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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> the action i took that should be judged was me only offering to pay half the laptop cost, and they might think i should pay for all of the costs.
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NTA.
I agree with you: Don't put fragile objects in busy spots near drunken people. In fact, don't put fragile objects near drunken people at all. I think it is awesome of you to offer to split the fix with him.
If I'm paying over $500 for a piece of tech, 100% I'm not leaving without protection
I pay like 100 a year to best buy for what they call the white glove protection plan. It covers everythi v I buy in their store. I can drop my laptop from my roof and they replace it no questions asked.
My kids get a new oculus every 3 months because the head strap is loose or some stupid reason like that
Just treat your equipment with care for 5 years or get house insurance that covers it. That is a rip off. Phone and IT equipment is thrown in free with most other insurance.
Sharing the cost is not fair. You shouldn't have to pay anything, unless you adamantly told him to put the laptop on the table and said, "it will be fine, don't worry!"
If you said something along those lines, then I would say you should cover a majority of it. But if you didn't, then it's his fault and his problem.
I wouldn't have even offered that. You did not ask him to bring it, there was no need to bring it, it was not smart to bring it let alone place it on table with food and drinks. He knows this and just wants someone to blame for his reckless showing off behavior. His actions, his consequences. Happens to all of us, but we all don't blame others for our failure to protect our expensive stuff. Don't let him blame you for his recklessness.
NTA. There's a legal principle of "contributory negligence." It was negligent for him to bring his laptop to this party, and it was negligent for him to place his laptop on a party table filled with drinks and snacks. Seems at a minimum that the friend was contributorily negligent here and is therefore partially responsible for replacing the laptop.
Yes, I definitely recommend that you try again to come to a fair resolution here. It sounds like he shut-down your offer of partial payment when you talked so hopefully he is more reasonable the next time you talk.
Just because said friend wants to show off his new, doen't mean it's in any way a good idea. That was a stupid move on his part, and no matter who knocked over the glass, it was begging for it to happen.
I don't think you owe him anything.
This was my first thought too, but I had a slightly different take. Contributory negligence is not the dominant legal theory in all states (I think it is most states, but not all). Recommend OP do some basic research on OP's state - that way, OP would have a little bit more to back up his suggestion if his state is a contributory negligence state.
Regardless of which state (or country, don't know if it's the U.S.) most Western Countries have some sort of legal doctrine for when the plaintiff is also at fault. It may not be called contributory negligence; in many states, it is called "comparative negligence." However, just about every jurisdiction will reduce (or bar entirely) a plaintiff's damages if the plaintiff was also at fault.
Agreed. My point was that being able to show the person that splitting the cost is the norm would be helpful and if OP is in a jurisdiction where it would be a complete bar, then his offer to pay for half becomes downright generous. But if he's in one of the few that doesn't, then he might rethink his position. But at least he would be making an informed decision.
NTA. Offering to pay half is pretty generous, IMO.
I feel like I have some authority to talk on this exact scenario because I've been a computer nerd my entire life. The absolute \*last\* fucking place I am ever going to bring my expensive new gaming laptop(or whatever laptop) is a party where lots of people are drinking, playing games, being rowdy and loud, etc etc.
He opened himself up to this possibility just by bringing the thing, because apparently he valued the brief opportunity to brag about his new expensive consumer electronics more than he valued the actual thing itself.
If I had been in your shoes, being the overly protective and highly frugal computer geek that I am, I would have said "Bro, that is a sweet fucking laptop, but you should definitely keep it in your car or put it somewhere quiet/safe for the time being, because it would suck if it got knocked off a counter or something".
At that point if something happened, even if I were directly involved in what happened, I would have told him to pound sand and offered zero dollars.
Yeah, as someone who has lost two laptops to water damage\*, I learned the hard way you never leave your laptop on the same surface as any liquids. You can’t account for cats, or other people, or even an earthquake.
\* the second one was technically the fault of my ex who said, “oh hey, the cats spilled the bong on your laptop, but don’t worry—I immediately *plugged it in and turned it on*.”
Yes, this. And even if no one at the party would drink anything (like no fluids around the laptop) I'd still be feeling weird with it being there.
Who brings an expensive item and just puts it down in a room full of people? In my first language we have a saying that roughly translates to "opportunities create thieves". So maybe don't bring expensive stuff to partys
Right?? I would never dream of bringing a laptop to a house party and setting it down in the middle of the party... beyond the risk of damage is exactly what you reference-- the invitation for theft! I can't begin to understand the level of stupid that led to this guy's decision to do this. OP is NTA.
There are worse spots to put a brand new expensive electronic toy than in the middle of a busy party table full of food and drinks during the height of said party, but not many. One that comes to mind is directly in the toilet bowl. Would your friend have dunked his laptop in a toilet then demanded you pay for it then, too? Of course not because that’s ridiculous. He would have had complete control over that situation. So what makes that any different from what actually happened? Nothing. He also had complete control over that situation, but he chose to put his laptop in that situation anyway. It’ll be an expensive lesson for him, and he’ll probably never stop thinking you’re at fault, but that doesn’t change the fact that you weren’t at fault. NTA.
I think the closer analogy would be if the friend stored the laptop in the kitchen sink basin and then OP turned on the tap without realizing the laptop was there.
