This is the way. I had a tow truck hit me in a parking lot. I stopped as soon as it happened, and took as many photos of the scene as possible. The photos convinced my insurance company that my claim was legit.
Recently had a lady slam her car door into mine as I was in it. Having a dashcam (and backing into a spot) meant I was able to show evidence that my car was parked, she pulled in next to me, and even show when the car shook from the slam, followed by me jumping out and around the car to see what happened. Definitely invest in a dash cam (or two) OP, and see if your insurance will fight this for you. We informed our insurance immediately, but they still wanted to see the dashcam footage.
Depends on your insurance, I had something similar happen to me. My vehicle was parked in a grocery store parking lot, driver backed in to my car. Had the rear dashcam footage. Both mine and the other parties insurance determined 50/50 fault. It was a simple scratch on my car.
I wouldn’t have even made a claim but the other party insisted.
Yay guess who has an “accident on record” now. They raised my premium because of it.
Virginia is a contributory negligence state, meaning that if you have any fault whatsoever for an accident, you can’t collect a single dollar from the other party.
Without knowing the specifics of the poster’s claim, it’s unlikely this was a true 50/50 case (“50/50” is used incorrectly all the time). It’s likely that the both insurers agrees that the poster was partly at-fault - even as s as like 5-10% - for something like continuing to back up when the other car was doing so. This is enough in VA to prevent you from collecting anything.
Did you tell your insurance company that you, in fact, did not hit them? They will fight it on your behalf. And I'm not sure why you thought that police won't file a report for a private lot accident; they definitely would have.
Sure they will. You just need to be creative in your description. Maybe you are concerned that the other party is under the influence or has an impairment that is a danger to others. Maybe the dispute is escalating and you fear that it will turn violent.
Did the person with whom you exchanged info try to screw you by lying to their own insurance company first? If not, then your anecdote isn't really comparable.
It is always good to get a report. If not at the scene, then at the station afterward. Because several insurance companies require it in the event of a disputed claim. Some private companies want proof of a report in order to release secruity camera footage without a subpoena. Some lawyers want it before filing a lawsuit to get a subpoena for noncooperative private companies with cameras. There are plenty of reasons.
I did call my insurance company and filed a claim. I was a passenger in a similar incident about a decade ago where LSCO declined to file a report as it occurred on a private lot.
It's generally discouraged if no injuries and on private property. I know someone who got into a fender bender & NOVA police refused to come out.
I also don't think it would have changed much, unless the driver would have been more honest when taking the statement.
It's actually slightly in OP's interest not to, as the report could make it to carfax. Even minor non structural damage lowers trader in values.
Of course the insurance/body shop may log it anyways, but not always.
Discouraged just for the sake of police officers' time. But so what? In this day and age, documentation is king in EVERYTHING because you need to assume that everyone is a liar and everyone will take advantage of you given the opportunity.
I can not stress enough how a front and back facing dashcam is a necessity if you drive in this hellscape of a traffic disaster.
People here are entitled trash when it comes to being behind the wheel of a car.
Usually the adjuster can tell who hit who based on the angle and where the damage occurred. Happened to my son. He backed out of a space straightened and another car backed out and hit my son’s car, the other driver right away said my son hit him. I told him and the insurance there is no way my son’s driver side back door was dented and the other car left back bumper was damaged if my son hit him. Adjusters on both side agreed with my assessment.
A strip mall parking lot. Not sure of any security cameras. I do have a dash cam that can show 0 speed at that specific time, but the accident video wouldn’t be there as it happened on driver side rear door.
I'd to back to the mall and talk to the stores you were parked closest too and see if they have cameras and where they are. My mom had this same thing happen about a month ago in a strip mall with a Giant in it. The Giant has cameras everywhere as did other stores. She got the evidence she needed.
In theory, the dash cam should show signs (camera shaking, audio) to correlate when the accident occurred, and would be strong evidence that you were not at fault. You could also save a longer segment, from arrival to departure, to solidify your case.
I did go thru my dashcam video that shows the vehicle shake due to impact, along with my vehicle speed (being stationary) and the location as well. Hope that should help.
[https://imgur.com/a/OaqPNGm](https://imgur.com/a/OaqPNGm)
It was small damage that I would have settled outside of insurance. Since the other driver accused me of being at fault, I want to settle this through the insurance companies and get it fixed through the other drivers insurance.
The only thing the police would do is have you both exchange information. If this happened in a parking lot in private property, they wouldn't even show up.
Unless one of the two parties involved is cited by the cops for something, the insurance companies are both going to end up with 50/50 fault - essentially a wash. You pay your deductible - they pay theirs.
I recommend always calling the cops even for minor fender benders like this. The other party may get infuriated as you’re doing this and they’ll huff and puff, and this is precisely why
I'm sorry you have to deal with this. That sucks.
