You leave your car on the street and head into a bar only to come out later and see that a careless driver has hit your car with his door and left, what do you do at this point? In this article, we consider the steps and tips you should follow when someone hits your car with their door and leaves.
Can Someone Hit My Car With their Door and Leave?
Yes, it is very possible for someone to hit your car with their door and leave without contacting you.
Some people are very wicked and heartless. Even if they know the right thing to do, they refuse to do it. You can imagine that you are enjoying your Friday evening at a lounge with your friends and you are having a really nice time.
You’re done for the night and you want to go home, you enter the parking lot to discover that your car now has a broken headlight and a damaged mirror. It is so obvious that someone must have hit your car and fled the scene. What do you do next?
Why Would Someone Hit My Car With their Door and Left?
But why? Why will someone hit my car will their door and leave without contacting me?
Many of these drivers are nervous and frightened when they hit other cars. With this level of fear, the only thought in them is to flee the scene. Some would leave the scene because they don’t care, didn’t bother to check how bad their door damaged your car paint.
Someone who hit a car and does not contact the car’s owner is a hit-and-run driver. What are hit-and-run accidents?
Hit-and-run accidents happen when a driver causes an accident and flees the accident scene without waiting to fulfill the mandates of the law.
The law mandates every driver that hits a parked car to make a reasonable effort in locating the car’s owner or leave a note for the car’s owner to contact them later.
Many states have laws peculiar to them concerning hit-and-run accidents. If you are the driver and you have hit a parked car with your door, do NOT flee the scene. Wait until you find the owner of the vehicle and reason things together.
What to Do If Someone Hit My Car With their Door and Left?
If someone hit your car with their door and leave, you should:
1. Remain at the Scene
When you come out of a building to meet your parked car damaged or dented, you need to remain at the scene of the incident.
It may be very tempting for you to pursue the culprit and catch up with them but that is not necessary at the moment.
Staying at the scene of the incident will give you time to collect valuable evidence. It is important you do not leave the scene before you gather the necessary information.
2. Engage the Witnesses in Conversations
If you are in a parking lot, you can look around for people that might have witnessed the incident. Talk to them and get the information you think they might have – the car that parked close to you, cars that just left the parking lot, etc.
You need to get as much information as you can get from them to help the case. When you’ve got that, you need to record the information of the witnesses as well – their names, phone numbers, etc.
3. Let the Police Know about the Incident
Informing the police is important in resolving this matter. Since you cannot find the person who damaged your car with their door, your next point of call should be the police.
Many states mandate you file a police report detailing the entire information available about the incident. Even if the driver left a note for you in your car, you still need to inform the police.
By filing an official report, you are giving the police the information they need to carry out an investigation and get your car repaired.
4. Note the Location and Time of the Incident
As soon as you observe the dent in your car, write down the time it occurred. Also, not the exact location where it happened. You will be needing those details in the investigation later.
5. Take Photos and Videos
Before leaving the scene, take as many photos and videos of the incident as possible. Get all the angles you can take, especially close-up views and a general view.
Including videos to properly capture the dent and the ding on your door. These photos and videos will serve as evidence.
6. Contact Your Insurance Company
In the event that you do not have any information about the driver who hit your parked car with their door, you need to contact your insurance company to file a claim.
Note that you can only file a claim if you have uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance. This insurance policy covers dents and dings to your car but you will be required to pay the pertinent deductible.
Should You Report a Door Ding or Dent to the Police?
You should report a door ding or dent to the police if the damage is more visible. If it’s just a minor scratch you can easily remove, then there is no need to inform the police. You can look for a way to remove the scratch or look for a way to get the culprit.
This is why having a dashcam in your car is very important. It will make it possible for you to get evidence of everything that had happened.
You can also involve your insurance company. This is why having video evidence of the incident is important.
Final Words
Whenever you meet your car with dents or dings because someone has hit your car with their door and left, follow the above steps and ensure that your car is restored back to its original state. It is important for you to get covered by an insurance package because such accidents can happen to anyone at any time.