Hit and run victim, what do I do next? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Eddie Bronze · 09-30-2007, 08:37 AM

Took my car to the car wash this morning only to find a big dent and scrape on the drivers side quarter-panel. I didn't even wash the car, just came home to call my sister who is an insurance broker. I run all the different scenarios through my head trying to think when, where and how this happened but I really have no idea. I do know I was not in or near the car when it happened, but that's about as much as I've got.

So anyway, never having someone do this to me before, I wasn't sure what steps I should take. My sis said to call the insurance company just to find out what they say. I told her if it's putting my insurance up that I'm just going to pay for it myself. Should I take a couple photos of it? Report it to the police? That has to be a waist of time, I would think. Not really sure here, any advice is appreciated.

metallicat · 09-30-2007, 08:56 AM

Absolutely report it to the police. Who knows, if it happened to other people, maybe they've caught the guy already. At the very least they should know about it.

CaptainCrunch · 09-30-2007, 08:57 AM

You could do the Wolfcastle Ranier method of investigation where you start at the A's and go to the Z's and torture everyone in between.

Eddie Bronze · 09-30-2007, 09:20 AM

I feel like such a moron, I can't even call them to report an accident and be 100% sure of when or where it happened.

stang · 09-30-2007, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddie Bronze

I feel like such a moron, I can't even call them to report an accident and be 100% sure of when or where it happened.

Sometimes you cant... call them anyways. Your insurance is going to want to see the police report

KevanGuy · 09-30-2007, 09:27 AM

If the damage is over $1000 you have to report it to the police. They will give you a damage sticker confiming you have filed a report. Without that sticker a body shop will not fix your car.

kipperfan · 09-30-2007, 09:32 AM

If you reported this loss it would be a comprehensive claim and therefor wouldnt(or at least shouldnt) hurt you insurance premiums. Kevan is right, if the damage is over $1000 then no body shop will touch the vehicle unless you have a valid damage sticker.

KTown · 09-30-2007, 09:32 AM

I've been hit and run twice. both times in the North East. I even had a good reason to suspect who it was the one time as I saw a car in my neighbourhood with freshly grey paint spray painted on it. While there was gray marks on my car. I told the cops and they did nothing, your screwed.

My insurance has a one no fault hit and run policy. Meaning that I can claim once being hit and run and my rates won't change that being said I still have to pay 500 dollars for the deductable, how do you thin kthat made me feel.

Some idiot hits my car, takes off and I have to pay 500 out of my own pocket to fix my car.

Chances are you are screwed. The cops will do nothing.

The best thing to do IS NOT REPORT IT. because say for some reason you're in a car accident later on you can claim it was never there and that it happened from the accident. Sometimes you have to lie to get what you want and be treated fairly.

On another note if you want your insurance to fix it, you have to report it.

Wecome to the club.

kipperfan · 09-30-2007, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang

Sometimes you cant... call them anyways. Your insurance is going to want to see the police report

Not on a comp claim, I wouldnt even order one.(I am an insurance aduster BTW)

stang · 09-30-2007, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kipperfan

Not on a comp claim, I wouldnt even order one.(I am an insurance aduster BTW)

My insurance company did, but im not in Alberta

kipperfan · 09-30-2007, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang

My insurance company did, but im not in Alberta

Yeah other provinces(any province with government insurance and Ontario) have much more strict guidlines for making and carrying out an insurance claim. In fact I believe this would be a Collision claim and an at fault loss in some provinces, luckily for you Eddie in Alberta it is a no fault claim with a comp deductible.

Eddie Bronze · 09-30-2007, 09:47 AM

I called the CPS and their automated voice playback lead me to the conclusion I have to go to a District office. So I called the district office and they say no district offices are open on Sunday. The officer there said to call the 266-1234 number (that I called to find out I had to go there) and that they could send out an officer to do a report. I can't find an option on the automated voice jerk thing to get someone sent out.

09-30-2007, 10:08 AM

I don't suppose your in a hurry are you? Just wait until a district office is open and go there at your leisure- no point in tying up police to come to your house to do some paperwork.

You are required to report hit & run accidents and yes, the police probably dont have a lot to go on making things rather difficult. The CPS does have a Hit & Run unit but they tackle around 2000 H&R cases per year- and I believe the unit itself is only about 2 people thus they focus on H&R's causing injury or death.

Eddie Bronze · 09-30-2007, 10:10 AM

I'm not in a hurry, I just wanted to know what to do, that's all. I'll go somewhere tomorrow.

GoinAllTheWay · 09-30-2007, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kipperfan

Not on a comp claim, I wouldnt even order one.(I am an insurance aduster BTW)

Odd, I'm a broker and as far as I know, you are required to have a police report filled out within 24 hours of discovering the damage. Regardless, like others have said, he will need to report it to the police if the damages exceed $1000 if he wants the repair shop to release his car.

redforever · 09-30-2007, 02:11 PM

Report to your insurance company and also to the police if damage is over $1000.00

There is a provincial program set up to deal with this, not sure how to access it, I have in the past, my insurance company told me what to do.

Basically, I paid $100 of my deductible and that was it. And it does not go against you on your insurance record.

Eddie Bronze · 09-30-2007, 03:09 PM

This isn't all of it, but it's the worst of it. The scratching goes most of the way down the front side of the wheel well, you can see a scratch at the backside of the wheel well (where it clearly started) and there's a mark on the rim part of the wheel itself as well.

It's all white paint and there was a guy who parked beside me at Market Mall yesterday with a white car.

metallicat · 09-30-2007, 03:29 PM

This is just another example of why I hate people.

HOOT · 09-30-2007, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

This is just another example of why I hate people.

Well its not all people just some fool who was looking to get away with it, what goes around comes around.

I had someone hit me in a mall parking lot and he actually phoned the place I had my last car check up (sticker on the front window) and then they phoned me to let me know someone was out in the parking lot by my car who hit it. So proves some people have morals, however in this case not so much.

Dion · 09-30-2007, 03:44 PM

Someone pulled a hit and run on me a few years back. Made the phone call and the police said to come down and fill out a report. Magicly the woman who hit me returned to the scene of the crime in tears and admitted guilt. Husband said she panicked. Luckily for her the damage was under a $1,000 or she would have been up the creek without a paddle.

I got a couple of quotes as the couple didn't want go throught insurance. They gave me cash, i signed some paper stating I wouldn't come after them for more, and I got er fixed.