Advice on Vehicle damage in a parking lot

[Pizza]

So I came back from work and when i got to my car in the parking lot, I noticed some significant scratches and a dent on the side of my car. Luckily, i remembered the license plate, make and colour of the car parked beside me.

What do I need to do?

Has anyone ever found success in getting compensated?

[Brannigans Law]

The guy/gal will just claim they didn't do it. Kinda tough to prove anything I'd think.

[burn_this_city]

I'd go down to the police station with the info and file a report for a hit and run.

[Cortez]

How the heck do you remember the license plate of who parked next to you??

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Brannigans Law

The guy/gal will just claim they didn't do it. Kinda tough to prove anything I'd think.

Chances are there is some physical evidence to corroborate his claim.

[T@T]

Obviously since you know the plate # you phone the cops, pretty sure they wouldn't have time to fix it. Hit and Run is a serious offence.

I have to ask though...who remembers plate numbers in parking lots

[blankall]

I'd report this as quickly as possible. People will try to get their cars cleaned/repaired as quickly as they can in these situations. Report it to the police and your insurance company.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Dole out some vigilante justice.

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by T@T

Obviously since you know the plate # you phone the cops, pretty sure they wouldn't have time to fix it. Hit and Run is a serious offence.

I have to ask though...who remembers plate numbers in parking lots

Who even remembers the model of car they parked next to?

I have assigned stalls at my apartment and I can't even tell you what model truck I've parked beside for the past 3 years

[Dan02]

hell I don't even know the license plate numbers on my vehicles.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Dan02

hell I don't even know the license plate numbers on my vehicles.

Lol, I read this, try to remember mine, open garage...I was wrong

[Pizza]

Got a glance at the licence plate of the car next to me as i was just leaving my car. Dont ask me why I still remember, I have a good memory I guess

Anyways, is this considered hit and run? i thought that only applied to collisions, not scratches and dents

[Cortez]

Was the license plate "ASSMAN" ?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Cortez

How the heck do you remember the license plate of who parked next to you??

I take photographs of the license plate of cars that are a little too close for comfort in the parking lot. Just a safety measure before it happens. I usually also try and park at the end of a row or at least one space between. I probably have OCD but I can't fathom the thought of Joe Redneck or Little Punk Billy damaging my car and then laughing it off and hightailing it out of there.

[Bunk]

I had someone hit my car in a parking lot and take off. Luckily some awesome person saw it, took down the plate and make of the car and left a note on my car.

Insurance and police investigated and apparently had enough evidence to come to the conclusion that this was the vehicle that hit mine. Hit and run - didn't pay a penny for the body repair.

I guess if you have reason to believe it was a certain vehicle, I'm sure your insurance would try and recover the money from the other driver's insurance.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Pizza

Anyways, is this considered hit and run? i thought that only applied to collisions, not scratches and dents

Scratches and dents are considered damage, and it usually comes from some sort of collision...no?

I'm really starting to wonder here, why haven't you phoned the cops?

[photon]

Call your insurance company. It's the insurance company's job to hunt down the other guy, give the cops the info when you go to get your damage sticker, your insurance company will fix it and then get compensation from the other guy's insurance company if they can.

And if they can't they'll still fix it.

[zamler]

Go down and file a Police report. It doesn't matter if it doesn't go anywhere, you are guaranteed not to get any results if you don't file a report. If you don't have collision with your insurance company, they likely won't do anything for you, you will have to find out who hit your car and deal with that persons insurance.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Est1980

You guys are forgetting one major thing in this case:direct evidence. Unless you actually witnessed the act, you cannot say for a certainty that it was the car you remembered parking beside you.

Call the Police if you want, but they will tell you the same thing. Circumstantial evidence is not evidence. You need solid proof, and you have none.

You are forgetting that if his car hit Pizza's car, there would obviously be some evidence.

Unless you think that the insurance company is just going to say, "Well Pizza, this car that matches the color and plate # that you gave us, and has damage on it that could have come from hitting a car just like yours was, but no one saw it so we won't bother going after his insurnace company for the money for the repairs"

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Cortez

How the heck do you remember the license plate of who parked next to you??

My theory on this.

Pizza made a questionable parking choice, and parked way too close to someone. He took the plate of that vehicle down and the make when he left, in case that person exacted revenge, keyed his car, bumped him backing out etc.... There is no way, someone remembers the plate of a vehicle they parked next to, unless they made a deliberate effort to look at it and memorize it, or had a dash cam.

Also, if you were at work all day, how does he know 3 other cars didn't go into that spot after the car he parked next to?

Something is very fishy about this, and we aren't getting the whole story here. Sounds to me like he is trying to frame someone with his car damage.