QuestionQUESTION: Today my friend Stephen and I were in the parking lot of a supermarket. He usually backs into the spot but today he pulled into the spot, but two seconds later he realized he was pressed for time so he started to back out slowly. Another car backed out behind him at the same time.
The two women got out of the car. The mother (not driving) started in about the bumper having black soot on it. I said "Dont worry about it, there is nothing there, nothing happened, lets just go our separate ways". So I thought they were going to listen to me because they both got back into their car and started to pull away.
So my friend Stephen started to pull away as well. As my friend Stephen was about to leave the young girl stopped and came over to Stephen and asked for his phone number because it was her fathers car. He said "No" and we drove away.
There was absolutely nothing on her car except black soot. Stephen never really even touched the car.
I told Stephen he was smart not to give his phone number to her because her father would trump up some problem where he would wind up paying for.
They saw soot on the back of their bumper, yet our cars backed out and never touched, so how is this possible that Stephens car damaged hers if our cars never touched? How would it be possible that our cars gently wound up next to each other if our bumpers were supposed to be neck and neck. This would be impossible because if our bumpers were neck and neck and we backed out further like we did to wind up next to one another we would have damaged our cars really bad.
Also Stephen pulled away as soon as she started to pull away. He only stopped when she stopped and then came over.
ANSWER: Hello Debbie,
I can't figure out if there was an accident - an impact - or not. You say the cars never touched, then you say, "Stephen never really even touched the car." Which one is it? And where did the "black soot" come from?
If there was an impact, no matter how small, the event is an accident. From your account, it would appear that both drivers were at fault because neither was looking. That being the case, each should take care of each other's damages. If damages are extremely minor, neither is likely a matter for insurance. Although sometimes "minor" damage can add up when it comes time for repairs.
It is my opinion that the police should always be called in the event of an accident. This protects both parties from potentially false accusations later. Leaving without exchanging any information can also risk a driver to charges that they left the scene of an accident.
But if the cars never touched, there was no accident and the subject is moot.
Hope this helps.
Jane Pytel
http://SolutionsForYourInsuranceClaim.com
http://FloridaAutoInsuranceCentral.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Neither car touched at all. She backed out to her left and he backed out to his right. All we did was come dangerously close to each other. Nothing happened. Then the girl listened to me and got back into her car and started to leave. She then stopped and then came over I guess because her mom must have made a big fuss over it. The girl was more scared of what her father would say.
If Stephen and she hit one another in regards to where the soot was (back bumper) then it would have been major damage on both sides of our cars and the cars would not have wound up in the positions they did, side by side. It would have been impossible to hit each other straight on from the backs and then wind up side by side with no damge to the side at all. There would have been major damage on both cars.
No damage on either one. She just got scared and came out to look so because of that so did Stephen and I.
And maybe that soot was there before she backed out. Stephen was not liable for anything in this case.
And she started to leave first, otherwise Stephen would never have been able to back out and leave.
And no I disagree with you. Getting the police involved or exchanging info in something like this would only open up a can of worms. This was just a girl afraid of her father and Stephen said no way was he giving any info this would just cause more headaches. Both cars were able to drive away because nothing happened. The father cannot do anything. All he is going to see on his car is black soot and that you can wash off and polish and even if you cannot big deal, the car is still in perfect shape.
That is what I am saying no accident so why exchange numbers - this could lead to an unnecessary lawsuit and agony for Stephen and even for the two women.
Any one else would have said "Good nothing happened, see you" and leave.
Answer Hello Debbie,
This is not an accident. An accident requires an actual physical contact producing damage. There would be no need to call the police to tell them that you came close to an accident but you weren't involved in one.
And by the way, if the girl is afraid of her father, that's not your concern.
A lawsuit and injuries for what? From what you have told me, this is a non-event. It is unnecessary to exchange information on a non-event. Had there been impact, that would be an entirely different matter. Soot, by the way, is not produced when two vehicles collide.
Jane Pytel
http://SolutionsForYourInsuranceClaim.com
http://FloridaAutoInsuranceCentral.com
