Parking Lot Bumper Damage
01-19-2006, 02:41 PM
#1
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Parking Lot Bumper Damage
The inevitable has happened. As usual with all the accidents that I've been in, its happened in a parking lot with someone reversing into my cars. I'm at work, car is parked outside at a 90 degree corner of a parking lot. My car parked on the right edge of the parking lot's perimeter, with parking spots arranged to have cars parked with their sides visiable, left and right if you will. I'm facing left, and the top edge of the parking lot's perimeter had parking spaces arranged to have cars parked front or back views visable.
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My guess is the car parked on the top part of the parking lot reversed and didn't notice he hit me. I know the co worker and will ask him about this tomorrow.
Today was going so well too.
Any advice on how I should handle this is appreciated.
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My guess is the car parked on the top part of the parking lot reversed and didn't notice he hit me. I know the co worker and will ask him about this tomorrow.
Today was going so well too.
Any advice on how I should handle this is appreciated.
01-19-2006, 03:14 PM
#2
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if he deny's hitting you, look for paint transfer (either on his car, or on yours). If its in plain sight, no warrant is needed. You can get it analyzed and possibly a match to his paint. I would not go it yourself, though, I would have a police officer collect the sample.
THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME TODAY TOO! My damage is on the front bumper, just forward of the passenger wheel well (the flat area) and on my Amuse Lip.
From now on, I am getting plate numbers of people who I park next to!
John
THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME TODAY TOO! My damage is on the front bumper, just forward of the passenger wheel well (the flat area) and on my Amuse Lip.
From now on, I am getting plate numbers of people who I park next to!
John
01-19-2006, 03:26 PM
#3
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Thats the kind of advice I was looking for. Thanks!
The more advice the better. Keep it coming.
Another co worker was out in the parking lot to look over the situation before I drove home. Hopefully she can agree on the scenario that I am seeing in my head of how the car had to have reversed into me. He's the only car in proximity to do this.
Don't know if I can notice paint transfer, because the car that I think did this is black too.
Alot of this is just guessing. The owner of this car that I think hit me is a nice person, so hopefully I can have a nice conversation with him and point out the facts should I find any damage on his car.
The more advice the better. Keep it coming.
Another co worker was out in the parking lot to look over the situation before I drove home. Hopefully she can agree on the scenario that I am seeing in my head of how the car had to have reversed into me. He's the only car in proximity to do this.
Don't know if I can notice paint transfer, because the car that I think did this is black too.
Alot of this is just guessing. The owner of this car that I think hit me is a nice person, so hopefully I can have a nice conversation with him and point out the facts should I find any damage on his car.
01-19-2006, 03:30 PM
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The easiest way that you are going to be able to deal with the situation is to get the person to simply say that they did it.
Either find damage on their car which can correspond with the damage that you found on your own car, or simply try and confront the person that you think was the most likely to cause the damage. If you can't get anybody to say that they did it, and you can't find a vehicle which has a proveable amount of damage which corresponds with the damage on your own car, then I don't think that there is much else that you could do.
Either find damage on their car which can correspond with the damage that you found on your own car, or simply try and confront the person that you think was the most likely to cause the damage. If you can't get anybody to say that they did it, and you can't find a vehicle which has a proveable amount of damage which corresponds with the damage on your own car, then I don't think that there is much else that you could do.
01-19-2006, 03:33 PM
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Originally Posted by mr. clockwork,Jan 19 2006, 04:30 PM
The easiest way that you are going to be able to deal with the situation is to get the person to simply say that they did it.
Either find damage on their car which can correspond with the damage that you found on your own car, or simply try and confront the person that you think was the most likely to cause the damage. If you can't get anybody to say that they did it, and you can't find a vehicle which has a proveable amount of damage which corresponds with the damage on your own car, then I don't think that there is much else that you could do.
Either find damage on their car which can correspond with the damage that you found on your own car, or simply try and confront the person that you think was the most likely to cause the damage. If you can't get anybody to say that they did it, and you can't find a vehicle which has a proveable amount of damage which corresponds with the damage on your own car, then I don't think that there is much else that you could do.
01-19-2006, 06:44 PM
#6
I am always worried about this.
The first thing I would do is buy an Inspector Clousseau hat (Totes rain hat will do if they still make them), fake moustache, putty colored trenchcoat and a magnifying glass. Then make it very obvious that you are inspecting the perpetrator's car at suspected point of impact.
Confession should be imminent.
If this doesn't work, file a claim with insurance
and get it fixed. I don't think your rates are badly affected by parking lot hit.
The first thing I would do is buy an Inspector Clousseau hat (Totes rain hat will do if they still make them), fake moustache, putty colored trenchcoat and a magnifying glass. Then make it very obvious that you are inspecting the perpetrator's car at suspected point of impact.
Confession should be imminent.
If this doesn't work, file a claim with insurance
and get it fixed. I don't think your rates are badly affected by parking lot hit.
01-19-2006, 07:34 PM
#7
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Wait and see if the perp drives the same car into work tomorrow. If so, talk to him and see if he admits to it in front of a witness, and if not, call the cops and file a report. If the perp drives a different car into work tomorrow, tell the cops that and get them to document it.
In the mean time, take pics of the damage, and measure the height of any scratches, etc. that you can possibly match to his car.
In the mean time, take pics of the damage, and measure the height of any scratches, etc. that you can possibly match to his car.
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01-20-2006, 05:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Homo Sapien,Jan 19 2006, 10:44 PM
If this doesn't work, file a claim with insurance and get it fixed. I don't think your rates are badly affected by parking lot hit.
and get it fixed. I don't think your rates are badly affected by parking lot hit.
Unless you want to keep your car in a museum, things like this will happen. You can minimize the chance by parking as far away as possible from your office or taking an end spot.
The bad news is... the front of our cars sit so low it is hard for another driver to see it. Like you said, someone may have hit it and never noticed...especially if they were in an SUV.
The good news is...your insurance should cover it. However, if your deductible is $500 or over, it may pay you to fix it yourself. I can't really see the damage in your pics. But if it is just scuffs, it is easy to sand and repaint. If the bumper is cracked, you may want to buy a new one. "Hardtopguy" is located in Ohio and sells them for $250. You can have it painted for approx. $250.
I know having to pay around $500 sucks... However, that is pretty cheap considering some other cars.