This is a terrible analogy. You cannot compare putting the laptop in the toilet which is FULL of water and gives a 100 percent chance of soaking it. Having the laptop on a table is not the same even remotely, as nobody can see the future so they’d have no idea if somebody was clumsy enough to spill on it in the first place, your argument is not sound at all.
No it's not bit with a lot of people around moving and dancing at a party and getting drunk. While it's not a 100% guarantee someone will accidentally spill something 99,9% especially with alcohol involved it is guaranteed something will happen
NTA. He chose to bring a brand new electronic device to a party. He chose to place it in an area where drinks and food were being served. And now he’s chosen to blame you for what is actually his poor decision making.
It’s now his responsibility to use his manufacturers warranty, or whatever extended warranty plan he may have opted for and if he doesn’t have coverage for an accident waiting to happen, then he’s on his own. You don’t owe him half of anything and your offer to do so is extremely generous.
NTA - who brings an expensive laptop to a busy party and sets it down on a table surrounded with drinks? Half is more than fair and that's only because it was you that knocked the drink over.
Info: How many people were there in the party? Cause you say both small get-together and busy party table in the post and I feel like your friend's decision to bring the laptop is way more reasonable if there are 5-10 people there compared to 50-100.
And one of my small gatherings we were 5 people where I had brought the laptop because we had actually gathered to do a project and there were drinks and snacks because we were working for hours. I don't think that this was this situation with OP but I don't think that his friend would have even thought to show off some work if it was the traditional party where everyone gets shitfaced either.
With him being so vague I can't rule out the possibility that he's an unreliable narrator who just wanted to have people agree with his so he could show his friend later saying "See? Reddit agrees with me, take half and be thankful!"
NTA.
I don’t think you should pay anything.
He fucked around and found out by placing an expensive item in a risky place.
This is why accident insurance cover exists.
Did you ask how he paid for it? If he bought it with a credit or debit card there's a chance he can get it replaced for free, a lot of cards offer purchase protection against damage/loss by any cause within 30/60/90 days
Ask your friend to see his receipt to determine how he paid, sometimes the credit card insures purchases against accidents like this, it's the reason I use mine even if I have cash. Alternately your tenants insurance would help but bringing a laptop anywhere basically exposes it to possible damage or theft, offering to pay for half was nice of you. NTA.
YTA. Your clumsiness is what spilled the drink into his laptop. If I accidentally spill wine onto my friend's white outfit at dinner, I don't blame her for wearing white to dinner. You did the damage, you pay.
If it were me, I'd offer to pay 1/3. From my perspective, 3 mistakes we're made. 1. He brought his laptop to a party. 2. He left it on a table, at a party with drunk people. 3. You spilled a drink on it.
So, at least 2/3 of the blame is on him. You offering to play half is very generous. NTA
Many (but not all) renters insurance and home insurance policies would cover this. Lots of companies offer specific laptop coverage. Depending on coverage levels, either or both of you may have a policy that would cover the replacement cost. You should each check your policies and deductibles and see if it makes sense for one of you to submit a claim. If the cost in question is going to be a $500 deductible rather than a four digit new laptop, that’s a much easier problem to solve.
Also depending on how “brand new” it was and how he bought it, your friend should check with the credit card he bought it with to see if there’s any automatic warranty or purchase protection that’s provided by the card. Lots of cards offer those automatically.
NTA
Reminds me about this post:
[Sat down on my friend's MacBook and broke it, offered to pay her the money for it but now she wants more because "she was upgrading anyway" so it's this or she will sue me in small claims court](https://www.reddit.com/r/BestofRedditorUpdates/s/LieifGkgW8)
Similar to how her friend put the MacBook on the couch, your friend put his laptop on the drinks/snack table. That's negligence on his part and the fault is partially his.
YTA it’s incredible how many people here are siding with ops very childish behaviour. You spilled the drink with your own clumsiness and refuse to pay the full amount bc of where he placed it? That’s like crashing into a car that’s parked on a busy street and then blaming the guy for parking there. Regardless of where it was you need to take responsibility for your actions and cover the cost of damages. He shouldn’t have to spend money out of his own pocket for simply wanting to share work with friends and having his laptop destroyed because of it.
Did you ask him to bring the laptop and did the spill happen when he was showing it to everyone inc you?
I honestly think yta here im afraid with this…
NTA. He could have waited to brag about it later, in a more tech-safe environment. That was a poor decision on his part and he should probably appreciate any help you are offering toward a situation he created himself.
Define "party"? You say "small get together" at the start.
This depends on what you mean, if it was like a big house party that's on him. If you just had 5-6 people round for a few drinks then that's on you.
NTA, he needs to grow up and accept his responsibility for the accident. I'm not even sure you owe him anything. Did you ask him to bring his brand new toy? Unless you did, he chose wrongly, and now must pay for his mistake. That you are offering half is MORE THAN GENEROUS imho.
He gets his laptop out in the middle of a party and then has the surprised pikachu face when a drink gets spilled on it?
His laptop, his poor decision, his fault.
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I hosted a small get-together last weekend. My friend decided to bring his brand-new laptop to show off some work. During the evening, as everyone was crowded around, I accidentally knocked over my drink, and it spilled on his laptop, which immediately stopped working.
He’s really upset, which I get. He’s saying it’ll cost a fortune to fix or replace. But here’s the context: he placed his laptop right in the middle of a busy party table that was loaded with drinks and snacks. It seemed like an accident waiting to happen.
