Now that’s just plain not true. Not only did I write about a minor ($800 on my part) accident in a Best Buy parking lot in which I called the police and they came out. The store I’ve been working at has at least one minor accident a year in the lot and the cops always come out when someone calls them for that.
You’re honestly saying you’ve never seen a squad car in a parking lot with an officer looking at a big dent in the side of a car that someone is pointing to?
Maybe it depends on the city that you’re calling from. But in the city where I work and the city the Best Buy was in, it wasn’t a problem.
You live in a GREAT city. Appreciate that every day of your life!
Some cities here in SCal, you can’t even get Dispatch to send the cops when someone is seeing a CRIME IN PROGRESS. Or how about the folks who have called 911 and been PUT ON HOLD?
As the real estate folks say, “Location, location, location!”
~VOW
Texas statutes mandates that the operator of the vehicle must file a report if an officer does not investigate, if the apparent damage is more than $1000 or if someone is injured. If an officer was there, they would file the report obviously.
Your best bet is to take pictures if you can, and have Police or DPS respond to write the report/issue citations as necessary if the other party is at fault.
Joey you live in a city with a very not busy police department. In most Calif cities the police will come if there are major injuries, it is blocking traffic (and the first thing they do is have the cars moved). And for parking lots they only come incase of fire or the drivers fighting. If you call the police for a parking lot accident their responce is if there is no danger then it is private property and they have no jurisdiction.
Reporting accidents is the law in many casesin Illinois. It doesn’t take much of a collision to run up $1,000 in damages. We were hit head-on at maybe 5 mph a couple of years ago; turned out that the teenager who whipped out of the alley and didn’t even slow down until it was too late didn’t have a driver’s license. She was taken away in handcuffs. And no, our insurance rates didn’t change at all since it was so obviously her fault and there was nothing more we could have done to prevent the accident. $2400 in damages to our car alone.
You should always, ALWAYS call 911 after an accident where physical damage was sustained. Write down (or text to yourself) the other driver’s plate number first, then second, pick up your phone and call 911. That way, if they leave the scene (:eek:“I’m going to be late for x!” :o"It can wait."), you’ve got them for a hit and run. Let the 911 operator triage your accident and make this decision, that’s what they’re paid for (and qualified to do).
If they determine not to send out the police because nobody was injured (which happens in larger jurisdictions), then they will tell you that (it is still your responsibility to get a report). In smaller jurisdictions, they will send out the police and make a report for pretty much everything that happens on public property. Sometimes depending on how busy the day is/how bad the cop assesses the damage to be at the scene, they will send out the police, who will just make sure neither party needs a tow, hand each driver an exchange of information sheet, and leave.
Laypeople don’t know when or why or how dispatchers/cops make these judgment calls. It varies between jurisdiction, accident location, and sometimes even between individuals.
The exception is that no jurisdiction I know of won’t send out the police for ANY injury-free incidents occurring on private property, but you let THEM tell you that. You shouldn’t make this call yourself, it’s a matter for professionals.
And if they don’t send out the cops the day of, you should go back to the police station that night/the next day and make a report. Getting a police report is SO IMPORTANT to cover your ass with your/their insurance company. I know, because I work at an insurance company.