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  • #1

    Report a fender bender?

    I was involved in a very minor collision today in the grocery store parking lot.

    Here's what happened, from my perspective: It was snowing, there were a number of pedestrians about, since apparently everyone decided to go to the store at the same time today.

    I pulled into a parking spot, and found there was a cart part way out into it that kept me from straightening out as I pulled my SUV into the spot. I decided to back out a bit and then straighten out so the people on either side of me would have space to get into their vehicles and easily back out.

    I had got just a little bit out of the spot when a pedestrian decided to run behind me. So I stopped for him, double checked there was no one else near and slowly started backing out again. A woman in a bright green coat almost walked into my driver's side back door, because she was watching her phone and not the cars in the lot.

    After seeing her stop, I checked the other direction and slowly let off the brake to let my SUV roll about 3/4 out of the spot so I could maneuver back in around the grocery cart. That's when I felt the thump and my SUV came to a full stop without me applying more pressure to the brake.

    I looked out the rear window, and see a little red hatchback that had come from my driver's side just zipping along, but clearly I had struck the vehicle. I pull back in, mostly straight, and hopped out. The woman in the green coat was off like a shot, when I called out to stop her she yelled 'I didn't see anything!' and kept going. Subtle, lady, real subtle.

    I checked my rear bumper. I have roughly 4 feet of red paint scraped across the length of it, from the initial point of impact to where contact broke. Since I was backing straight out, the entire scrape is clearly from the speed of the hatchback.

    I walked up the hatchback and waited for the driver to get out so I could get a name, contact info, etc. While I was waiting, I looked at the damage to the car. It was a single point of impact on the very edge of the rear well about the size of a quarter where all the paint was scraped away.

    In a veritable cliche, the driver was a little old woman who can't be more than 5ft tall and weighs somewhere around 90 lbs. It was like confronting someone's sweet old grandma. I verified she was OK - she didn't even realize there was an impact - and we looked at the damage to both vehicles.

    She didn't seem concerned and headed off to do her shopping after I had her name & phone number. I took down here license plate, and called my wife to let her know about the accident. By the time I was done with that phone call, the little old lady had already come back out and left the parking lot.

    So now, with basically no real damage to my car at all, should I contact the police and report the accident? Or just let it go, since the other driver doesn't seem to care and there was really nothing but a touch of cosmetic damage to both vehicles?

    The last accident I was in required the police to be called because there was serious damage to my vehicle. That was 22 years ago, so I don't have a lot of experience with stuff like this.
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  • #2
    Definitely report it. Does your phone have a camera? If so, I hope you photographed the damage to both vehicles.

    What happens if the little old lady hits something else (fixed object), and then reports your collision as a hit-and-run? You'd wind up on the hook for the damage from both incidents.
    Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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    • #3
      I'd report it. With her paint on your vehicle, matching hers to it should be simple for the police.
      "I've found that when you want to know the truth about someone, that someone is probably the last person you should ask." - House

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      • #4
        Yes. Definitely report it. Even if it was really minor/no injuries, laws in most places require it, preferably on-scene, at the time of the accident. Check your local laws for info about this.
        "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
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        • #5
          Contact the police and get their answer. Laws vary, and are often based on two factors: injury, and cost of repairs.

          Any time anyone is injured, even the slightest, always report.

          And unless you happen to be a panelbeater able to approximate the cost of repairs at a glance ... err on the side of caution and report even minor incidents.
          Seshat's self-help guide:
          1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
          2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
          3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
          4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

          "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

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          • #6
            To quote Judge Milian "We have a name for people who don't' make a report, litigants."

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            • #7
              I just wanted to say thanks for the advice, everyone. I called the police non-emergency number, they took my info and said someone would call me back. So I guess I'll find out later?

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              • #8
                A few months ago, I accidently made contact with someone else's car pulling into a parking spot. I waited until she came back from shopping and I filed a claim with my insurance company. The lady called her husband who advised her to call the police to get a report.

                Totally off the record, the policeman told me it was ridiculous that she called. The damages were minimal and I stayed put and filed a claim.

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                • #9
                  Quoth WoodenSunshine View Post
                  A few months ago, I accidently made contact with someone else's car pulling into a parking spot. I waited until she came back from shopping and I filed a claim with my insurance company. The lady called her husband who advised her to call the police to get a report.

                  Totally off the record, the policeman told me it was ridiculous that she called. The damages were minimal and I stayed put and filed a claim.
                  Until she suddenly develops whiplash.........
                  There's no such thing as a stupid question... just stupid people.

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                  • #10
                    Quoth It's me View Post
                    Until she suddenly develops whiplash.........
                    That's true. In my case, the lady who's car I hit was shopping and not in her car.

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                    • #11
                      In a fun turn of events, my wife & I went out to a show on Friday night. On our way back to the SUV as we're leaving the show, I watched the small black hatchback parallel parked in front of me back into my front bumper and drive away without checking for damage on either my vehicle or his own.

                      We weren't close enough to get his plates. On the bright side, my bumper is spotless but there were a couple chunks of black plastic bumper from his vehicle lying the ground. I guess I win that round, too?

                      From the first incident, a local cop called me back - turns out he's my boss's new boyfriend and recognized my name from her stories of the office. He called the woman I hit and I guess we're just going to skip the report as she has no interest in filing and he said he's protecting my insurance rate by not filing the report. I assume it's cool to trust the police officer.

                      The downside of all this is that my SUV seems to be developing into some sort of 'tiny hatchback' magnet, which is not cool.

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