Another hit 'n run

waveneygnome

I picked up my 'new' passat yesterday.....really happy with it.

Took a load of garden rubish to local recycling centre and as I was unloading the car with several bags of garden waste, I left the car door open.

The bins for waste is a bit of a walk away from whre I had parked my car (only 3 mins max)

When I got back, the chaps who work at the site were looking at my car and said that car has just hit your door....I didn't see the car, only a flash as it drove off. !!!!!!.

Luckily, one of the chaps noted the vehicle reg number and wrote it down for me & said they would be happy to be used for witnesses. They said it made hell of a noise (as the car door closed) and that the chap must have known he'd hit it otherwise why drive out of a recycling centre without emptying your car.

The damage is not great to be honest - small dent size of £2 coin + scratch.

I'm more annoyed at myself for leaving car door open, and for the cheeky man (it was a man) who drove off.

It doesn't seem worth an insurance claim....its just going to bug me everytime I look at the door!

Not sure what to do now?

victor2

It is going to bug you every time you clean the car in particular. You could try a local body shop for a quote - might do you a deal for cash.:)
Not worth an insurance claim. Your excess will probably be more than the cost and your premiums will go up.

rev_henry

Go to the MID, pay them £3.75 for the culprit's insurance details, and go to the insurance company directly without involving your own. I'd do it just for the principle.

DUTR

rev_henry wrote: »

Go to the MID, pay them £3.75 for the culprit's insurance details, and go to the insurance company directly without involving your own. I'd do it just for the principle.

I'm not so sure the OP has a claim if he left the car door open, if anything the other driver may have a claim against the OP :eek:

vaio

nah, if you hit something that's stationary it's pretty much always your fault and that's before you drive away without stopping

Ian_W

DUTR wrote: »

I'm not so sure the OP has a claim if he left the car door open, if anything the other driver may have a claim against the OP :eek:

Nonsense! If the OP had actively opened the door so the other car collided with it whilst passing, fair enough. However the OPs door was open whilst the car was stationary and unattended. The driver of the moving car has a duty of care to exercise reasonable skill to avoid any part of a stationary vehicle including an open door. No contest.

As you have a witness I'd do as rev_h says just so the other guy doesn't get away with it. If you can't be bothered, fair enough, your call. I recently got some minor scratch damage caused by wind blowing something onto my car for £80 by a mobile repairer. Try googling "smart panel repairs" + your location. He did a really got job that is invisible even in artificial light but I guess the quality can vary with the operator.

ETA: "smart" isn't a company BTW, it stands for small, medium area repair techniques (or something similar).

forgotmyname

If you report it to the police they will get 6 - 8 points for failing to stop.

Might teach them a lesson.

Contacting MID is a good idea but i think you need to report it within 24 hours and i dont think
you will have his details and contact information that quickly.

DUTR

Ian_W wrote: »

Nonsense! If the OP had actively opened the door so the other car collided with it whilst passing, fair enough. However the OPs door was open whilst the car was stationary and unattended. The driver of the moving car has a duty of care to exercise reasonable skill to avoid any part of a stationary vehicle including an open door. No contest.

As you have a witness I'd do as rev_h says just so the other guy doesn't get away with it. If you can't be bothered, fair enough, your call. I recently got some minor scratch damage caused by wind blowing something onto my car for £80 by a mobile repairer. Try googling "smart panel repairs" + your location. He did a really got job that is invisible even in artificial light but I guess the quality can vary with the operator.

ETA: "smart" isn't a company BTW, it stands for small, medium area repair techniques (or something similar).

The most recent driver(in this case the OP) also has a duty of care, it is little different to parking the car on the street and leaving the door open.

Hammyman

DUTR wrote: »

I'm not so sure the OP has a claim if he left the car door open, if anything the other driver may have a claim against the OP :eek:

Of course he has a claim. The other driver has no right to hit someones vehicle no matter what the reason (common sense applies if anyone still has any left). If there was no room to get past with it open, the driver should have found out whose car it was or, shock horror, maybe closed it themselves?

So going by your yardstick, as a wagon driver who was inconvenienced a lot by people who badly parked their cars, I had a valid reason to shove them out of the way with my truck.

bap98189

forgotmyname wrote: »

If you report it to the police they will get 6 - 8 points for failing to stop.
Might teach them a lesson.

Unlikely, not least because the offence didn't take place on a highway.

spadoosh

bap98189 wrote: »

Unlikely, not least because the offence didn't take place on a highway.

Traffic offence on council land, i believe the police would get involved.

OP would certainly pursue just to prove a point to the noob who bumped your car, for the sake of a small dint its just polite to inform them and to offer to pay. Schoolboy mentality.