No one wants to walk out of a store and see that a stranger left their car with a large dent or broken side mirror. Even cosmetic repairs to your vehicle can be several thousand dollars, so you need to know the right steps to take to save the most money possible.
Our car wreck lawyers in Sherman Oaks give you information on how to handle this situation.
What to Do If They Hit Your Car and Left a Note
If you find that someone hit your car while it was parked on the street and left a note on your windshield, then you already have a starting-off point. Here are the steps you should take:
Review the note: Most notes like these leave the person’s name and phone number, if not their insurance information as well. If they did not give you their insurance information, then you will need to call and ask for it.
Gather evidence: Take multiple photos of the damage. Your insurance company will ask for details, which the photos can provide. You should also try to get documentation of the time you believe it happened. If there was a restaurant or store nearby, someone may be able to provide a timeline for when your vehicle was and wasn’t damaged based on when they entered the nearby business. Write down their contact information and what they say happened.
Contact the police to file a police report: Whether or not you need to call the police depends on the severity of the damage. If it’s more serious than just a few scratches, then you should contact the police.
Notify your insurance company: The last step is taking all of your gathered evidence and contacting your insurance company to file a claim. In the rarest of cases, you will have to contact an accident injury attorney in Sherman Oaks.
What To Do If They Didn’t Leave a Note
Someone hitting your car and driving off is sadly a common reality people in Los Angeles have to deal with. In this situation, you will also need to gather evidence of what happened, when it happened, and who may have done it.
This is going to be much more difficult, and your case hinges on witnesses helping you or law enforcement identifying the culprit.
If you cannot locate the driver, then your insurance company will classify the incident as an uninsured driver situation. Uninsured driver insurance will pay for the repairs to your vehicle.