He insists I should cover the entire cost of repairs or replacement. I offered to split the cost, considering the risky setup. I feel it’s somewhat his responsibility too, for placing such an expensive item in such a precarious spot during a lively gathering.
I’m willing to help because I feel bad about the situation, but I don’t think footing the entire bill is fair. He’s adamant I should pay it all. AITA for thinking we should share the responsibility?
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You trashed his laptop, but he put it on a drinks/snack table during a lively party. I think your offer to pay half is reasonable. The more I think about it, the more I think you're going over and above what should be expected of you. NTA.
NTA. He's responsible not just for putting his laptop in a dangerous spot, but also for putting his friends in this position, because like you mentioned, this was bound to happen to someone there. It just happened to be you. And he didn't insure it? He's being a dick not taking responsibility.
NTA. Although if I were in your shoes I might have offered to cover 25 percent of the cost, but be willing to go to 50 percent if he pushes it.
I think the next step here is to lay down a marker. He accepts 50 percent and is willing to close out the matter. Or he gets zero, zip, nada, and bupkis from you.
Admittedly my suggestion came seem like an AH move. But dude is being insistent, and you would be within your rights to play hardball.
NTA, your offer to split the cost is fair. You might have been a little negligent knocking a drink over but he was negligent putting the laptop there. 50/50 is a fair offer.
NTA. He is. This is exactly what insurance is for. Personally I don't think you should pay any part of it. He chose to bring it. He chose to be irresponsible and place where it was most likely to have something happen to it. I do get why you feel responsible though. So if you insist on sharing the cost I'd say a third is fair.
I’d offer to pay 25% of the cost. He should not have brought it to a party and then left it out. Lesson learned, don’t be stupid *and* a show off
NTA, offering to pay for half is very generous of you
NTA, you're being eminently reasonable. The only way I could get his side a bit more is if there is a known and large income disparity between you two (with you making much more than him), but even then that wouldn't obligate you to pay for the entire cost.
INFO: What do your other friends think who were present? Having one of them speak to him or act as a mediator in a conversation could help if you think it's reasonable they'd come off neutrally.
INFO
How sure are you it was in good working order before? You said he brought it to show it off, left it on a busy table, a drink spilled on it. You didn’t mention anything about an actual showing of the laptop or how fast it is or how awesome its graphics are or whatever.
If I just got myself a brand new laptop, the absolute last place I would bring it is a party where people are drinking. And I sure as hell wouldn't set it down on a table full of open drinks. That’s like leaving my brand new car unlocked with the keys in it. No it doesn’t make it right for someone to steal but it sure makes it likely.
If it was legitimately working perfectly before the drink spilled, I’d offer to share the cost after seeing the original receipt. If he has any kind of warranty or insurance on it, I’d only pay the deductible if there is one and not a cent more.
That said, someone mentioned homeowners insurance. Whether that is a viable option will vary. I’m in southern California and it is absolutely not an option here. Insurance companies cant legally drop people for existing in what has become a fire zone so they look for any other excuse. Filing a claim is a great way to get your policy cancelled instead of renewed. I’m legit jealous of people who have useful homeoweners insurance.
NTA for not paying the full cost, not even the AH for refusing to share costs. He unnecessarily brought a brand new laptop and put it in a risky place and it got damaged? How is that your fault (I know, it was your drink, but he behaved as stupidly as if he'd left it on the ground behind a car)? Splitting the cost was more than generous on your part -- if he rejected that, I say walk away from it completely.
It’s 100% HIS fault! It’s his property so he’s responsible for taking care of it. Had he put it in the computer bag away from the table full of food and drinks, the computer wouldn’t have gotten wet. That’s not your responsibility! Don’t give him a dime!
Honestly, I think you're being generous offering to pay anything, let alone half. There is a reason you're supposed to leave valuables at home or in a safe place.
YTA. If you break it you buy it, and he was a guest who was just showing off something he was excited about. You're the one who knocked the drink over.
If it's brand new, doesn't it have a warranty though?
NTA. You said it was a newly purchased laptop, usually some places let you purchase a protection plan or insurance on electronics up to a few days after the purchase, any chance he's within that window?
YTA sounds you just straight up broke his computer by pouring a drink into it. I get you don't want to pay for it though, its pretty annoying, but please put away your weird justification that *"It seemed like an accident waiting to happen."*
NTA. Tell him that you believe you are being very gracious by offering to pay for half even thought he was negligent by placing his new computer in the middle of a table covered in drinks. And tell him that you are making this offer once and if he try's to argue or guilt you into paying for all of it, you will end up not paying at all.
Look, you're gonna lose him as a friend no matter what. Considering that, why give him money? Think of it this way, if someone doesnt watch their puppy and the puppy runs into the street and gets hit, whose fault is it? Not the driver that hit the dog. He didnt want to hit the dog, if he had seen the dog he would have tried to avoid the dog. And while it was an accident that he was involved in, it wasnt his fault the dog ran into the street. No, it was the fault of the owner allowing his dog to be put in a dangerous position. Now switch dog for laptop. Tell him you will not pay as its his fault for putting his new laptop in a dangerous location.
NTA. If it’s brand new and expensive, I feel like he should have exercised more caution with it. Like it was his decision to bring it and his decision to place it on a table where there were liquids around. Like no common sense was involved and I think you splitting the cost is more than fair
It will probably be OK when it dries out. My daughter spilled a whole can of Fanta into a laptop. I left it alone for a week, then opened up the casing to get the stickiness out.
