Can i hold midas responsible.....?

[Jake Abramson <BMW@xxxxxxxx>]

While doing 70 up the 605 freeway yesterday in my '84 318i auto, i suddenly
heard a loud scraping noise, and i knew exactly what it was, an exhaust
component.  Being in the fast lane, during rush hour traffic it took me
about a mile to get over to the side of the freeway, unfortuately about 2
lanes from the shoulder the whole thing flew off, basically from where it
drops out of the bottom of the engine and all the way back, catalytic
converter, muffler, and all, quite a site watching that thing flying away
behind me on the freeway.  I figured it was hopeless and lost, and if not
flat so i limpted the car home at 30 miles an hour for about 15 miles.
Having to continue the trip i was originally going to take, i took the same
route 2 hours later, and stuck in bumber to bumber traffic, i managed to
find the whole assembly intacted, and with a few minor scrapes.  Here are
my questions, 12) did i do any damage driving the car the 15 miles home @
30 MPH @ low RPM's, i mean is basically a straight pipe out of the engine.
2) can i hold midas responsible.  They put in the muffler with a lifetime
warranty, and they probably put in the catalytic converter too.  The
warranty came with the car, but because the car stayed in the family the
name is the same, so it's still valid, hehe, although i have no idea when
it was done, haven't had a chance to look at reciepts.  I was lookign at
was was left of the mounts on the exhaust system, and compared them to what
the bentely manual says.  Midas basically welded it at the front, 1/2"
piece of wire at the muffler, and a clip in the middle.  What the bentley
manual shows is comletely differant.  Looks like their design should
survive the next world war.  Can i hold them responsible for improperly
mounting the system.  Looks like if it was properly fastened on, even if it
had come undone where it did, shoudl have supported itself, and probably
not even have been dragging on the ground, but with the mias design, it
broke off, hit the ground, and pushed back on the whole system, sliding
this clip off, and probably then only being held in with this 1/2" piece of
wire, which probably just popped off.  Lookign at the car now, there is no
sign of any type of mounts left.  So what are my options.  Please reply
directly to me @ BMW@domain.elided, thanks.

- -jake

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