Row over blown up Merc

2003-07-10 22:17

Johannesburg - A Gauteng motorist filed a lawsuit in the Johannesburg Claims Court on Thursday against a petrol station after his Mercedes Benz overheated because an attendant allegedly failed to replace the radiator cap.

According to documents lodged before Magistrate Henro Du Plessis, businessman John Hallberg stopped at Glenanda Motors on March 25, 2000. He alleges he asked the petrol attendant to "pump the tyres, fill the tank and check oil and water".

Hallberg said the car's engine suffered extensive damage after he left the garage because the radiator cap had not been replaced. He is claiming over R15 000 for engine repair and legal costs from the garage owner.

Defending the claim, Glenanda Motors submitted a written reply saying a notice prominently displayed in the garage forecourt requested clients to check that all caps had been properly replaced before leaving.

The defence also says Hallberg must have ignored the dashboard warning light and temperature gauge for the car to have sustained the degree of damage claimed.

Du Plessis postponed the claim for the two parties to hold discussions.

- SAPA