How to handle a car accident on private property in Ohio

A car accident on private property can often work differently than accidents on public roads. This article goes through a typical private property accident and the damage process that follows.

The accident

Two people just finish grocery shopping and both back out of their parking spaces when they unfortunately meet.

How do the police respond?

When you have an accident on a public road, the first thing you should do is call the police so that they can fill in an accident report. This report is often the final determination of who is at fault for an accident, so it is SUPER important that it is complete, especially if the accident is NOT your fault.

When you have a car accident on private property, the police have no authority to make a report, as it is not a public road. So they do not fill in an accident report. If you are lucky, the place where you have the accident on MAY can make an "incident report". They are often done by security guards or some other type of campus authority. The incident report is a simplified version of an accident report, but is often better than nothing when trying to prove wrong.

In the example above, the grocery store did not have security officers, so no report could be submitted.

What happens after the accident?

One of two things can happen here, just like any accident ̵

1; the driver of the other vehicle can drive away or can stop and exchange contact and insurance information. If it is the former, your insurance company will have to pay to repair your vehicle (usually the collision coverage, which is deductible). What happens if you do not have collision coverage on your vehicle? If you have coverage for uninsured motorists, you can get help, but it is limited. If you do not have any of them, you are lucky and will have to pay for the repairs out of pocket. Yes, it stinks completely, but in the absence of any other insurance coverage, you have no choice but to fall back on your Ohio coverage OR your checkbook.

If the other driver stops and you exchange information, there are some additional results – the other person admits wrong, both admit wrong, or neither of you admits wrong. When it comes to people backing down at the same time, it's really hard to decide who's wrong. Security cameras (if available) can help, but it's pretty tough, especially when the cars meet in the middle.

If the other person admits wrongly and says he will turn to his insurance company, I would expect to get a call from a caller within a few days to get a first contact. The claims process should work fairly smoothly after that, including making statements, establishing liability, reviewing damages and issuing checks. the situation is to file a claim with your insurance company. Each company will do its research and determine who is wrong. It is very possible that each person is held liable, so your insurance can pay for your damages and the other's insurance will pay for his damages.

The moral of the story

The outcome of a parking accident is VERY dependent not on an official document that determines errors, but on whether one or both drivers admit errors. Unfortunately, this can be a "he said, she said" situation and in the absence of a clear error, it will often lead to each person's insurance paying their respective damages.

Of course, the ideal situation for the other party is to admit wrongdoing and have your vehicle repaired by his or her carrier, but this seems to be more the exception rather than the rule nowadays. In any case, this article is designed to give you a better idea of ​​how private property accidents work, where parking lots are the most common place.

Let's face it, insurance claims can be confusing and scary. If this type of claim concerns you, rest assured – we help our customers with their claims when they need us. Call us or click for your quote insurance in Ohio today!