What happens when someone damages your parked car?

Driving

3 min read

You may not give a second thought when it comes to parking your car while you go to work or pop to the shops, but what happens if you come back to an unwanted surprise? Tight car parking spaces, crowded streets and large vehicles can result in parked car accidents. In fact, these type of car crashes are more common than you think. Shopping centres and supermarket car parks are the most likely places where your car can pick up scratches or damage.

If you find yourself involved in a parked car accident you should:

Talk to the person involved

If someone has bumped into your vehicle and left the scene they should (by law) have left a note including their name, address, contact number and explanation. Leaving the scene is a crime and if the third party doesn’t leave a note and is caught, they could face criminal charges.

If you have no details to refer to look for witnesses or refer to nearby CCTV. The likelihood is, if a car is hit in a busy car park, someone will have witnessed it. Ask around to see if anyone saw a car, a license plate or if the CCTV cameras picked up on any footage.

Take photos

Take clear, HD photos of your car’s damage before you get it fixed. If you’re using a smartphone you will be able to log the time, date and location too. These photos will come in useful when it comes to claiming insurance.

Contact your Insurance 

Once in touch with the third party you can discuss your insurance options going forward. It is important to remember that if your car was parked legally, the third party is automatically at fault regardless of the circumstances.

On the other hand, if you haven’t been able to get a hold of the third party you may have to claim against your own insurance or fund the repairs yourself. Bear in mind that even if you opt to pay for the repair yourself, you are obligated to contact your insurance provider to make them aware of any damage.

Car Insurance

Contact AbbeyAutoline Insurance today or request a callback to ensure your car insurance policy meets your individual needs.