Minor hit and run in parking lot What would you do

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted By: Gasbuggy
Call your insurance company and give them the plate #. I'm not sure what their capabilities are but they may be able to get to his insurance company. I would also physically go to the local police station and file a report. If you get the same officer ask for a supervisor right off the bat.

I've been hit and run on private property. I got to the person and let them take a hit on their insurance rather than deal with a hit a run from the police.

Also had an old man back into my car once but I could not prove it so I let it go.


This.

The insurance company will be able to get all information on the vehicle and driver, and pursue the matter themselves.

 

[dishdude]

So this means you can do anything you want as long as it is on private party?

 

[SatinSilver]

I think they say accidents are civil matters and should be handled privately. Versus crimes which are deliberate like theft, vandalism, etc which are handled by the police. However, when it's a hit and run then that equals a crime.

 

[Pontual]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
the officer hinted that she should have followed the perp.


That worthless pos needs to quit his job and go work for Mickey D's. He essentially told your daughter to take the law into her own hands and do his job for him. That's so sad.


he was not much older from my kid. i thought he was a rookie talking out of his arse. thanks for agreeing.


That's not accurate, go and consult a lawyer because if you comit any crime, they call em to you... Internal Affeirs could instruct you in that still vagabond. The have cameras, too. Make them do their work that they owe to people.

 

[Prune_Juice]

Check to see if it was caught on video somewhere.

It probably was.

 

[HerrStig]

DWI is a crime, too, on public highways, but of you want to drive drunk around your 2500 acre ranch no cop will stop you.

 

[Leo99]

Many years ago I got into a heated argument with the police. My local grocery store had one ways in their parking lot. There was a cop car parked in the middle of the aisle and I couldn't get past him. I beeped my horn and he looked up and at me and went back to ignoring me. I had to back up, go the wrong way on an alternate one-way aisle, then I backed down the aisle was I originally in and parked right in front of the cop car. Went inside the store and had words with the cop working security for the store. Told him that if it wasn't a cop, you tell any other car blocking traffic to move so why is the cop allowed to block the parking lot and not move. Cop told me it's private property and he can do whatever he wants. Then he told me I'm lucky he doesn't ticket me for driving the wrong way on the one-way aisle. I told him it's private property. I can do what I want.

To the OP, get an estimate and decide if it's worth getting fixed.

Me ex-wife backed into a van in a parking lot and drove off. We got a lot of letters in the mail about that demanding this and that. Ignored them all and eventually they stopped coming.

I was sideswiped on the highway by a hit and run driver. Waved down a cop and told him. He asked me what I wanted him to do about it.

I'm not holding out much hope that you'll get the satisfaction you're after.

 

[Prune_Juice]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Ask your insurance co. about taking it to small claims court. You want to get a legal lien against him, and let the state know about him not paying up. Most states will refuse to renew his driver's license until he pays off the lien. He probably will then give you his insurance info if he has insurance, or he will have to pay it off.


He has to get convicted first?

 

[BrocLuno]

Originally Posted By: Kool1
I would run an address trace from the other vehicle's license number; write the person a demand letter for the damages; if unpaid, then sue the person in small claim's court.


Yup, and keep the insurance company out of it if possible... You don't want an action reported on your daughters license (and it will, even though she's not at fault, she's a participant...) AND you don't want her rates to go up.

Handle this privately is possible ...

 

[eljefino]

I had a coworker who thought she could park in handicapped spaces at work because "it was on private property". I had to invite the cops to come deal with her and they elected to talk it over with her instead of writing a ticket. She at least changed her behavior.

I had a 4x8 sheet of scrap plywood full of nails blow out of a parked truck bed at a home depot parking lot and scrape the paint of my mother-in-laws car that I had borrowed. Cops didn't want to take a report after they took my address and noticed I was from the next town over. Said it was act of god. Baloney, it was an unsecure load. Told her insurance co that the cops wouldn't take a report; they handled it from there.

 

[Kuato]

edit: holy smokes lots of posts on this thread while I was posting....


