What to Do When Scraping Another Vehicle While Parking?

[Corey]

Here are the steps to handle scraping another vehicle while parking: 1. For scrapes in residential areas, contact the property management directly: Scrapes are quite common in open parking lots within residential areas with high accessibility. If the party responsible for the scrape cannot be found, the vehicle owner should first negotiate with the property management company. This is because the parking fee collected by the property management may not be a vehicle management fee but rather a space rental fee. After clarifying this, the owner can check whether the residential area has signed a parking service management contract with the property management company. 2. For scrapes in free parking lots, contact the insurance company: Free parking lots are only liable for damages caused by intentional acts or gross negligence in vehicle custody, and generally, they are not responsible for minor scrapes. In such cases, it is natural to contact the insurance company, but since the responsible party cannot be identified, the vehicle owner will still bear 30% of the repair costs. If the owner has purchased the additional insurance "Non-fault Third Party Coverage" under the vehicle damage insurance, the insurance company will cover the full cost. 3. For scrapes in commercial parking lots: First, negotiate with the responsible party, and if the negotiation fails, file a lawsuit in court.

[DeLuke]

Last time when I was reversing, I accidentally scraped the front of a nearby car. I was really flustered at that moment, but I knew I had to stay calm. I immediately stopped the car, turned off the engine, and got out to check. Fortunately, the owner was nearby. I walked over and sincerely apologized, explaining it was an accident, and the other party was quite understanding. We exchanged phone numbers and driver’s license information, and took photos including the scraped area, overall condition of the cars, and the surrounding environment as evidence. Later, when I got home, I contacted my insurance company to report the details of the accident, and they arranged for damage assessment and compensation. The key is not to flee the scene, as it could be considered a hit-and-run, which carries serious legal consequences and may even affect your driver’s license. Handling it promptly can save a lot of trouble—after all, everyone makes mistakes.