Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park

Honest John Back Room » Legal matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Fri 18 Jul 2014 18:40
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - sulm

I accidently scraped/scrathed a car when i was trying to reverse into a tight spot. When I made contact with the car I stopped and went to find a nother parking spot as I did not want to attempt it again. I only made light contact and when I had a look at my car there was only a small scrath with some paint that came off. My car is a silver golf and the car I touched was a black audi. My car didnt have any black paint on it so I dont think any paint came of the audi, only from my car. I went to have a look at the audi, it didnt seem so bad there was a small scratch with some of my silver paint. I didnt examine it properly though so there could be a deep scratch under the silver paint.

This is the first time I did anything like this, so I'm not sure whats going to happen. I didnt have a pen and paper on hand so I didnt leave a note. I did leave my details twice, first time i left them at the customer service desk at the shopping center and second time I called them on the phone. Does anybody know what is likely to happen, Im a bit worried.

Thank you

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 18 Jul 2014 19:06
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - FP

It makes a change to hear about someone with a conscience and a sense of responsiblity.

I did pretty much the same thing a while back in a multistorey car park - paint mark on the "victim" car from my bumper (a BMW I may add), plus scuff mark on my bumper. Possible slight dent, but the light was poor and I couldn't be sure. I was sick to the back teeth to have done it - well below my usual standards etc. etc.

I put my details on a bit of paper under the BMW's wiper. I never heard a thing.

"Does anybody know what is likely to happen, Im a bit worried." The worst is that the owner of the damaged car makes a meal out of it and tries to claim for a lot of damage. There's not much you can do except make your case.

Nowadays I would use my mobile's camera and take some pictures.

Edited by FP on 18/07/2014 at 19:06

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 18 Jul 2014 21:13
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - bathtub tom

Always, but always carry pen and paper in the car. You never know when you may have an accident and need them to take another driver's details.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 19 Jul 2014 08:47
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - Dwight Van Driver

Bear in mind that the 'car park' could be deemed a road under Road Traffic ACT and thereby bring in the provisions of reporting an accident..."Owing to the presence of a mv on a road an accident occurs whereby damage is caused to another vehicle" then there is an obligation to (1) Stop and (2) give your details to any person requiring same. If (2) not done at the time them obligation to report matter to the Police within 24 hrs - failure to do so offence.

Could it be that the car park is covered with CCTV this allowing IP to view incident and report a fail to exchange details offence to the Police?

I cannot say that this will occur but it is something to bear in mind in such incidents.

dvd

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 19 Jul 2014 22:26
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - scot22

I really don't think the police would have the slightest interest in this, even if the possibilty you put forward were to be correct. OP has done everything reasonably possible to inform the other owner. The OP needs to be commended for actions.

Other than wasting time of the police nothing more could have been done. Nothing to be concerned about.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 20 Jul 2014 10:36
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - skidpan

In my experience the Police are simply not interested in RTA's that do not involve an injury.

The only time you need to report one is if you need a crime number for insurance purposes. That is dealt with by an admin person, no officer is involved.

Take an example that happened to my dad about 8 years ago. He was run into at a junction by an old Rover full of young kids. He followed them and they parked the car on the drive and went into the house. He reported it to the police who said they could do nothing for 2 reasons, they had no idea who was driving and since the car was registered to the family dog (a common trick locally we were told) they could not try to prosecute the owner for allowing underage kids out in the car. They did take it away and get it crushed.

If the OP fell foul of the the police after leaving details it would prove that the law is a complete ass.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 21 Jul 2014 22:44
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - focussed

Registered to the family dog? How did it sign the forms?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 21 Jul 2014 23:17
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - alan1302

Registered to the family dog? How did it sign the forms?

With a paw!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 22 Jul 2014 09:57
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - thunderbird

Registered to the family dog? How did it sign the forms?

The writing was very ruff.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 22 Jul 2014 12:38
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - FP

The police might want to feel its collar.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 22 Jul 2014 13:21
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - thunderbird

Further to the Police being interested in a knock in a car park here is what happened to the Mrs.

She was driving down one of the local roads that narrows quite a bit where an old house just out. There is space for 2 cars to pass providing that both keep well to the left. On this occation the oncoming driver did not keep to the left and mirrors clashed. The Mrs stopped as did the other driver, no damage to either car other than scratched on the mirror housing and broken glass. Mrs was happy to accept it as a fact of every day motoring but the other driver was irate and aggressive and when she would not accept full liability and pay he insisted the Police were called.

They arrived, took details looked at the damage and then gave the other drive a sound b0llocking for wasting their time.

Mrs was still laughing when she got home, apparantly the aggressive drivers response to the Police needed to be seen to be believed.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 28 Nov 2015 08:08
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - jeffreyburkholderRoom

We offer meet greet service i-e to collect car from airport terminal and drop the car back again at air port terminal.

(Name deleted - missed this one originally!)

Edited by Avant on 08/01/2016 at 17:50

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 29 Nov 2015 21:21
Accidentally scraped/scratched car in car park - FP

So the egregious Mr Jeffrey Burkholder-Room (he of the tangential posts) finally reveals himself as a spammer.

Cynical, moi?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link