The situation when you go out to your car after shopping or going to the cinema and discover an unpleasant surprise in the form of a scratch or dent is familiar to many drivers. Accident in the parking lot often happens in the absence of the owners, and the culprit may leave, leaving you alone with the problem. At this moment, the main thing is not to panic and clearly understand the algorithm of actions, since the possibility of receiving an insurance payment depends on the first minutes.
According to statistics, more than 60% of such incidents occur in crowded parking lots of shopping centers, where drivers are not always attentive. If you got used to it, it is important to record the position of the vehicle and damage before starting any active actions to move the vehicle. Ignoring the registration rules may lead to the insurance company refusing compensation for damage.
In this article, we will look in detail at how to act correctly if your car is hit in a parking lot, how to find the culprit using cameras, and how to correctly fill out documents for OSAGO or CASCO. The correct sequence of steps will help you save time, nerves and money on restoring your car.
Initial assessment of the situation and recording the situation
The first thing you need to do when you discover damage is to visually assess the situation around you. If the culprit is still nearby, the situation is resolved faster: you can discuss the details and call the traffic police or draw up a European protocol. However, most often you find yourself alone with a damaged car, and here it is important to act calmly.
Do not touch the car or try to drive away immediately, even if it is blocking the passage, until a complete photograph has been taken. Your job is to document traffic accident situation in the form in which she found it. This includes the vehicle's position relative to lane markings, adjacent vehicles, poles and other objects.
⚠️ Attention: If you move the car before the traffic police arrive or take careful photographs from different angles, this may be regarded as a violation of traffic rules and a change in the picture of the incident, which complicates evidence of innocence.
Use your smartphone to create a detailed photo and video report. Take wide shots of the parking lot so you can see the location, and close-ups of the damage from different angles. The photo should show car license plates, brake marks (if any) and fragments if they were formed at the time of impact.
- 📸 Take 4 photos from four sides of the car to capture the overall picture.
- 🔍 Take a close-up shot of the contact point, capturing the license plates of both cars (if the culprit is nearby).
- 📍 Record the position of the car relative to road markings and stationary objects.
- 🎥 Make a short video with comments describing the time, place and nature of the damage.
Use the geolocation function on your smartphone camera or take a photo at the sign with the shopping center address to confirm the location of the incident.
Search for the culprit and witnesses in the parking lot
Searching for someone who lapped the car, may take time, but it is a critical step. First of all, look around: perhaps there is a car nearby with similar fresh damage or there are traces of paint of your color on the body. Often drivers, noticing that they have hit someone else’s car, simply drive to a nearby place to wait or think about the situation.
If the culprit is not present, interview possible witnesses. These could be parking guards, salespeople at nearby kiosks, or drivers whose cars are parked nearby. People often pay attention to a loud impact sound or an alarm that may have gone off at the time of the incident.
Particular attention should be paid to CCTV cameras. Modern parking lots of shopping centers and office buildings have many cameras installed. You need to contact the facility security service with a request to preserve the recording. The storage period for archived recordings is often only 3-5 days, so you need to act immediately, otherwise the footage may be overwritten.
You may need to make a formal request to contact security or police for camera footage, but often simply explaining the situation to the security guard on site is sufficient. Record the time you arrive at the car and count back to determine the time interval to search for the recording.
Calling traffic police officers and completing paperwork
If the culprit is found and he admits his guilt, you can issue a europrotocol without calling the police, provided that there are no victims and the amount of damage does not exceed the limits (up to 400 thousand rubles when recorded through the application, up to 100 thousand in paper form). However, if the second participant denies guilt or hides, calling the traffic police is mandatory.
When calling the police, clearly inform the dispatcher that an accident has occurred, the culprit has escaped (if this is the case), and whether there is damage to other vehicles. The operator will tell you whether you need to wait for the order on the spot or whether you should proceed to the nearest traffic police post or department for registration.
Don't waste time while waiting for employees or while driving to the registration point. Prepare all the necessary documents: driver’s license, vehicle registration certificate (STS) and MTPL policy. If you have a dashcam that recorded at the moment of impact or immediately after, save the file.
⚠️ Attention: Do not leave the scene of the accident before the traffic police arrive unless you have recorded all the circumstances and received instructions from the dispatcher. Leaving the scene of an accident even for victims may result in administrative liability.
Police officers will draw up a diagram of the accident, interview participants and witnesses, and also issue a certificate of the accident or a resolution. These documents are the basis for contacting the insurance company. Carefully check the protocol before signing: all damage must be described in detail, including hidden defects that may appear during repairs.
☑️ Documents for verification when registering an accident
Insurance features: OSAGO and CASCO
The procedure for receiving payment directly depends on which policy covers the damage. If you have CASCO, the situation is resolved more simply: you contact your insurance company, provide documents from the traffic police and an application. The insurer will pay for repairs whether the at-fault party is found or not, although the presence of the at-fault party may affect the deductible.
