GAO Employee's Claim for Damage to Personal Automobile

Questions were raised concerning a GAO employee's claim for damages to his personal automobile from a collision that occurred while commuting to an audit site. It was determined that: (1) the damage to the vehicle occurred primarily as the result of the claimant's employment with GAO, since he was directed to use his own car for commuting to the audit site; (2) the claimant should first make a good faith effort to recover the value of the damaged property from the driver who rear-ended him or other-third party who may have been liable; (3) if liability rested with such a third party, failure to make prompt and proper demand for compensation from that party could reduce or preclude reimbursement under GAO regulations; and (4) if such efforts fail, the claimant could be reimbursed for the damages, since there was no evidence that the damages were caused by his negligence.