My moms car was hit in a parking lot, how to handle?

[Stonedcl]

My mom was shopping at kohls here in NJ. Whe came out and her whole back bumper and part of the quarter panel was scratched up. She is defiantly need a new bumper and maybe a quarter panel. She went back in kohl's and they called the cops. While my moms was waiting for the cops she was wondering how no one saw this as she was the 3rd spot from the front and then she realized there was a note on the windshield. The note said I saw a white ford focus side swipe your car and the plate was XXX-XXX. The cops came and made a police report took her phone number and said they will search for the car that hit her. My question is do you think the pd will activly look for the car that hit her? If they do find the car and the person does not admit to it then is she going to have to pay the deductible? Has anyone ever had this happen to them before, and isn't leaving the scene of a accident a big ticket like 6 points?

I am just wondering if she should wait until the pd find the person (if they even look) or just go ahead and get it fixed now regaurdless?

Thanks..

[azguy]

I think if you have full coverage your fine, if they find the driver or not. We'll have someone along shortly that will know for sure....

[Lisa]

Wouldn't get it fixed yet. Good job on the person who left the note and tag number. That will, of course, trace the vehicle to the owner. I would think the Focus will have some damage as well and if any paint from your car shows up on it, that would be pretty damning evidence.

I would certainly think the police will be on top of things.

Does Kohl's have parking lot security cameras?

Good luck to you getting this worked out.

[mtrunner]

Wait to see if the Police track down the car and owner. There will most likely be damage to that car as well which will be proof they hit your mom's car. The person who was driving the other car will also be ticketed for leaving the scene of an accident.

[gwalker]

That's a tough one. Many times since its a minor accident on private property the police won't go further than writing the report. We had a car keyed in a parking lot and someone left a similar note. Since the witness left no name its all hearsay andthe note is invalid in any legal situation. I hope she has insurance as they will cover it. Accidents in NJ parking lots aren't like the open rd. you can just leave. I don't see the cops going through much trouble for this.

[Darlinboy]

Sorry to hear it! Hopefully, the perp will be found and held accountable.


You might check with the store - almost everywhere now the parking lots are under video surveilance - you might get lucky.

[Stonedcl]

Originally Posted by gwalker

That's a tough one. Many times since its a minor accident on private property the police won't go further than writing the report. We had a car keyed in a parking lot and someone left a similar note. Since the witness left no name its all hearsay andthe note is invalid in any legal situation. I hope she has insurance as they will cover it. Accidents in NJ parking lots aren't like the open rd. you can just leave. I don't see the cops going through much trouble for this.

That's what I am thinking.. She went into kohles to tell them to call the cops and the cops did not come for 30 min so she called again to make sure someone called and the dispatcher was nasty and said they will get there when they can, it is not there priority. When the guy came he wrote a report and said he will investigate the plate number and call her but I have a feeling she will never hear from them. My cousin is a cop in a different town about 15 miles away so we can give him the plate number and he can track down the car but then What?
Say we find out the person by my cousin finding the plate number and find out there insurance company then can I call there insurance company and file a claim with them.
We asked the store if they had cameras in the lot and they said they don't have any pointing where the car was only by the front door.

[JohnBoy]

Bad news! Sorry to hear about your Mom's acident -especially on Mother's Day weekend. As for the PD - who knows, it might depend on their current workload, or on whether, or not, they usually do followups for hit/run parking lot collisions. With a license plate number it shouldn't be too hard for them to track down the offender. On the other hand, your mother's insurance company can do something - they do have something invested (its mostly their money to get it fixed). Make sure your Mom reports it to her insurance carrier and have them do some of the legwork, including liasing with the PD for help - if its needed. Good Luck!

[dddrees]

Notify your insurance company and let them know what's going on. They should let you know what your various options are.

[mjclark32]

If it was in Paramus I wouldn't expect too much, they are usually extremely busy.
From what I have heard about running plates as favors, if your cousin runs the plate and the person happens to have a warrant out for their arrest and he doesn't bring them back to the station your cousins captain will be asking him some questions.
Best of luck

[unclesallie]

good luck!

