Someone parked behind my car and damaged my bumper. Do I call the police? What do I do?

Question

It's midnight, I come home, and find a truck parked behind my car. It's still touching my car when I discovered this. I think someone should pay for the damage left on my bumper. Do I call 911 or what?

Answer 1

that really sucks man. ok, i got in an accident in my parents car a few weeks ago (dont wrry nothing tragic) cause of this old lady coming out of the church parking lot. my parents freaked out. the way that they handled it was that they went up to the lady, and called the police to file a report. also, u have to get the insurance involved, or if its not a BIG injury to ur truck, than wat my parents did was just not involve the insurance companies and made the lady pay and forgave her. hope that helps! xD

Answer 2

Haven't you seen the commercial with the man who died from a heart attack because 911 lines were jammed with non-emergency calls?

Write down the licence plate, leave a message attatched to the windshield with your name and a number (work or lesser used if you don't want to give out a personal one).  But take the car to get an estimate.  

It sounds like you got a scratch, and that's just life.  I hate to say it but there really isn't much to do that's worth it.

Answer 3

do it while the vehicle is there!!!!!

i had this happen a while ago, filed a report, the vehicle was gone (i had a huge dent in the side of my car!) then a month later the car was there and had my paint on their bumper and the cops did jack p**p!

Answer 4

this is a non-emergency so 911 isn't the number to call. check to make sure that the car behind you shows sign of being the car to damage yours...traces of your paint on the car, any kind of matching damage.

Answer 5

Write his plate # down.. Leave a note on thier can to contact you, take a photo, file a police report if the damage is severe.

Walk to a station..do not use 911. That is for real emergencies.

Answer 6

At this point it would be too ate to call 911. That is for emergencies only. If you're pinned between the two cars, then you could call 911 -- especially if the bumpers are touching.

Ouch.

Actually, about the only thing you could do is get his license plate number and a description of the car and file a report with your insurance company. I might call the police if it did a lot of damage, but you say it's only touching. I don't know where you live, but in California I think you're required to call the polce and file a report if the damage is more than $500.

The insurance company will reimburse you the value of the repair minus your deductible; they probably won't find it worth their while to find the owner. If you can find the owner, you may get him to pay for repairs or you could take him to small claims court. You would have to either prove he did the damage - did it leave paint on your car that matches his?  or have to rely on circumstantial evidence.

If you do this, don't get it fixed, but go to court, parking close, with three (large) estimates. The judge will probably call at least one of the places you got the estimate from, as well as take into account the age and condition of the car.

Also, do not think you shouldn't call your insurance company out of fear they'll raise your rates. This is what you bought insurance for. Most insurance companies do not raise their rates just because you had a small accident. I know my ins co does not raise rates if you have an accident with less than $1500 in damages.

I had a small fender-bender two years ago and actually called them and asked. When they asked for my name and policy number, I told them I just wanted to know their policy because blah blah blah, can they tell me anomalously.  And they said my rates will not go up if the damages are less than $1500 and no one was hurt.

Answer 7

You call the police ONLY if you want to make a claim against your own insurance (since you don't know who caused the accident).  If you think the truck did it, then you can call the police about that and make a report.  Then you can file a claim against the trucks insurance.

Otherwise it make no difference to make a police report / they are not going to pay for it.

Good luck...