My son, who’s six, fell against a car while riding his bike and scratched it. Now the owners have come to me with a bill for £440! Do I have to pay this?
You are not responsible for damage caused by your son unless you were partly to blame, for example if you had allowed him to ride your own bike which was much too big for him. The owners of the car could attempt to sue your son in the County Court, but unless he has a healthy bank account it’s unlikely that he would be able to pay any judgement awarded against him. If the damage really cost £440 to repair and you felt a moral obligation to the car owners, it’s possible that your domestic insurance will cover you for accidental damage caused by members of your family.