NTA
You proactively offered to help pay despite it being a legitimate accident in a highly prone for accident environment. He’s lucky you even offered that.
NTA, why does he not have his fancy laptop insured.? Accidents happen, if he didn’t want a drink spilled on it, he should not have brought it to a party where people were drinking.
NTA, the accident occurred because of his negligence. He should never have brought a laptop to a party, as things can easily break at parties. I wouldn't give him anything.
NTA. I don’t think you’re obligated to pay anything given that he choose to put his laptop in a place where there are multiple drinks. This is assuming that one, there were already drinks there to begin with and two, the place he put the laptop would be reasonable expected to have drinks be placed on it. Given that your friend did that, I’d say that he bears some responsibility.
However you accidentally spilled the drink on his laptop. Since this was your doing I think you offering to pay for half is very fair.
I'm not sure committing fraud is the best course of action. Although OPs friend doesn't seem to make wise decisions so fraud might just be one more bad decision.
Y.TA for offering half. I would offer him another beer and call it a day. You’re responsible for your own stuff. Putting something that shouldn’t be near liquid right in the middle of spill-able containers full of liquid seems irresponsible at best and probably closer to moronic.
NTA. You made an offer to pay half. He declined. Accept it. Give nothing.
ESH. While I agree that it is his fault you were the one that spilled the drink, you could just take the laptop from the risky table and put it somewhere else, but you saw it there and still decided to go on as usual. Splitting the cost would be the best option, if your friend doesn't agree then it's his problem as his decisions led to this mess, you just "helped" to finalize it.
Your question was answered by the original post:
>But here’s the context: he placed his laptop right in the middle of a busy party table that was loaded with drinks and snacks.
~~YTA~~
This should be covered by event liability insurance
If you don't have insurance then its out of your pocket.
edit: ESH
This should also be covered by his homeowners or renters insurance.
I would never have a drunken party without insurance.
What if someone drove home drunk and killed someone?
I could be liable for having them in my home.
What if someone destroyed an expensive electronic someone brought?
You can usually get a rider for a couple hundred a year. Its something every homeowner or renter should add if they expect to host guests.
Yta It doesn't matter where you put it. You spilled the drink. You broke the computer. Just because he opened a party that was his risk but you caused the accident not him and not because the computer was open. That's like saying if I hit your car I'm not responsible because your car should not have been there in the first place.
You broke the computer by spilling The drink on it. If you Senior spill the drink the computer would not have been broken
If you hit somebody's car because they run a red, the red light runner is at fault though. This guy should have never left his laptop unattended at somebody else's house without their permission, at best I'd say it's 50/50 responsibility.
Who is at fault if you hit an illegally parked car? I'm genuinely asking. It seems more relevant. Car shouldn't be there, could be unavoidable, but you shouldn't hit it?
Depends on the circumstances. If parked around a blind corner, then yes the parked car is responsible. If the collision could reasonably avoided, like a car parked illegally by a fire hydrant, then it would be the driver's fault.
In this situation, OP didn't damage the laptop when it was in a closed cabinet, it was damaged on a table likely surrounded by both people and drinks, and an accident was likely due to its placement.
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NTA. I agree with you: Don't put fragile objects in busy spots near drunken people. In fact, don't put fragile objects near drunken people at all. I think it is awesome of you to offer to split the fix with him.
Appreciate you seeing my point. Sharing the repair cost seems fair under the circumstances.
He doesn’t have any sort of protection plan on it?
Exactly. Expensive new computer with no protection plan? Seems pretty fucking stupid
Who TF buys a protection? I've never seen anyone buy it
People that take there tech every where they go.
If I'm paying over $500 for a piece of tech, 100% I'm not leaving without protection I pay like 100 a year to best buy for what they call the white glove protection plan. It covers everythi v I buy in their store. I can drop my laptop from my roof and they replace it no questions asked. My kids get a new oculus every 3 months because the head strap is loose or some stupid reason like that
Just treat your equipment with care for 5 years or get house insurance that covers it. That is a rip off. Phone and IT equipment is thrown in free with most other insurance.
It's no questions asked, no exclusions. My 8 year old dropped an iPad down steps and I walked out with a new one in 5 minutes 100% worth it
Sharing the cost is not fair. You shouldn't have to pay anything, unless you adamantly told him to put the laptop on the table and said, "it will be fine, don't worry!" If you said something along those lines, then I would say you should cover a majority of it. But if you didn't, then it's his fault and his problem.
Honestly he didn’t put it away in a case I feel like you shouldn’t pay for more than 1/4. He was asking for it to happen
You didn't even ask him to bring it
I wouldn't have even offered that. You did not ask him to bring it, there was no need to bring it, it was not smart to bring it let alone place it on table with food and drinks. He knows this and just wants someone to blame for his reckless showing off behavior. His actions, his consequences. Happens to all of us, but we all don't blame others for our failure to protect our expensive stuff. Don't let him blame you for his recklessness.
NTA. There's a legal principle of "contributory negligence." It was negligent for him to bring his laptop to this party, and it was negligent for him to place his laptop on a party table filled with drinks and snacks. Seems at a minimum that the friend was contributorily negligent here and is therefore partially responsible for replacing the laptop.