[rr-nyc]

Just make sure the police report was filed and a case number was assigned. I've had hit and run reports taken but then my insurance company told me that the police didn't file it and a case number wasn't assigned. Parking on the street in NYC happens often, so I have had more than a few incidents

Have your mom contact her insurance company and explain what happened. If the vehicle was parked at the time of the incident, its a comprehensive loss, not collision. Give the license plate number to her insurance company as well. The other car may be insured through the same company. I know some insurance companies waive the deductible for hit and runs

[liuk3]

I think that the cops can investigate it and address it, especially if they have a license plate number. One time I got a letter from the police saying that someone wrote down my license plate when whole like of us were lane splitting on a highway (legal in California). I think that it is a pretty bad crime to hit and run. Letter said that I was observed taking off someone's side view mirror with my motorcycle. I ended up bringing my motorcycle down to the station and showed them that there was no damage to my hands or to the handlebars on my bike, so I that I couldn't have been the one to cause the damage. The police took pictures as proof. Must have been another bike. So, the police dropped the charges.

My point, though, is that if they track down the owner of the car via the license plate, it is very possible that they can nab the driver of the hit and run accident.

[Dr.Brian]

The police will investigate it. It is a hit and run, not some door ding.
If it is the wrong plate, don't expect much.
A comprehensive claim won't increase your rates. Just contact your carrier and get it fixed, if the lead pans out, they'll followup to get their money back.
Don't sweat it.

[IMG2]

I doubt your local PD will put much if any effort into trying to locate the offender. If they see them they might act, but I doubt they will look for them. Look at it this way, someone just called 911 to report a shooting, then dispatch gets a call of officer down, then a major pileup on the freeway with injuries, then your call comes in of a scrape in a parking lot with no injuries. How would you priortize these calls? Now before they can come out and take your report, there has been a call for a stabbing and someone is unconsious in the park and a gas station just got robbed. Do you see what I'm getting at.

Sorry to hear about your problems, my guess is you'll end up filing a claim with your insurance company. Since most PDs are short staffed they may take the report over the phone. Your insurance company will refer to the police report and take care of your car. Good luck.

[GradyPhilpott]

In New Mexico, damage to you car in a parking lot is not the business of the police department and they are quick to remind you it happened on private property.

So, you contact your insurance agency and explain what happened and why you need to file a claim.

Whatever the law is in your state, contact your insurance agency and let them handle it and give them a copy of the police report, which in New Mexico, you would not have.

[rr-nyc]

Originally Posted by IMG2

I doubt your local PD will put much if any effort into trying to locate the offender. If they see them they might act, but I doubt they will look for them. Look at it this way, someone just called 911 to report a shooting, then dispatch gets a call of officer down, then a major pileup on the freeway with injuries, then your call comes in of a scrape in a parking lot with no injuries. How would you priortize these calls? Now before they can come out and take your report, there has been a call for a stabbing and someone is unconsious in the park and a gas station just got robbed. Do you see what I'm getting at.

Sorry to hear about your problems, my guess is you'll end up filing a claim with your insurance company. Since most PDs are short staffed they may take the report over the phone. Your insurance company will refer to the police report and take care of your car. Good luck.

I take it that that you missed the part when the OP stated the police came an tool a report

[hsfrank]

1. Call the PD who took the report and get a case number.
2. If your mom has collision coverage call the insurance company and make a claim. They will pay the loss and investigate and sue to recover their money and her deductible.
3. If no collision then go to your nearest Motor vehicle office and find out how to get the registered owner and his insurance company. It is a form you fill out and pay a small fee. then get three estimates to repair and file a small claims action against the registered owner. Do not delay. If the amount is over the small claims limit then go to the county court. Ask the clerk of that CIVIL court how to file pro se in your mothers name. when it comes up your case is simple. It was a hit and run. Here is the note. Here are the damages. You may not win but you will have done all that you can.

[Rags]

In NYC a "Leaving the scene" with property damage only is just a summons. If there is a injury then the driver is a collar.

[Runnin' Rebel]

Originally Posted by hsfrank

1. Call the PD who took the report and get a case number.
2. If your mom has collision coverage call the insurance company and make a claim. They will pay the loss and investigate and sue to recover their money and her deductible.
3. If no collision then go to your nearest Motor vehicle office and find out how to get the registered owner and his insurance company. It is a form you fill out and pay a small fee. then get three estimates to repair and file a small claims action against the registered owner. Do not delay. If the amount is over the small claims limit then go to the county court. Ask the clerk of that CIVIL court how to file pro se in your mothers name. when it comes up your case is simple. It was a hit and run. Here is the note. Here are the damages. You may not win but you will have done all that you can.

Don't worry, your insurance company will be on this like white on rice. They have departments that track this stuff down. They'll pay to fix the car and track down the scum who did it and get their money back

[Tri-Tip]

You've done what you can. I would turn it over to the insurance agency, this is what you pay them for, and they now have to protect THEIR money. They should pay for the repair and rental car with no deductible. If they choose to, and the plate number you have is valid, then they will then go after the owner of the other car and/or their insurance company. You should not have to deal with any of it other than the original police report.