Originally Posted By: Kool1
I would run an address trace from the other vehicle's license number; write the person a demand letter for the damages; if unpaid, then sue the person in small claim's court.


Nope, that's what the insurance company is for.

OP, just call the insurance company and give them the license plate. They have the resources to find out the owner's name and insurance, and will do that work ... and ... it's what we pay them for. Take pictures of and let them know what the damage is, and offer to send the pics in. Let them know you'll be happy to wait for the other company to pay. They should send out a damage adjuster to get an estimate, or may ask you (your daughter) to go have an estimate done at a body shop. Should be pretty straightforward.

As far as the other driver, older drivers are sometimes oblivious to when they tap something....I know my mother at 89 is.


Oh, and:

Originally Posted By: CT8
Call the insurance company. Get a police report. You probably have to eat the deductible any way. It is the cost of autos.


Uh, your should probably read OP's post again....



Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
Originally Posted By: Kool1
I would run an address trace from the other vehicle's license number; write the person a demand letter for the damages; if unpaid, then sue the person in small claim's court.


Yup, and keep the insurance company out of it if possible... You don't want an action reported on your daughters license (and it will, even though she's not at fault, she's a participant...) AND you don't want her rates to go up.

Handle this privately is possible ...


When you are in a (legally) parked vehicle and it is hit, you are not at fault and there is nothing the insurance company does against you. It's the same as if you parked your car, walked away, and it was later hit. How are you at fault if you parked legally? It may be different in the K K, but that's how it works elsewhere.

Which reminds me OP, when you're taking pictures make sure to get some showing where your daughter was parked, and make sure they show she was parked legally - the other insurance company will try to weasel out of it by saying she was parked illegally therefore some blame is hers.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: Leo99

Me ex-wife backed into a van in a parking lot and drove off. We got a lot of letters in the mail about that demanding this and that. Ignored them all and eventually they stopped coming.


and why did you reply to this thread?
i see, that method won't work.

 

[Ethan1]

As it stands, there's no claim on insurance and no police report; therefore, there's no mark on your CarFax and no potential increase to your insurance premium.

Even if you make a claim against his insurance, he can simply deny it or dodge the insurance company's calls.

Time to get some estimates and price out touch-up paint.

Pro-tip: nail polish remover will get any paint transfer off and a suitably-colored jar of nail polish is chemically identical to the dealer's much more expensive touch-up paint.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: Leo99

Me ex-wife backed into a van in a parking lot and drove off. We got a lot of letters in the mail about that demanding this and that. Ignored them all and eventually they stopped coming.


and why did you reply to this thread?
i see, that method won't work.


You're not real bright, are you? Other than he said, she said, what proof is there that the old [censored] did anything wrong? It's a big uphill battle.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: Leo99

You're not real bright, are you? Other than he said, she said, what proof is there that the old [censored] did anything wrong? It's a big uphill battle.


apparently not as bright as you really are, LOL.

 

[ajchien]

Depends on what private property it is you speak of. I was once backed into in a hospital parking structure. The police said private party deals with it - that is, hospital security writes up the incident and my insurance company gets info from hospital security. Insurance then took care of it from there. Well that's how it worked for me.

 

[qwerty1234]

The officer "hinting" at the fact she should of followed is typical. The police in most big cities have decided to be very passive and let the crime happen. Weather or not it's a minor traffic accident or a drug deal.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: Leo99

You're not real bright, are you? Other than he said, she said, what proof is there that the old [censored] did anything wrong? It's a big uphill battle.


apparently not as bright as you really are, LOL.


That's obvious.

 

[Garak]

Here, it would be a police matter, and old man might be saying bye bye license. In any event, check with insurance. The worse they can do is say no. At best, they'll give you some decent advice.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Quote:

The guy damaged property and fled. That's a crime.


How do you know he knew. A lot of "auto complete" in BITOG threads.


I have never, not one single time, seen a state, not one single state, where hit-and-run is NOT a crime.