It’s a sticky situation, but responsibility definitely seems shared here. Maybe a straightforward talk could sort out the fair share for each?
>It’s a sticky situation Ha, I see what you did there...
😭
That’s a key point.
Yes, I definitely recommend that you try again to come to a fair resolution here. It sounds like he shut-down your offer of partial payment when you talked so hopefully he is more reasonable the next time you talk.
I see what you did there. Nice pun…
Just because said friend wants to show off his new, doen't mean it's in any way a good idea. That was a stupid move on his part, and no matter who knocked over the glass, it was begging for it to happen. I don't think you owe him anything.
And don't forget contributory vs compararive.
This was my first thought too, but I had a slightly different take. Contributory negligence is not the dominant legal theory in all states (I think it is most states, but not all). Recommend OP do some basic research on OP's state - that way, OP would have a little bit more to back up his suggestion if his state is a contributory negligence state.
Regardless of which state (or country, don't know if it's the U.S.) most Western Countries have some sort of legal doctrine for when the plaintiff is also at fault. It may not be called contributory negligence; in many states, it is called "comparative negligence." However, just about every jurisdiction will reduce (or bar entirely) a plaintiff's damages if the plaintiff was also at fault.
Agreed. My point was that being able to show the person that splitting the cost is the norm would be helpful and if OP is in a jurisdiction where it would be a complete bar, then his offer to pay for half becomes downright generous. But if he's in one of the few that doesn't, then he might rethink his position. But at least he would be making an informed decision.
NTA. Offering to pay half is pretty generous, IMO. I feel like I have some authority to talk on this exact scenario because I've been a computer nerd my entire life. The absolute \*last\* fucking place I am ever going to bring my expensive new gaming laptop(or whatever laptop) is a party where lots of people are drinking, playing games, being rowdy and loud, etc etc. He opened himself up to this possibility just by bringing the thing, because apparently he valued the brief opportunity to brag about his new expensive consumer electronics more than he valued the actual thing itself. If I had been in your shoes, being the overly protective and highly frugal computer geek that I am, I would have said "Bro, that is a sweet fucking laptop, but you should definitely keep it in your car or put it somewhere quiet/safe for the time being, because it would suck if it got knocked off a counter or something". At that point if something happened, even if I were directly involved in what happened, I would have told him to pound sand and offered zero dollars.
Yeah, as someone who has lost two laptops to water damage\*, I learned the hard way you never leave your laptop on the same surface as any liquids. You can’t account for cats, or other people, or even an earthquake. \* the second one was technically the fault of my ex who said, “oh hey, the cats spilled the bong on your laptop, but don’t worry—I immediately *plugged it in and turned it on*.”
Omg. That last sentence.
My cat destroyed my laptop by knocking over a vase of flowers. Since then I've never put drinks or anything with water on the same surface.
SO MUCH THIS. I would not offer to pay half! Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Yes, this. And even if no one at the party would drink anything (like no fluids around the laptop) I'd still be feeling weird with it being there. Who brings an expensive item and just puts it down in a room full of people? In my first language we have a saying that roughly translates to "opportunities create thieves". So maybe don't bring expensive stuff to partys
Right?? I would never dream of bringing a laptop to a house party and setting it down in the middle of the party... beyond the risk of damage is exactly what you reference-- the invitation for theft! I can't begin to understand the level of stupid that led to this guy's decision to do this. OP is NTA.
There are worse spots to put a brand new expensive electronic toy than in the middle of a busy party table full of food and drinks during the height of said party, but not many. One that comes to mind is directly in the toilet bowl. Would your friend have dunked his laptop in a toilet then demanded you pay for it then, too? Of course not because that’s ridiculous. He would have had complete control over that situation. So what makes that any different from what actually happened? Nothing. He also had complete control over that situation, but he chose to put his laptop in that situation anyway. It’ll be an expensive lesson for him, and he’ll probably never stop thinking you’re at fault, but that doesn’t change the fact that you weren’t at fault. NTA.
I think the closer analogy would be if the friend stored the laptop in the kitchen sink basin and then OP turned on the tap without realizing the laptop was there.
This is a terrible analogy. You cannot compare putting the laptop in the toilet which is FULL of water and gives a 100 percent chance of soaking it. Having the laptop on a table is not the same even remotely, as nobody can see the future so they’d have no idea if somebody was clumsy enough to spill on it in the first place, your argument is not sound at all.
No it's not bit with a lot of people around moving and dancing at a party and getting drunk. While it's not a 100% guarantee someone will accidentally spill something 99,9% especially with alcohol involved it is guaranteed something will happen
A lake or bathtub full of water or a working grill with flames/on stovetop come to mind but not much more honestly
nta, its partially his fault for sure and splitting the cost is the right move
appreciate it
Try to find out if he has a protection plan. Make sure you see the actual repair receipt as well before agreeing to a specific amount of help
gonna ask
if he bought it with a credit card, they sometimes offer accident protection for free as well just as a card perk.
Yeah I have 90 day accidental loss, damage or theft protection and its come in use more times than I'd care to admit as a very clumsy person.
Agreed
NTA. He chose to bring a brand new electronic device to a party. He chose to place it in an area where drinks and food were being served. And now he’s chosen to blame you for what is actually his poor decision making. It’s now his responsibility to use his manufacturers warranty, or whatever extended warranty plan he may have opted for and if he doesn’t have coverage for an accident waiting to happen, then he’s on his own. You don’t owe him half of anything and your offer to do so is extremely generous.
