Hit and Run - Police not interested as there is no Personal Injury, even with evidence

abeezar

Hi


Video Evidence Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rO9OTH4iu_7ZpP7k8DHVf088VXC30_FD/view?usp=share_link
[ Hit at the time: 20th sec ]

I became a victim of a Hit and Run where my car was damaged by a third party. The incident happened at night time 

I was able to get the evidence video of the third-party car coming out of a DRIVEWAY opposite where I had parked.
The video shows the car hitting my car and my car wobbling at the time of the hit.
The guys who hit the car came out to see the damage, visit the house they were parked to inform the members of the house, and then come out and drove off.
Because it was dark and also as the car lights were on - the registration number of the car is not seen.

Before I got video evidence, I went to the house and asked if they know about the incident,  they have a camera for any evidence. They denied it by texting me and do not know about the incident.

I filed a Hit and Run Police report - the police came back with insufficient information and closed the case.

I then spoke to the case officer and she said they need the Vehicle Registration number - which I explained ..boss.. I have given you the house number/address
on which the car was parked and hit my car..so isn't that enough .... NO...she said. ..and as there was no Personal Injury they cannot pursue it .....also one of the other case officers I spoke she said they don't have enough resources. I just wanted them to ask one question - can you ask ONE house about the incident?

When I asked her did she saw the video and it hit my car - she said the video did not have my car wobbling - so definitely she did not do her job.
I replied to the case officer to again view the video with specified timestamps.


Please can someone advise what are my best options?

Thanks in advance.

Regards
AB

sevenhills

Inform your insurance company and let them deal with it.

400ixl

Yep, go through the insurance if you plan to get it repaired via them anyway.

abeezar

I have informed my Insurance company(LV) and the repair will be done in a few days.

The Insurance company has put the claim as a "Fault Claim" and I need to pay the excess. I have narrated and shared the video with them - however, to pursue a no-fault claim they need the registration number. They are happy to write a letter to the third party house address but if they refuse, they can't do much.

onashoestring

You could share the information with neighbours and ask them to check if their cameras to see if they also have recorded the car and show the licence plate ? 

DullGreyGuy

abeezar said:

I have informed my Insurance company(LV) and the repair will be done in a few days.

The Insurance company has put the claim as a "Fault Claim" and I need to pay the excess. I have narrated and shared the video with them - however, to pursue a no-fault claim they need the registration number. They are happy to write a letter to the third party house address but if they refuse, they can't do much.

Presumably the source of your video only records in certain circumstances so doesnt capture the car arriving earlier?

Certainly take the advice of others of looking to see if others in the area have video doorbells/CCTV etc and see if they are willing to see what they captured.

You could try pestering the police, I know I got fobbed off once that they wouldnt deal with an issue because of a silly made up excuse and eventually got an apology and action that the front desk staff had been wrong. Realistically it is going to be very low on their priority list as these things are seen as much more of a civil matter and insurers deal with it... though letters from insurers dont carry the same weight as one from the police. 

Some insurers do have various "promises" around vandalism, hit and run, uninsured drivers etc so check your policybook but assuming there arent any in your policy then it will be a fault claim and excess will be unrecoverable. 

Wonka_2

Unless it's a resident of the property and the car is normally there you're going to struggle - your evidence doesn't show a registration plate nor any specifically identifiable information

On that basis their decision seems to be sensible

Your best option, if you see the car again in the coming days, is take a pic of it (presumably with the corresponding damage) and the registration plate and report that to your insurance company

abeezar

Wonka_2 said:

Unless it's a resident of the property and the car is normally there you're going to struggle - your evidence doesn't show a registration plate nor any specifically identifiable information

On that basis their decision seems to be sensible

Your best option, if you see the car again in the coming days, is take a pic of it (presumably with the corresponding damage) and the registration plate and report that to your insurance company

I do make rounds in the area as I live nearby, but unable to spot the car. I will try and get more evidence but as the car was parked on the driveway Police at least has a duty to check as it carries more weight than an insurance company asking them.

Herzlos

You could always file a Letter Before Action to the resident of the house for the cost of the repairs, if you've got video evidence of the car being known to them. 

They may just give you their visitors details to avoid the hassle.

Of course given it looks like your neighbours it may be more hassle than it's worth. 

MarvinDay

abeezar said:

The video shows the car hitting my car and my car wobbling at the time of the hit.

Not really.
All it shows is the other car reversing towards your car then your car moves but there is no video proof that contact was made.
If the other driver was found and taken to court, they could claim that your car had someone sitting behind the wheel and when their car was reversing out, the person in your car started the engine and it looked as if it was in gear because it jumped forward slightly.

I'm not saying that they didn't hit your car but as there is no video of the actual collision, proving the impact may not be too easy.

DullGreyGuy

MarvinDay said:

abeezar said:

The video shows the car hitting my car and my car wobbling at the time of the hit.

Not really.
All it shows is the other car reversing towards your car then your car moves but there is no video proof that contact was made.
If the other driver was found and taken to court, they could claim that your car had someone sitting behind the wheel and when their car was reversing out, the person in your car started the engine and it looked as if it was in gear because it jumped forward slightly.

I'm not saying that they didn't hit your car but as there is no video of the actual collision, proving the impact may not be too easy.

They could, but then it would ultimately come down to who the judge believes is the more probable story... civil law is based on the balance of probability rather than beyond reasonable doubt.