
You are driving and your car accidentally brushes against a car that is parked but luckily for you, there is no damage. Do you think leaving a note is the right thing to do? Do you think if you go ahead to leave a note, the owner of the car might turn around and lay claims to damages that never happened? A collision is actually a collision no matter how nice it looks and i accidentally hit a parked car no damage article would guide you on what needs to be done if you ever find yourself in this type of situation.
Hitting another car with your car is still regarded to as a collision and if you do not want to be charged, the best thing that you should do is leaving behind your information. In some states like Ontario, it is important for you to report crashes like this to a collision center or to the police especially if there is a damage that might cost up to one thousand dollars or if there is an injured person. In other cases, a very small damage might cost a thousand dollars or more and this might leave the offender charged with a serious offense.
Accidentally Hit A Parked Car No Damage
If you accidentally hit a parked car no damage or if the damage is very minimal or less visible, it is still important that you report it yourself. This is one of the best ways that you can protect yourself in tricky situations like this but under the Traffic Highway Act, there is no requirement. Reporting this kind of accident might cause your insurance company to waive the deductible provided you reported the accident to the police within twenty four hours. Questions we get is if it is necessary to leave a note despite reporting to the police.
The section of the highway traffic act doesn’t tell you to give away your contact information to any other person than the police but in situations like this, if you run off without leaving a way to be contacted by the owner of the vehicle you just hit accidentally then you are likely to face more charges for not waiting at the scene of the accident. However, this rule is quite similar with the one in Ontario but the only difference is it is effective on the road and not in private parking lots.
You should also be concerned about protecting yourself in this sort of situation and how can you actually do that. It is possible for the owner of the parked vehicle to try and lay a claim on an old damage that his car has already suffered and here are easy steps that would help you avoid being a victim to a fraudulent claim;
- Make sure you take enough pictures of the scene of the accident and also ensure that the photo you are taking clear shows the positioning of both vehicles. Be smart enough to take pictures of any pre existing damage on the car you accidentally hit.
- You should also ask for contact information of witnesses around because their statements might be useful in proving your innocence if you are getting accusations for a damage that you didn’t cause.
- You should also not delay in informing your insurance company about the accident. This sort of situation is one where handling it yourself or privately might be tempting but you never really can tell if the driver of the car you hit accidentally might turn on you and start laying false claims. This is why you need your insurance company behind you because they would always protect you from anyone who is trying to lay fraudulent claims against you.
Pay For Any Damage
Lets say there was a damage, your insurance company isn’t just there to protect you against fraudulent claims but they would also work with you if you have to pay for any damages that the other vehicle might have suffered during the accidental collision. With this being said, you should have it in your mind that an accidental collision in a parking garage isn’t different or treated differently from all other types of collision. However, if you are at fault and your insurance coverage covers for the damage then your rates are likely to go up.
Please, do not panic if you ever hit a parked car accidentally but what you must do is protect yourself, take responsibility and also own up if you have inflicted any damage on the other vehicle. What truly counts is how you choose to handle the situation.
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