It is not an unusual incident. You are in a parking lot, and when you are backing up you accidentally hit the back of someone’s bumper. Or you are squeezing into a parking space, and you overestimate the space you have and sideswipe the car next to you. It can be tempting to think that if no one saw it, you can just go about your day unscathed. But the reality is that if you hit someone’s car or do damage to it, then you are responsible for paying for the damages.
If you have accidentally hit someone’s car, it is your obligation to leave them your information and to take responsibility for your actions. The problem in a parking garage is that when you damage someone’s car, the odds of finding the driver is pretty slim. And if you are on a schedule, waiting around for them is probably not an option. But if you choose to leave without providing them your information in a note, then it is possible that you can be charged with a hit-and-run, in addition to being on the hook to pay for their damages.
What to do if you hit a car
Although it’s an accident, if you back into someone’s car or otherwise cause damage to someone’s property, then you do have an obligation to try to notify them. If you are in a parking lot or at a party where you can walk inside and try to find the owner of the vehicle, that is the best-case scenario. If you can, go to the establishment serviced by the parking lot and talk to the person in charge to leave your information and to find out if you can find the owner.
If the owner can’t be found, then you have at least created a scenario to prove that you tried to find the car owner and have made the necessary steps to take responsibility. The best thing you can do is to leave your personal information with the owner or the front desk in case the other auto owner comes back to inquire. You need to prove that you at least attempted to make the car owner aware of the damage.
What if you can’t find the owner?
If you make an attempt to find the owner of the car and you are unable to, then you have two other options. One is that you can call a police officer and file an auto accident report about the incident, so that it is on record that it wasn’t a hit and run. The police officer will be able to record not just the events of what happened and your information, but also that you attempted to make the automobile owner aware of the incident. The second thing you can do—which is far less reliable—is to leave a note on the car with your information.
If you are going to leave a note telling the car owner what happened, you will want to include your name, your address, your license number and your insurance carrier. The best place to put it would be where they would easily see it, like under the windshield wiper. The only problem with leaving a message is that if it gets misplaced somehow and the owner doesn’t find it, then there is no way to prove that you left them your information.
If you accidentally hit someone’s car, either on the street or in a parking lot, and you can’t find the car’s owner, you do have an obligation to either report the damage by calling the proper authorities or by leaving a note. If you want to ensure that you aren’t left on the hook for hit-and-run charges, then you need to be able to prove that you made every attempt to let the car owner know what happened and that you intend to pay for any damages you caused. If you are being charged with a hit-and-run, it is imperative that you hire a car accident lawyer to represent you and your interests and to prove that you take full responsibility for your damages.