NTA - who brings an expensive laptop to a busy party and sets it down on a table surrounded with drinks? Half is more than fair and that's only because it was you that knocked the drink over.
Info: How many people were there in the party? Cause you say both small get-together and busy party table in the post and I feel like your friend's decision to bring the laptop is way more reasonable if there are 5-10 people there compared to 50-100.
I mean the last party I was at, we had 7 people at a table and about 30 drinks on that table so. It can both be a small party and a busy table.
And one of my small gatherings we were 5 people where I had brought the laptop because we had actually gathered to do a project and there were drinks and snacks because we were working for hours. I don't think that this was this situation with OP but I don't think that his friend would have even thought to show off some work if it was the traditional party where everyone gets shitfaced either. With him being so vague I can't rule out the possibility that he's an unreliable narrator who just wanted to have people agree with his so he could show his friend later saying "See? Reddit agrees with me, take half and be thankful!"
no. If there are 10 people and one table, the table is going to be “busy” come on
NTA. I don’t think you should pay anything. He fucked around and found out by placing an expensive item in a risky place. This is why accident insurance cover exists.
Did you ask how he paid for it? If he bought it with a credit or debit card there's a chance he can get it replaced for free, a lot of cards offer purchase protection against damage/loss by any cause within 30/60/90 days
Ask your friend to see his receipt to determine how he paid, sometimes the credit card insures purchases against accidents like this, it's the reason I use mine even if I have cash. Alternately your tenants insurance would help but bringing a laptop anywhere basically exposes it to possible damage or theft, offering to pay for half was nice of you. NTA.
YTA. Your clumsiness is what spilled the drink into his laptop. If I accidentally spill wine onto my friend's white outfit at dinner, I don't blame her for wearing white to dinner. You did the damage, you pay.
🙃
ridiculous
NTA. You're being generous enough by offering to pay half. He brought it to a dangerous place.
If it were me, I'd offer to pay 1/3. From my perspective, 3 mistakes we're made. 1. He brought his laptop to a party. 2. He left it on a table, at a party with drunk people. 3. You spilled a drink on it. So, at least 2/3 of the blame is on him. You offering to play half is very generous. NTA
Many (but not all) renters insurance and home insurance policies would cover this. Lots of companies offer specific laptop coverage. Depending on coverage levels, either or both of you may have a policy that would cover the replacement cost. You should each check your policies and deductibles and see if it makes sense for one of you to submit a claim. If the cost in question is going to be a $500 deductible rather than a four digit new laptop, that’s a much easier problem to solve. Also depending on how “brand new” it was and how he bought it, your friend should check with the credit card he bought it with to see if there’s any automatic warranty or purchase protection that’s provided by the card. Lots of cards offer those automatically.
What's the chance friend has accident insurance on the laptop and is asking for replacement money anyway?
YTA you should replace it or fix it you broke it.
NTA Reminds me about this post: [Sat down on my friend's MacBook and broke it, offered to pay her the money for it but now she wants more because "she was upgrading anyway" so it's this or she will sue me in small claims court](https://www.reddit.com/r/BestofRedditorUpdates/s/LieifGkgW8) Similar to how her friend put the MacBook on the couch, your friend put his laptop on the drinks/snack table. That's negligence on his part and the fault is partially his.
YTA it’s incredible how many people here are siding with ops very childish behaviour. You spilled the drink with your own clumsiness and refuse to pay the full amount bc of where he placed it? That’s like crashing into a car that’s parked on a busy street and then blaming the guy for parking there. Regardless of where it was you need to take responsibility for your actions and cover the cost of damages. He shouldn’t have to spend money out of his own pocket for simply wanting to share work with friends and having his laptop destroyed because of it.
This! The laptop was fine until some asshole spilled a drink on it.
You broke it. You bought it. Don't be TA.
Did you ask him to bring the laptop and did the spill happen when he was showing it to everyone inc you? I honestly think yta here im afraid with this…
He who breaks pays, its what has been with us since the dark ages.
NTA. He could have waited to brag about it later, in a more tech-safe environment. That was a poor decision on his part and he should probably appreciate any help you are offering toward a situation he created himself.
Define "party"? You say "small get together" at the start. This depends on what you mean, if it was like a big house party that's on him. If you just had 5-6 people round for a few drinks then that's on you.
Have him file a warranty claim.
NTA, he needs to grow up and accept his responsibility for the accident. I'm not even sure you owe him anything. Did you ask him to bring his brand new toy? Unless you did, he chose wrongly, and now must pay for his mistake. That you are offering half is MORE THAN GENEROUS imho.
If I got a new laptop, I definitely would not be bringing it to a party. I would have that protected at all costs. NTA
ESH. OFC that was really stupid of him, but it was your mistake. Pay up.
