Don't think I caused the damage

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone, I was hoping for some advice. In a supermarket car park today, spaces fairly small, when I opened my car door, it touched the car next to me (I mean touched, didn't slam). When I got out of the car I noticed a huge 12 inch white scuff mark on their door, (I wished I'd rubbed it with a tissue now, to see if it came straight off) I looked at my car and there isn't a single mark (both cars black). I am certain the tiny tap as I opened my door couldn't possibly have caused any damage, but I got very anxious that if the owner came back and thought I had damaged their car, they would damage mine, so I moved. After I moved I checked my car again and its completely clean (4 weeks old so any mark would show).
As far as I know the mark on their car could be months old, the person has left and nothing will ever come off it and I absolutely believe I can't have caused that damage. But, my anxiety is through the roof and I don't know if I should report it in some way, to cover my back? The car park does have CCTV cameras, which would show me getting out of my car and inspecting both doors, then driving away. I wouldn't have left if I thought I had caused the damage. What I am concerned with, after much googling, is if police get involved and I can't prove I didn't do it, could it be classed as leaving the scene of an accident?
Thank you

motorguy

I wouldnt let it worry you.  Doesnt sound like you could possibly have done it, and i'm sure the owner was aware of it.

Wouldnt be "leaving the scene of an accident" as its private ground and you did inspect the damage and conclude it predated you getting out of your car.  Therefore there was no accident to leave.

Probably a 0.1% chance you'll hear anything and even then you'd state your belief you didnt cause the damage.  

If they persist then you'd just hand it over to your insurance company to sort out.  

One chance in a thousand of it getting to that.

Thats how i'd reconcile it anyway to stop me worrying.

[Deleted User]

Thank you for your reply, I do suffer from anxiety, so this has been going over and over in my head since it happened, that's why I thought I would post here. Other sites (I've read) say to report it to my local police station or contact the store to see if anyone had reported anything, though those forums are always referring to when they have driven into a car.

452

motorguy said:

Wouldnt be "leaving the scene of an accident" as its private ground and you did inspect the damage and conclude it predated you getting out of your car.  Therefore there was no accident to leave

A supermarket car park is a public place for the purposes of the Road Traffic Act and Accidents.

[Deleted User]

If I didn't think I caused the damage, when I looked at the door, could I still be classed as leaving the scene? If the scuff marks were pre-existing but I'd left my details on the off chance, any car owner would take advantage of someone offering to pay, even if they knew full well they didn't do it.

motorguy

GrillDawg50 said:

Thank you for your reply, I do suffer from anxiety, so this has been going over and over in my head since it happened, that's why I thought I would post here. Other sites (I've read) say to report it to my local police station or contact the store to see if anyone had reported anything, though those forums are always referring to when they have driven into a car.

I genuinely wouldnt go near anyone about it.

If you go to the supermarket if anyone ever reports a car ding, you'll be in the frame for it no matter if it was you or not.

I'm a worrier but i break things out to best outcome, likely outcome (if different) and worst outcome and probability of each. 

Best and most likely outcome is you'll hear no more about it (99.9% chance)

Worst outcome (0.1% chance) is someone will contact you about it. Then thats as easy for you as giving your side of events and at worst passing it to your insurance company.  Your belief is you didnt do the damage.  The insurance company will then take all to do with it including examining any evidence the other party may think they have and sort it all out for you.

If anything comes of it, come back here for advice.

DoaM

From what you've described, you didn't do it. Ergo you are not liable. Leave it at that and get on with your life (easier said than done, I know) ... the chances of the owner of the other vehicle contacting you (or you insurer) about this is even less than 0.1% (IMHO).

motorguy

GrillDawg50 said:

If I didn't think I caused the damage, when I looked at the door, could I still be classed as leaving the scene? If the scuff marks were pre-existing but I'd left my details on the off chance, any car owner would take advantage of someone offering to pay, even if they knew full well they didn't do it.

No, you evaluated the situation and concluded you hadnt caused the damage, therefore no accident as far as you're concerned.

I had a guy literally drive in to my car in a narrow street.  I was that close to him i could see the whites of his eyes. I could see him mouth "oh !!!!!!" and then he sped off.  There was bits of his car lying beside mine which i picked up and gave to the police.  I got his reg number, police got out to him the next day.  He said "oh i didnt notice hitting anything"...  police accepted that.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for all the replies, to be honest its the possibility of the police getting involved e.g. fine or points that is worrying me. Thats why I was asking about leaving the scene of an accident.
There are CCTV cameras in the car park and I assume the only way the other car owner could view it would be by contacting the police (because of GDPR, they won't just let him/her see it). 

motorguy

GrillDawg50 said:

Thanks for all the replies, to be honest its the possibility of the police getting involved e.g. fine or points that is worrying me. Thats why I was asking about leaving the scene of an accident.
There are CCTV cameras in the car park and I assume the only way the other car owner could view it would be by contacting the police (because of GDPR, they won't just let him/her see it). 

You inspected the car and concluded the mark was pre-existing.

If it wasnt that would be up to the other party to prove.

Scrapit

I get anxiety about people slamming their car doors into mine.