Catalina broke my hard drive

When Apple notified me that Catalina was available, and suitable, for my computer I downloaded it. Problems started right away. Took 10 minutes to load up, sometimes didn’t load up and when open took ages to respond to mouse or keyboard. Eventually took it to Apple store for repair. Was told that hard drive couldn’t cope with new software from Catalina and was damaged and would need to be replaced if it could not be repaired. Apple tried to restore previous operating system, High Sierra, but failed. I was told it would cost £192 to replace the hard drive. I complained saying that the damage was caused by downloading Catalina. Apple told me that there could be a problem with upgrading software. I said that if I had been made aware of the possibility then I would not have downloaded Catalina. They have refused to accept any responsibility or blame and I am faced with a large bill to pay through no fault of my own.

Has anyone else had a similar experience when downloading new software?

I would appreciate your comments or advice.

many thanks and regards

archie247