[perpetualman88]

Yes the pd will actively peruse a hit and run is a serious felony

[seand442]

Not quite a serious felony here in AZ. An officer might look into it and you might luck out and get some insurance information. Best thing is to let your insurance co. do the work. That's what you pay them for. Good luck.

[bewithabob]

Notify your insurance company. They will take it from there. When the perp is found, they will go after them, or their insurance company to recover their loss on your behalf.

[StarSovereign]

As many have said, let you're insurance company do the work. Give them the license plate number and they'll open their own case file. They'll get the money from the other party's insurance company (assuming they're insured.) If your deductible is no big deal, $300-$500, then I'd say get the car fixed so you're not driving around with a beat-up car. Say what you will, but when people see you with a messed-up car they judge you...big time.

The insurance company should do the trick, but if they don't lean on the police to give you the information they find by running the plate. Contact the person who the car is registered to, as they are responsible, and tell them you want to go through insurance. You may have to do some reconnaissance; getting a picture of the car with some damage on it if always a good idea if you have the opportunity. If they don't have insurance, inform them you want your deductible paid. This is why I recommend having your car fixed immediately if you can, as opposed to going around and getting estimates then trying to get the total repair costs (which will be in the thousands) paid for. By getting the car fixed before, you'll have an easy, and rather inexpensive amount to be reimburse for. PLus if you get any grief from the other guys you can always say, "look it could be THIS much, but because I went though my insurance I only need THIS much from you..." If all else fails, small claims court is a perfect venue to get your deductible...

[david_ord]

Life happens. There's nothing the cops can or will do. Sorry for the loss.

[hddeuce88]

The PD should have no problem following up on this at all. When it comes to private parking lot accidents there is normally no report filed due to it having occurred on a private parking lot. There are only a few circumstances when an accident report is filed, one being an evading accident which is exactly what happened to your mom. The knucklehead in the other car evaded the scene of the accident. As long as the license plate is correct there should be no issue with taking care of this. The officer will contact the other driver and normally request to meet with them and the car that they were driving. They will then take their statement and check for physical evidence of the accident on their car (scrapes, dents, paint transfer, etc.). The officer will then get all their insurance information and add them to the report as the operator at fault. If the operator refuses to meet with the officer or refuses to cooperate the officer can apply for an arrest warrant for the charge and hope that the judge signs it based on the license plate. Hopefully the witness left their name and number for the officer to contact them and get a statement. I know things are different in every state, but in CT and on my department this is how we handle it. I have dealt with these a ton of times and have NEVER let one go, we always follow up!! In CT it is a misdemeanor arrest for the evading operator. Good Luck!!!!

[cyglee]

My son's parked Acura (on a Santa Monica street) was sideswiped by a u-turning white car. A good samaritan left a note with the license and car description. The police did not investigate as there was no bodily injury, and referred my son to his insurance. The good samaritan did not leave any contact info, so there was no "actual witness" per the insurance company to identify the driver. The registered owner of the other car just denied any wrong doing, and the insurance company said to file a claim. A lot of busy work that amounted to nothing.

[gwalker]

To all you calling this a hit and run, it really isn't. It happened on private property in a parking lot. It WILL NOT be viewed a a hit and run felony in NJ. Maybe somewhere in Wyoming where the cops have nothing to do. I have 4 NJ city cops and a NJ state trooper in my family (and am with one at this very moment). He said at the local Walmart they get 10+ of these daily. They will take the report but it's up to the insurance company's to fight it out. So sorry to the OPs mother. Hope it works out in the end.

[rr-nyc]

Originally Posted by gwalker

To all you calling this a hit and run, it really isn't. It happened on private property in a parking lot. It WILL NOT be viewed a a hit and run felony in NJ. Maybe somewhere in Wyoming where the cops have nothing to do. I have 4 NJ city cops and a NJ state trooper in my family (and am with one at this very moment). He said at the local Walmart they get 10+ of these daily. They will take the report but it's up to the insurance company's to fight it out. So sorry to the OPs mother. Hope it works out in the end.

Its still a hit and run. It happening on private property and the frequency of occurrence has nothing to do with it... It's still against the law. In this case, its not a felony in NJ but its still punishable with fines and/or jail time plus civil culpability. It took me all but 10 seconds to find the full text of the law.

Surely the trooper sitting right next to you knows that. Perhaps more cops would respond appropriately if they knew who and what they are paid to serve and protect