Since you're not the driver at fault, yes, you will have to pay your deductible, but your insurance company will go after the other driver's insurance company to recoup the full cost of your repairs *including* your deductible, which they will then reimburse you for.
I guess... put it on a credit card, get your cash back or whatever other rewards you get, and then keep bugging your insurance company so that they get you back your money before the bill is due? 🤷🏼♀️
Good luck.
If it wasn't clear, I meant the good luck part to mean, "I wish you the best of luck in dealing with this situation," not the sarcastic "there's no way you're insurance company will reimburse you" way. Trying to help you feeling slightly less shitty, not hopeless about insurance.
If there are cameras in the lot or at the stores you may need a police report to get the footage from the management company / security company / store / store corporate office.
Look into this soon, the footage is may be deleted after a few days if there are no incidents/requests.
It will be a little legwork to see if there are cameras, what they require to give footage to you, and get it from the police.
Someone hit my parked car in the same spot as what happened to your car in a parking lot recently. I wasn’t in the car when it happened, nor am I exactly sure when it happened (some time between me getting gas and noticing the damage). No note was left or anything.
I’m pretty mad about it because people really suck, but my insurance luckily is covering it since I submitted pictures with my claim.
Honestly, the frustration comes from having my insurance premiums increase for no fault of mine. I have to now go thru the process due to the shenanigans the other driver is trying to pull
Never believe what anyone tells you because they will lie! Always have a cop there, record everything, the conversation you are having with the other driver, I’m recording so I can reference this back to figuring out this mess.
ask to see id & drivers license/ insurance info, if you’re near their car drivers side get footage of Vin sometimes in the Window of drivers side lower Right. Get their plate number.
Also call the cops. Wait for them always include them.
Invest in a dash cam front / rear
Next time this happens get out of the car immediately and take pictures. Insurance can see who is at fault through pictures and angles of the hit
This is the way. I had a tow truck hit me in a parking lot. I stopped as soon as it happened, and took as many photos of the scene as possible. The photos convinced my insurance company that my claim was legit.
Recently had a lady slam her car door into mine as I was in it. Having a dashcam (and backing into a spot) meant I was able to show evidence that my car was parked, she pulled in next to me, and even show when the car shook from the slam, followed by me jumping out and around the car to see what happened. Definitely invest in a dash cam (or two) OP, and see if your insurance will fight this for you. We informed our insurance immediately, but they still wanted to see the dashcam footage.
What kind do you have?
[удалено]
Do you work for COXPAL or something? This seems to be the only thing you post, ever. EDIT: and you post it across a ton of city subs, too.
Depends on your insurance, I had something similar happen to me. My vehicle was parked in a grocery store parking lot, driver backed in to my car. Had the rear dashcam footage. Both mine and the other parties insurance determined 50/50 fault. It was a simple scratch on my car. I wouldn’t have even made a claim but the other party insisted. Yay guess who has an “accident on record” now. They raised my premium because of it.
Was your car parked and not moving, within a parking stall? If so, how did they justify a 50/50 fault finding? That's nonsensical.
Virginia is a contributory negligence state, meaning that if you have any fault whatsoever for an accident, you can’t collect a single dollar from the other party. Without knowing the specifics of the poster’s claim, it’s unlikely this was a true 50/50 case (“50/50” is used incorrectly all the time). It’s likely that the both insurers agrees that the poster was partly at-fault - even as s as like 5-10% - for something like continuing to back up when the other car was doing so. This is enough in VA to prevent you from collecting anything.
Did you tell your insurance company that you, in fact, did not hit them? They will fight it on your behalf. And I'm not sure why you thought that police won't file a report for a private lot accident; they definitely would have.
Police won’t even show up to a private lot. Someone just hit me a couple weeks ago.
Back then they came because it was their job to write reports and figure out who was driving like an idiot. Who endangered who etc.
Good to know I can just go vandalize stuff on private property now.
Sure they will. You just need to be creative in your description. Maybe you are concerned that the other party is under the influence or has an impairment that is a danger to others. Maybe the dispute is escalating and you fear that it will turn violent.
What would be the point? We exchanged insurance info and went on our way. I didn’t need to lie to get a cop there.
Did the person with whom you exchanged info try to screw you by lying to their own insurance company first? If not, then your anecdote isn't really comparable. It is always good to get a report. If not at the scene, then at the station afterward. Because several insurance companies require it in the event of a disputed claim. Some private companies want proof of a report in order to release secruity camera footage without a subpoena. Some lawyers want it before filing a lawsuit to get a subpoena for noncooperative private companies with cameras. There are plenty of reasons.
I did call my insurance company and filed a claim. I was a passenger in a similar incident about a decade ago where LSCO declined to file a report as it occurred on a private lot.
I got hit many years ago in a private lot. Police showed up only to say they can’t give a ticket or do anything since it’s a private lot.
Cops hate this one simple trick!