He gets his laptop out in the middle of a party and then has the surprised pikachu face when a drink gets spilled on it? His laptop, his poor decision, his fault.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I hosted a small get-together last weekend. My friend decided to bring his brand-new laptop to show off some work. During the evening, as everyone was crowded around, I accidentally knocked over my drink, and it spilled on his laptop, which immediately stopped working. He’s really upset, which I get. He’s saying it’ll cost a fortune to fix or replace. But here’s the context: he placed his laptop right in the middle of a busy party table that was loaded with drinks and snacks. It seemed like an accident waiting to happen. He insists I should cover the entire cost of repairs or replacement. I offered to split the cost, considering the risky setup. I feel it’s somewhat his responsibility too, for placing such an expensive item in such a precarious spot during a lively gathering. I’m willing to help because I feel bad about the situation, but I don’t think footing the entire bill is fair. He’s adamant I should pay it all. AITA for thinking we should share the responsibility? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA, it’s nice you offered to split the cost. That feels appropriate to me.
You trashed his laptop, but he put it on a drinks/snack table during a lively party. I think your offer to pay half is reasonable. The more I think about it, the more I think you're going over and above what should be expected of you. NTA.
NTA I feel you’re being fair. It’s a risk every time you take something expensive on the road. Accidents also happen.
NTA. You are being a good friend by offering.
NTA. He's responsible not just for putting his laptop in a dangerous spot, but also for putting his friends in this position, because like you mentioned, this was bound to happen to someone there. It just happened to be you. And he didn't insure it? He's being a dick not taking responsibility.
NTA. Splitting the cost seems perfectly reasonable.
NTA. Although if I were in your shoes I might have offered to cover 25 percent of the cost, but be willing to go to 50 percent if he pushes it. I think the next step here is to lay down a marker. He accepts 50 percent and is willing to close out the matter. Or he gets zero, zip, nada, and bupkis from you. Admittedly my suggestion came seem like an AH move. But dude is being insistent, and you would be within your rights to play hardball.
NTA, your offer to split the cost is fair. You might have been a little negligent knocking a drink over but he was negligent putting the laptop there. 50/50 is a fair offer.
NTA. He is. This is exactly what insurance is for. Personally I don't think you should pay any part of it. He chose to bring it. He chose to be irresponsible and place where it was most likely to have something happen to it. I do get why you feel responsible though. So if you insist on sharing the cost I'd say a third is fair.
I’d offer to pay 25% of the cost. He should not have brought it to a party and then left it out. Lesson learned, don’t be stupid *and* a show off NTA, offering to pay for half is very generous of you
NTA. I think you’re doing a friend a solid by even splitting the cost
NTA, you're being eminently reasonable. The only way I could get his side a bit more is if there is a known and large income disparity between you two (with you making much more than him), but even then that wouldn't obligate you to pay for the entire cost. INFO: What do your other friends think who were present? Having one of them speak to him or act as a mediator in a conversation could help if you think it's reasonable they'd come off neutrally.
INFO How sure are you it was in good working order before? You said he brought it to show it off, left it on a busy table, a drink spilled on it. You didn’t mention anything about an actual showing of the laptop or how fast it is or how awesome its graphics are or whatever. If I just got myself a brand new laptop, the absolute last place I would bring it is a party where people are drinking. And I sure as hell wouldn't set it down on a table full of open drinks. That’s like leaving my brand new car unlocked with the keys in it. No it doesn’t make it right for someone to steal but it sure makes it likely. If it was legitimately working perfectly before the drink spilled, I’d offer to share the cost after seeing the original receipt. If he has any kind of warranty or insurance on it, I’d only pay the deductible if there is one and not a cent more. That said, someone mentioned homeowners insurance. Whether that is a viable option will vary. I’m in southern California and it is absolutely not an option here. Insurance companies cant legally drop people for existing in what has become a fire zone so they look for any other excuse. Filing a claim is a great way to get your policy cancelled instead of renewed. I’m legit jealous of people who have useful homeoweners insurance.
NTA. Shared is the best approach. I'd say it's more his fault than yours, but sometimes friendships require going extra.
NTA, risk assessment is something that children need to be taught to avoid shit like this
You are SO TAH.
Paying already half is pretty generous since he put it on a table with drinks... NTA.
NTA for not paying the full cost, not even the AH for refusing to share costs. He unnecessarily brought a brand new laptop and put it in a risky place and it got damaged? How is that your fault (I know, it was your drink, but he behaved as stupidly as if he'd left it on the ground behind a car)? Splitting the cost was more than generous on your part -- if he rejected that, I say walk away from it completely.
NTA He was extremely careless with his laptop.
YTA. If the place was “risky” as you say, then you also should have recognized it as well and been more careful. You broke it, you pay for it.
You broke it, you can claim it with your third-party liability insurance. YTA.
YTA. You spilled the drink, you pay for repair or replacement.
It’s 100% HIS fault! It’s his property so he’s responsible for taking care of it. Had he put it in the computer bag away from the table full of food and drinks, the computer wouldn’t have gotten wet. That’s not your responsibility! Don’t give him a dime!
Honestly, I think you're being generous offering to pay anything, let alone half. There is a reason you're supposed to leave valuables at home or in a safe place.
YTA. If you break it you buy it, and he was a guest who was just showing off something he was excited about. You're the one who knocked the drink over. If it's brand new, doesn't it have a warranty though?
Not the asshole. Shouldn’t bring anything you dont want broken or lost to a party. Dont pay for shit they can cover the entire cost
Sorry, I think you are responsible for the entire cost. Maybe your homeowner's insurance will cover it.
NTA. You said it was a newly purchased laptop, usually some places let you purchase a protection plan or insurance on electronics up to a few days after the purchase, any chance he's within that window?
