As attorneys specializing in personal injury lawsuits, the first thing we can say is that it is good news that nobody was injured in the other vehicle! We hope you are uninjured, as well. Generally, if you hit an unoccupied vehicle, then you are going at a low rate of speed. Why? Well, unoccupied vehicles aren’t out on the freeway, so we know you weren’t cruising at 80 mph on the freeway when you hit one!
These types of car accidents are probably more common than you think. They can happen quite easily. You may be backing out of a driveway and didn’t see that there was a car parked in the street directly across from your driveway. Crunch…you just found that car the hard way! These types of incidents often take place in parking lots when a car sideswipes another car as they pull into a parking spot, backs into a car when pulling out of a parking spot, or swings the door open and smacks the car next to it.
Do the Right Thing
These situations are the type that tests our integrity, our character. What do we teach our children? We teach them that integrity and character mean doing the right thing even when nobody is looking. So, here you are with nobody around…what do you do? Do you move your car to a different spot and act as though nothing happened? Do you leave and try to forget about it? Well, if you want to do the right thing, then the answer to those questions should be “no.”
Leave a Note or Find the Owner
You can handle it in a few different ways. You can leave a note on the vehicle with your name, insurance information, and phone number. Apologize, explain what happened, and let them know you have insurance and will take care of all damages. Another option is for you to go into the store and ask them to announce the type of car that you hit and request that the owner comes to the front of the store. Then, you can explain in person what happened and exchange all the necessary information. The other option, which we believe to be the best option, is to notify the owner (if they can be located) and call the police to take an accident report. Do NOT leave the scene unless you truly can’t find the owner, but even then, it is best to call the police and wait there. Leaving the scene, even though nobody was hurt, can still bring a “hit-and-run charge” against you!
Involve The Police
You might think you don’t want the police involved, but besides the possible “hit-and-run charge,” here’s a thought to ponder. Let’s pretend that you left a nice note and only caused a small dent. BUT, the person you hit is NOT one of integrity. They want their car to be considered “totaled” by the insurance so that they can get a different car. They may decide to bang up their car on the way home, then try to say that the lovely person who left the note caused all the damage! This is not a scenario that you want to experience. Let the police take an accident report.
We hope you found this information helpful. And, if you are ever involved in an automobile accident in which you sustain injuries and don’t feel that you received proper compensation, then please call us at Nance Cacciatore Law. We specialize in personal injury cases. We do not make any money unless we win your case. We are located in Melbourne in Brevard County. We have experienced car accident attorneys who have won millions for their clients, so don’t hesitate to call us today!
