A Fort Nelson man says the city should cover the cost of repairing his car after he struck a sign warning of a gravel patch on the road after it had fallen over.
Mike Irwin said he was passing through Prince George on May 27, a Wednesday, when, at about 4:30 p.m., he hit the downed sign while driving along Queensway near Hudson Bay Slough.
"There was the sun and shade and I didn't see it until it was too late and now I'm into some serious damage on my car," Irwin said. "My front bumper has to be replaced."
When he took his complaint to city hall, Irwin was rebuffed.
In a reply, city risk and procurement manager Ray Borgia said he spoke with the utilities water foreman and was told his crew drives by the location a few times a day and if the sign was ever down, members would put it back in place.
On the day of the collision, the foreman drove by the spot earlier in the day and the sign was in place, Borgia said.
Moreover, Borgia said the city did not receive any calls reporting a sign was down.
"Unfortunately, the city cannot control the actions of others who may interfere with the signage," Borgia said.
Irwin has filed a claim with ICBC but must pay a $1,000 deductible.
ICBC spokesperson Michelle Hargrave declined to speak to Irwin's claim specifically but said customers can try to recover the cost of their deductibles from third parties if they believe there has been negligence.
"ICBC also has the right, but not an obligation, to try and recover our own costs (and potentially our customer's deductible) if we think there has been negligence on behalf of a third party," she said.
Irwin said Tuesday that his ICBC adjuster is looking into the possibility of going after the city for the cost of the damage, including his deductible.
