We just moved down to Santo Domingo about a week and a half ago, to begin a two year teaching contract. We bought a car from teachers who were leaving town, which ran great despite it's age (1993) for the 4 days that we got to drive it. Then one day we took it to a mechanic to check it over and to repair the air conditioning. He replaced the seal on the AC compressor and replaced the filter, but when we drove it that evening, it suddenly caught on fire after just 5 minutes on the road. We were unable to put the fire out ourselves and by the time the Bombero arrived, the car was totaled. We inherited insurance from the previous owners, but it was only liability and will not cover this. The mechanic refuses to compensate us at all, because we cannot PROVE that his work caused the fire because the whole engine is now burned (although it was quite clear to us that it began with the AC unit). We're thankful that no one was hurt, but we're so frustrated and unsure of what to do next. Is there anyone in the city who would specialize in determing a fire's cause? If we have proof, perhaps we could make a case. Also, are lawyer's fees really expensive? We hate to think we are just losing all the $$ we put into this car, which would have been a great car!! It was kind of a rough start in a new country!
Thanks so much for any advice.
K and J
Thanks so much for any advice.
K and J