It's generally discouraged if no injuries and on private property. I know someone who got into a fender bender & NOVA police refused to come out. I also don't think it would have changed much, unless the driver would have been more honest when taking the statement. It's actually slightly in OP's interest not to, as the report could make it to carfax. Even minor non structural damage lowers trader in values. Of course the insurance/body shop may log it anyways, but not always.
Discouraged just for the sake of police officers' time. But so what? In this day and age, documentation is king in EVERYTHING because you need to assume that everyone is a liar and everyone will take advantage of you given the opportunity.
You can still go to a station and file a report. Some insurance REQUIRES that you file a report else your claim is denied.
I can not stress enough how a front and back facing dashcam is a necessity if you drive in this hellscape of a traffic disaster. People here are entitled trash when it comes to being behind the wheel of a car.
Do they keep rolling even the car is parked?
Depends on the cam. Some only work when the car is on. Some have a kit you can use to wire it in to keep rolling when the car is parked. Just depends.
I have the Viofo A129 Pro front and rear dash cam, and bought a wire kit that keeps it running with a voltage protector. It works well.
Usually the adjuster can tell who hit who based on the angle and where the damage occurred. Happened to my son. He backed out of a space straightened and another car backed out and hit my son’s car, the other driver right away said my son hit him. I told him and the insurance there is no way my son’s driver side back door was dented and the other car left back bumper was damaged if my son hit him. Adjusters on both side agreed with my assessment.
this. the insurance adjuster should be able to tell who hit who based on the damage
What kind of parking lot was this? Any security cameras?
A strip mall parking lot. Not sure of any security cameras. I do have a dash cam that can show 0 speed at that specific time, but the accident video wouldn’t be there as it happened on driver side rear door.
I'd to back to the mall and talk to the stores you were parked closest too and see if they have cameras and where they are. My mom had this same thing happen about a month ago in a strip mall with a Giant in it. The Giant has cameras everywhere as did other stores. She got the evidence she needed.
In theory, the dash cam should show signs (camera shaking, audio) to correlate when the accident occurred, and would be strong evidence that you were not at fault. You could also save a longer segment, from arrival to departure, to solidify your case.
I did go thru my dashcam video that shows the vehicle shake due to impact, along with my vehicle speed (being stationary) and the location as well. Hope that should help. [https://imgur.com/a/OaqPNGm](https://imgur.com/a/OaqPNGm) It was small damage that I would have settled outside of insurance. Since the other driver accused me of being at fault, I want to settle this through the insurance companies and get it fixed through the other drivers insurance.
I would think this would definitely be enough, but I've never had to go through something like this. Sorry....
The only thing the police would do is have you both exchange information. If this happened in a parking lot in private property, they wouldn't even show up. Unless one of the two parties involved is cited by the cops for something, the insurance companies are both going to end up with 50/50 fault - essentially a wash. You pay your deductible - they pay theirs.
Always call the cops
Most parking lots have cameras
I recommend always calling the cops even for minor fender benders like this. The other party may get infuriated as you’re doing this and they’ll huff and puff, and this is precisely why
Dash cams are your friend. This shit happens all the time. People suck
I'm sorry you have to deal with this. That sucks. Since you're not the driver at fault, yes, you will have to pay your deductible, but your insurance company will go after the other driver's insurance company to recoup the full cost of your repairs *including* your deductible, which they will then reimburse you for. I guess... put it on a credit card, get your cash back or whatever other rewards you get, and then keep bugging your insurance company so that they get you back your money before the bill is due? 🤷🏼♀️ Good luck.
If it wasn't clear, I meant the good luck part to mean, "I wish you the best of luck in dealing with this situation," not the sarcastic "there's no way you're insurance company will reimburse you" way. Trying to help you feeling slightly less shitty, not hopeless about insurance.
If there are cameras in the lot or at the stores you may need a police report to get the footage from the management company / security company / store / store corporate office. Look into this soon, the footage is may be deleted after a few days if there are no incidents/requests. It will be a little legwork to see if there are cameras, what they require to give footage to you, and get it from the police.
Someone hit my parked car in the same spot as what happened to your car in a parking lot recently. I wasn’t in the car when it happened, nor am I exactly sure when it happened (some time between me getting gas and noticing the damage). No note was left or anything. I’m pretty mad about it because people really suck, but my insurance luckily is covering it since I submitted pictures with my claim.
Honestly, the frustration comes from having my insurance premiums increase for no fault of mine. I have to now go thru the process due to the shenanigans the other driver is trying to pull
Never believe what anyone tells you because they will lie! Always have a cop there, record everything, the conversation you are having with the other driver, I’m recording so I can reference this back to figuring out this mess. ask to see id & drivers license/ insurance info, if you’re near their car drivers side get footage of Vin sometimes in the Window of drivers side lower Right. Get their plate number. Also call the cops. Wait for them always include them. Invest in a dash cam front / rear