What to Do When Your Car Is Scratched But You Can't Find the Person Responsible?
3 Answers
If your car is scratched and the incident is captured by your dashcam, you can take the video evidence to the traffic police for assistance. You can also try to locate the responsible party through surveillance cameras. Even if the person cannot be found, the parking lot may still be held accountable. Additionally, you can seek help from the property management to resolve the issue by reviewing the community surveillance footage to identify the culprit and report the incident to the police.
My car has been scratched by someone before. It was parked in the residential area, and when I found the scratch, I couldn’t find the responsible party at all—I was almost furious. This experience taught me that the first step is to stay calm and not act impulsively. Immediately check if there are any surveillance cameras around, such as CCTV at the entrance of the community or in the corners of the parking lot. If there are, ask the property management for the footage to see who did it. If you really can’t find out, contact the parking lot attendant or security guard—they might be able to help. At the very least, quickly take photos with your phone as evidence, capturing the details of the scratch and the parking location. These are all key pieces of evidence. Don’t forget to report it to your insurance company. If you have scratch insurance, they might cover the repair costs. As for handling the scratch, I’ve bought touch-up paint for minor scratches, and it worked okay. But for deeper damage, you’ll need to go to a professional shop for a respray, which usually costs a few hundred bucks. Afterward, I learned some parking spot selection tricks, like avoiding blind spots with heavy traffic to reduce the risk of it happening again. In short, this kind of thing happens often, and taking proactive measures is the best approach.
When dealing with car scratches, I found the insurance process super important—if you can't find the responsible party, you have to rely on yourself. First, don’t wait. Take clear photos of the scratches immediately, noting the time and location, then contact your insurance company to file a claim. They’ll guide you through filling out forms for compensation based on your car damage insurance policy. In most cases, you’ll pay a small deductible, but it saves you big money and avoids paying out of pocket. If it involves a public place, like a mall parking lot, note down the police report number—officers can help retrieve surveillance footage or document the incident. In daily life, I’ve made it a habit to keep a notepad in my car to jot down details right away, making follow-up easier. For scratch repairs, don’t rush—small ones can be fixed with DIY scratch repair wax, saving time and money. The key is not to lose big over small things. Road safety comes first—make sure there’s no other hidden damage.