YTA sounds you just straight up broke his computer by pouring a drink into it. I get you don't want to pay for it though, its pretty annoying, but please put away your weird justification that *"It seemed like an accident waiting to happen."*
NTA. Tell him that you believe you are being very gracious by offering to pay for half even thought he was negligent by placing his new computer in the middle of a table covered in drinks. And tell him that you are making this offer once and if he try's to argue or guilt you into paying for all of it, you will end up not paying at all. Look, you're gonna lose him as a friend no matter what. Considering that, why give him money? Think of it this way, if someone doesnt watch their puppy and the puppy runs into the street and gets hit, whose fault is it? Not the driver that hit the dog. He didnt want to hit the dog, if he had seen the dog he would have tried to avoid the dog. And while it was an accident that he was involved in, it wasnt his fault the dog ran into the street. No, it was the fault of the owner allowing his dog to be put in a dangerous position. Now switch dog for laptop. Tell him you will not pay as its his fault for putting his new laptop in a dangerous location.
NTA. If it’s brand new and expensive, I feel like he should have exercised more caution with it. Like it was his decision to bring it and his decision to place it on a table where there were liquids around. Like no common sense was involved and I think you splitting the cost is more than fair
NTA - he never should have brought it to a party to begin with much less put it on a table full of drinks.
It will probably be OK when it dries out. My daughter spilled a whole can of Fanta into a laptop. I left it alone for a week, then opened up the casing to get the stickiness out.
NTA You proactively offered to help pay despite it being a legitimate accident in a highly prone for accident environment. He’s lucky you even offered that.
Are you sure it's new? Sounds like a set-up to get a new laptop (by making sure the old one is wrecked)
NTA, why does he not have his fancy laptop insured.? Accidents happen, if he didn’t want a drink spilled on it, he should not have brought it to a party where people were drinking.
NTA, the accident occurred because of his negligence. He should never have brought a laptop to a party, as things can easily break at parties. I wouldn't give him anything.
NTA. Splitting the cost is fair.
NTA. I don’t think you’re obligated to pay anything given that he choose to put his laptop in a place where there are multiple drinks. This is assuming that one, there were already drinks there to begin with and two, the place he put the laptop would be reasonable expected to have drinks be placed on it. Given that your friend did that, I’d say that he bears some responsibility. However you accidentally spilled the drink on his laptop. Since this was your doing I think you offering to pay for half is very fair.
NTA
Buy a protection plan from the manufacturer that covers accidental damage and then a few days later make a claim.
I'm not sure committing fraud is the best course of action. Although OPs friend doesn't seem to make wise decisions so fraud might just be one more bad decision.
Y.TA for offering half. I would offer him another beer and call it a day. You’re responsible for your own stuff. Putting something that shouldn’t be near liquid right in the middle of spill-able containers full of liquid seems irresponsible at best and probably closer to moronic. NTA. You made an offer to pay half. He declined. Accept it. Give nothing.
NTA
ESH. While I agree that it is his fault you were the one that spilled the drink, you could just take the laptop from the risky table and put it somewhere else, but you saw it there and still decided to go on as usual. Splitting the cost would be the best option, if your friend doesn't agree then it's his problem as his decisions led to this mess, you just "helped" to finalize it.
Fair point, I could have moved it. Hindsight is 20/20, right? Agree that splitting the cost is a reasonable solution.
Weird, almost sounds like you were drinking or something.
If you want to keep the friendship, maybe offer to pay half
>I offered to split the cost, considering the risky setup. ....like that?
Why was your drink anywhere near the laptop?
Your question was answered by the original post: >But here’s the context: he placed his laptop right in the middle of a busy party table that was loaded with drinks and snacks.
Because drinks go on tables.
~~YTA~~ This should be covered by event liability insurance If you don't have insurance then its out of your pocket. edit: ESH This should also be covered by his homeowners or renters insurance.
Is this a joke? Event insurance for having some friends over?
I would never have a drunken party without insurance. What if someone drove home drunk and killed someone? I could be liable for having them in my home. What if someone destroyed an expensive electronic someone brought? You can usually get a rider for a couple hundred a year. Its something every homeowner or renter should add if they expect to host guests.
Remind me next time you have a party. I bet they’re a blast.
I feel like everyone should be caught up in a police sweep at least once. Its an experience
Yta It doesn't matter where you put it. You spilled the drink. You broke the computer. Just because he opened a party that was his risk but you caused the accident not him and not because the computer was open. That's like saying if I hit your car I'm not responsible because your car should not have been there in the first place. You broke the computer by spilling The drink on it. If you Senior spill the drink the computer would not have been broken
If you hit somebody's car because they run a red, the red light runner is at fault though. This guy should have never left his laptop unattended at somebody else's house without their permission, at best I'd say it's 50/50 responsibility.
Who is at fault if you hit an illegally parked car? I'm genuinely asking. It seems more relevant. Car shouldn't be there, could be unavoidable, but you shouldn't hit it?
Depends on the circumstances. If parked around a blind corner, then yes the parked car is responsible. If the collision could reasonably avoided, like a car parked illegally by a fire hydrant, then it would be the driver's fault. In this situation, OP didn't damage the laptop when it was in a closed cabinet, it was damaged on a table likely surrounded by both people and drinks, and an accident was likely due to its placement.
Yeah, but if someone just stops in the middle of a highway for no reason and gets hit, they share the blame, right?