[Spridgets] Parking lot woes...

[Jay]

Not to throw you off-track, but since Ryan's car was parked and unoccupied I 
think there is a better than even chance the insurance company for the other 
driver will accept liability.

 
Just my opinion.

jay fishbein
wallingford,ct





________________________________
From: Jim Johnson <bmwwxman at gmail.com>
Cc: spridgets_autox.team.net <spridgets at autox.team.net>
Sent: Tue, November 16, 2010 3:23:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Parking lot woes...

If the damage occurs in a privately owned parking lot like a mall or
supermarket, you may be screwed.  Police do not write tickets for accidents
on privately owned parking lots. All they do is a "blotter report" - which
disappears into the trash can in a few days. Most insurance companies want a
police report/ticket in order to establish fault in the accident. If you
don't have one, it becomes a case of "he said - he said"!  In this situation
the guy who is at fault will huddle with his insurance company and they will
come back saying it is YOUR fault so they don't have to pay.  The laws
generally require your company to cover your damages so they will fix your
car and then refuse to fix the other guy's car. Of course, you will be stuck
with the deductible!  After that they will raise your rates!!

I had this happen in a parking lot in Omaha Nebraska back in the 1970s. I
was driving down the marked parking lane when a guy weaving in and out
between parked cars T-boned me. The cop wouldn't write a ticket for him so
he and his insurance company claimed it was me who caused the accident!!
Sure...  I was driving sideways, eh?  All protestation failed. My insurance
refused to give the other guy a dime and then repaired my car less the $500
deductible. Two weeks after I got the car back my insurance company doubled
my premium!

I learned that I could have avoided the problem by just getting a copy of
the blotter report, but who knew?

Cheers!!
Jim