My neighbor hit my car and tampered with it.....

[twilliams8]

My neighbor pulled out of her driveway and backed into my car that was parked across the street. She walked up to my door, saw our security cam and decided not to ring the doorbell. Previously, I heard a noise and I went to my dining room window to check it out as it was around 5am. That is when I saw her walking away and I opened my door and asked if everything was ok. She said "I hit your car, I am so nervous". She called Non Emergency police assistance who never showed up until they were called again by my husband. We exchanged information and I contacted my insurance company. About a couple hours later, (according to the video) she pulls into her driveway and proceeds to my car (I guess she forgot that she was still being recorded). She then looks at my window to see if we were watching and bends down to where that huge dent was on my car. She spends around 15 -20 minutes behind my car and then goes back to her truck for a few moments. Then she walks across the street, rings our doorbell and tells my husband "The dent is gone, don't know what happened"....huh?? So that is when I contacted my insurance co and they told me to file a police report because she "tampered with the evidence" even though she really thought she "fixed" it and this whole ordeal would just go away. You can still see that something was there, like that dent. Could I file a civil lawsuit against her? How can the insurance co assist me with this and her insurance comp?

 

[fed up]

Your carrier is already involved. If you have full coverage on the vehicle, follow their advice and let them handle repair and subrogation. You initially will pay some part of your deductible but should get that back through the subrogation

 

[adjusterjack]

How can the insurance co assist me with this

Common misconception. Your policy doesn't provide representation for claims against others. In other words your insurance co will do nothing to "assist" you other than to pay for the repair of the damage less your deductible and then subrogate against the other driver. You'll get your deductible back when your co recovers from the other driver or her insurance co.

As for the police doing anything - don't count on it.

 

[Allen Trent]

My neighbor pulled out of her driveway and backed into my car that was parked across the street. She walked up to my door, saw our security cam and decided not to ring the doorbell. Previously, I heard a noise and I went to my dining room window to check it out as it was around 5am. That is when I saw her walking away and I opened my door and asked if everything was ok. She said "I hit your car, I am so nervous". She called Non Emergency police assistance who never showed up until they were called again by my husband. We exchanged information and I contacted my insurance company. About a couple hours later, (according to the video) she pulls into her driveway and proceeds to my car (I guess she forgot that she was still being recorded). She then looks at my window to see if we were watching and bends down to where that huge dent was on my car. She spends around 15 -20 minutes behind my car and then goes back to her truck for a few moments. Then she walks across the street, rings our doorbell and tells my husband "The dent is gone, don't know what happened"....huh?? So that is when I contacted my insurance co and they told me to file a police report because she "tampered with the evidence" even though she really thought she "fixed" it and this whole ordeal would just go away. You can still see that something was there, like that dent. Could I file a civil lawsuit against her? How can the insurance co assist me with this and her insurance comp?

not ideal, but your neighbor did more than most do in these situations, so I think you might want to cut her some slack versus talking like she cleaned up a murder scene. Majority of parking lot claims the person quietly leaves the scene. I have had our cars hit in parking lots about 5 times & only 1 notified us. My mailbox has been obliterated 1 or 2 times every year in the winter (live on a curve). only 2 out of 10 times has the person taken the time to notify us & 1 time it was a police car that damaged my mailbox & left the scene.

So, I know this isnt ideal, but you will be OK. She might have just hoped she could pop it out & every thing would go away. unless she is being nasty, I wouldnt use words like tamper, evidence, ordeal. this is really minor nuisance in the whole scheme of things.

 

[twilliams8]

The only thing is when she popped out the dent it left a "bulge" and a crease line....the appraiser came out yesterday for photos.

 

[Allen Trent]

The only thing is when she popped out the dent it left a "bulge" and a crease line....the appraiser came out yesterday for photos.

generally, when someone hits a parked car, the person who caused the damages "property damage" liability covers your car because your vehicle wasnt being operated as an auto & was more like a piece of property like a fence, mailbox, etc.

If that is the case & her insurance pays your for the damage, I would consider waiting to get repaired if it is minor..............but then again I have 4 kids between the ages of 15 & 22, so I know cars get damaged alot. So, I tend to wait on minor stuff to get repaired as it might happen again, etc