Someone (attempting to park in the spot next to me) just hit my car while I was fully-parked in a private parking lot, they then refused to give me their insurance information. They said they were in a rush to get to some dental appointment and just walked away. They did call their insurance broker (and when they opened their wallet I wrote down whatever info I could see over their shoulder) but refused to give me their license or insurance directly.
Their car is now parked next to mine, with damage apparent on the front right of mine (I had backed into my spot) and the front right of their car (they drove in facing forward).
Things I’ve done so far: call my insurance company to report it and call the police (who are…slowly, on their way). Anything else I should do in their situation? For the time being the two vehicles are parked in a private lot.
Particular photos I should take? Other smart things to take care of?
Take photo’s of everything. The damage and the position of the cars and any signage. Be sure to get the licence plate. Sort out your own documents in case the cops do actually turn up.
In any auto accident, the BEST thing you can do to protect yourself (especially if you were not at fault) is to take photographs of the scene and get contact info from any eyewitnesses! Also, no matter what the other driver(s) say, you should always call the police and report the accident. As an insurance agent, that is information I try to instill in all of my customers!
Because this incident happened on private property, many police departments would decline to respond if there were no injuries. That is becoming more and more common. That is also why photos are so important.
Is it possible that the parking lot where this occurred has security cameras? How severe is the damage to your vehicle?
At this point, you should call and inform your insurance company about this accident. If you have Collision insurance (which is intended to pay for damage to your vehicle caused by a vehicle in which you were at fault), you may have little choice but to use it to repair the damage (or you could pay out of pocket for the repairs). You would have to pay your Collision deductible if you file it on your policy, so keep that in mind relative to the repair cost. If you only have $900 in damage and a $1k deductible, it makes no sense to file a claim. Your insurance would pay $0 and you’d have a Collision claim on your record. Depending on state law, that claim could cause your premium to increase, just so you’re aware.
Accidents that happen on private property (parking lots) are rarely settled easily or fairly if both parties aren’t totally cooperative. Without a police report, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will often just decline the claim because they know there’s nothing you can really do about it. Even a police report indicating that the other driver was at-fault doesn’t guarantee that their insurance company will pay.
I’m wondering, did the cops show up? Do/did they consider this a hit and run? What sort of criminal actions can they take/punishments due? Any IF this is indeed a hit and run, and the guy gets charged/convicted with it, would that not then force him/ his insurance comapany into paying up for damages? or even punitive damages?
I would LIKE to think that they would do that…but, in my experience, the majority of cops just aren’t that interested in getting involved, right or wrong. Charging hit-and-run on private party would also be impossible in many states (including Georgia, where I am licensed).
Or has a history of running “She hit me” scams like the woman who backed up into me for no apparent reason at a red light last year. She was going to take off but other cars saw her, and I pointed at the nearest parking lot. When we got out of our respective vehicles she started screaming something about my backing into her.
She lost, btw. Her insurance company told mine that she has a history of stuff like this then going to PT and attempting to fleece them.
A few years ago I was rear ended while at a red light. The other driver looked at my car and told me I could “rub that out”. I explained to her that I wasn’t gonna be rubbing anything, I wanted her insurance info. All this happened while I was getting pictures on my phone, including pics of her and her plate.
When she refused to give me her insurance info, I called 911. PA law is specific about behavior after an accident, and the cop that arrived gave her hell. He demanded to see her proof of of insurance, then he walked it over to me. Insurance paid $800 for “rub that out”.