash he never asked for.
The high-pressure water excavator the Bell employee used did the job a little too well and left in Rooney $1,500 in the hole for paint repairs to his 2012 Hyundai Genesis.
It was an honest mistake. The employee splashed some mud on Rooney’s car and used the high-powered earth-boring tool to try and gently wash away the mess.
“There was quite a wash of water, probably 10 feet high,” said Rooney.
“So I came up to find that he’s washing my car and asked him to stop immediately.”
Rooney assumed that receiving compensation for the damage would be simple, especially considering that the employee admitted he was at fault.
Bell had other plans, however, as Rooney was dragged into a legal battle with the company and Super Sucker Hydro Vac Service; the company hired on Bell’s behalf.
Telecommunications companies often have the right in Canada to enter onto a person’s property in order to carry out maintenance deemed essential.
However, according to John Lawford, the executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, often when damage is done on such visits, the victim is often out of luck when it comes to receiving compensation.
“There’s a very low likelihood of getting any money back if the company or the telco resists paying you…chances are you’re going to get nothing [or] face a legal battle if you want to fight it,” said Lawford.
Cases like Rooney’s have arisen a discussion in Canada regarding telecom companies, their access to your property and the procedure should damage occur, with some individuals posting signs that deny access to workers.