In case of working through OSAGO, everything is more complicated. If the culprit is found and he has a valid policy, you contact his insurance (or yours for direct indemnity, if the conditions are met). If the culprit disappeared and was not found, it is almost impossible to receive a payment under MTPL for damage to your own car, since MTPL insures liability to third parties, not your car.
There is an exception: if, as a result of an accident where the culprit escaped, harm was caused to life or health, or if the owner of the source of increased danger is unknown, payments are made Russian Union of Auto Insurers (RUA). However, for simple parking lot scratches this mechanism is not usually used.
| Policy type | The culprit has been found | The culprit escaped | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| CASCO | Payment in full (minus deductible) | Payment in full (minus deductible) | Usually up to 3-5 days |
| OSAGO | Payment from the insurance company at fault | Payment is unlikely (only through RSA in rare cases) | Up to 5 working days |
| VHI (rarely) | Depends on conditions | Depends on conditions | According to the terms of the agreement |
What is a CASCO franchise?
The deductible is the part of the damage that the policyholder pays independently. For example, if the damage is 50,000 rubles and the deductible is 15,000 rubles, the insurance company will pay 35,000 rubles. In case of an accident with a known culprit, the deductible is often not applied, but in the case of theft or an accident without a culprit (or when the culprit fled), it may be mandatory.
Judicial practice and recovery of damages
If the culprit is found, but refuses to pay or he does not have insurance, and you do not have CASCO insurance, the only option left is court. You will need an independent expert to estimate the cost of restoration. It is important to carry it out after sufficient time has passed since the accident, but before repairs begin.
In the statement of claim, you indicate the amount of damage, the cost of a tow truck (if used), storage of the car and the services of an independent expert. Judicial practice shows that if there is a video recording or a confession of the culprit (traffic police report), the chances of success are high.
However, if the culprit is hiding and the police cannot find him within 3 or 6 months (the period depends on the severity and procedure), the case may be suspended. In this case, there is no one to recover damages from. That is why the search for witnesses and cameras in the first hours plays a decisive role.
- ⚖️ Save all receipts related to the accident (tow truck, taxi, examination).
- 📝 Obtain from the traffic police a copy of the decision to refuse to initiate a case if the culprit is not found, for the archive.
- 👨⚖️ The court will require a report from an independent appraiser with a license.
Typical driver mistakes in parking lot accidents
Many drivers make mistakes that later become costly. One of the most common is an attempt to agree “in words” without completing documents. The culprit may promise to pay tomorrow, but the next day his phone will be unreachable, and you will have no evidence of his guilt.
Another mistake is incomplete fixation of damage. In a hurry, the driver photographs only the dent on the door, forgetting that the neighboring element could also be damaged, or that the internal structure may be damaged. The insurance company will only pay for what is visible in the photo and described in the certificate.
⚠️ Attention: Do not agree to the culprit’s offer to “pay cash” right away if you are not sure of the actual cost of the repair. A scratch may hide damage to a spar or strut, and the cost of repairs will increase significantly.It is also a mistake to ignore hidden cameras. Don't limit yourself to cameras at the entrance to parking lots. Cameras can be on the facade of a store, on an ATM, in a window, or even on the DVRs of passing cars (services like “People's Inspector” or just random recordings).
The biggest mistake is leaving the scene of an accident without recording the position of the cars and without finding witnesses. This deprives you of the opportunity to prove the circumstances of the incident.
What should I do if the car was lapped while I was in the store?
You need to immediately contact the administration of the store or shopping center. Security can help locate CCTV cameras inside the building facing the parking lot or interview staff. It is also worth checking whether the moment of impact was captured on cameras of neighboring stores or bank terminals.
Is it possible to receive a payment if the culprit is not found?
According to the compulsory motor liability insurance policy - practically none, if there was no harm to health. According to the CASCO policy, yes, this is a standard insured event (“Road accident without a second party” or “The culprit fled”), but a deductible and an increasing coefficient may be applied for renewals.
How much time does the police have to find the culprit?
The period for consideration of a case of an administrative offense is usually 2 months (can be extended to 3). If during this time the culprit is not identified, the proceedings are terminated and you receive documents for the insurance company.
Do I need to call the traffic police if the scratch is small?
If the culprit is in place and you agree to the European protocol, there is no need. If there is no culprit or he does not agree, a call is required regardless of the size of the scratch, since this is a full-fledged accident with material damage.
Can the insurance company refuse if I leave the scene of an accident?
Yes, it's very likely. Driving away from the scene of an accident is considered a traffic violation. The insurance company may use this to deny payment, arguing that you have deprived them of the opportunity to determine the circumstances. Exceptions are rare and require proof of extreme necessity.