Does insurance cover parking damage?

Some people don’t pay attention to the car parked next to them when opening their door. This can easily result in damage to the car next to them. People with even a modicum of decency will leave a note or something similar to inform the driver of the damaged car and provide their contact and address information. But there are certainly also people who don’t do this for various reasons. In that case, the identity of the person responsible is unknown. So, to put it in insurance terms, there is no “other party.” If the perpetrator is known, the damage can be claimed through the at-fault party’s liability insurance. But how do you recover the cost of the damage if the perpetrator is unknown in the case of parking damage?

Suppose you’ve just finished your grocery shopping and, when you return, you find an ugly dent on the side of your car door. It must have been someone who opened their door too forcefully, causing a dent in your car. Of course, it’s hard to identify the culprit at that moment. So how can I still get my damages covered?

What to Do in Case of Parking Damage?

Did your car sustain parking damage, and do you know who caused it? If so, there are a few things you should always do:

• Take photos of the damage
• Write down the date, time, and license plate number of the other party
• Fill out the accident report form together right away
• Write down the information of any witnesses
• Send the completed accident report form to your insurance agent or insurer

Is the perpetrator unknown? If so, always file a police report. In this case as well, it’s important to see if there are any witnesses who saw what happened. That way, you might still be able to identify the perpetrator.

Parking Damage: Perpetrator Unknown

It can happen just like that: you park your car and pop out to run an errand. When you return, you notice a large dent in your car. Someone hit your car, but the person responsible is nowhere to be found. There’s a good chance you won’t be able to identify the person responsible right away. If the perpetrator is unknown in the case of parking damage, it’s important to always file a police report. You can also try to track down the perpetrator by, for example, visiting witnesses or requesting surveillance footage. Until the perpetrator is found, you have no way to recover the cost of the damage. In this case, there are two things you can do. First, in some cases, you can turn to the Motor Vehicle Guarantee Fund. The Motor Vehicle Guarantee Fund compensates for damage when the perpetrator is unknown. However, a condition is that the damage must have been caused by another motor vehicle. If it cannot be determined that the damage was caused by another vehicle, you can often recover the costs through your auto insurance. To do so, contact your insurance agent or insurer.

Car door against another door

Did you bump your car door against someone else’s car door? That could cause a significant dent in the door or a scratch in the paint. Damage to another driver’s car is covered by your liability auto insurance. If you cause damage to someone else’s car with your car door, your insurer will compensate the other party for the damage.

If a storm snatches the car door out of your hands and blows it into another door, this is considered storm damage. In that case, the damage to your own car door is covered by your auto insurance, provided you have third-party liability plus limited comprehensive or full coverage.

Driving Away After Causing Parking Damage

It probably happens more often than you’d like: you park your car and, when you return, find a dent, scratch, or other damage. The person responsible, however, is nowhere to be found. There could be various reasons why the person responsible drove off after causing the damage—for example, because they aren’t insured, have been drinking, or are afraid of a higher insurance premium. Of course, these are not valid reasons for driving off after an accident.

The Road Traffic Act stipulates that it is a criminal offense to drive away after a collision. This applies not only to collisions in which another person has been injured, but also to those involving only property damage, such as body damage. Driving away after causing parking damage is therefore prohibited by law and a criminal offense. The perpetrator has up to 12 hours to voluntarily report to the police.

Parking Damage: License Plate Known

In some cases, the person responsible for parking damage is known—for example, because they leave a note. This allows you to contact them and seek reimbursement for the damage through their auto insurance. In some cases, however, this is not possible. In such cases, you can turn to the Guarantee Fund. Consider, for example, the following situations:

• The motor vehicle that caused the damage is not insured
• The motor vehicle that caused the damage was stolen
• The insurance company is not creditworthy
• The party responsible for the damage is exempt from the insurance requirement because, due to religious or philosophical beliefs, they refuse to obtain insurance

Repairing Parking Damage

If you file a car damage claim with your insurer, it will affect your auto insurance. This is because it will cost you no-claims years, causing you to drop down the no-claims discount scale and increasing your premium. This applies to all damage you’ve caused yourself. If another car causes parking damage to yours, it’s covered by the other party’s insurance. If you caused the damage yourself, it’s wise to consider whether it’s more cost-effective to file a claim with your insurer or to pay for the damage yourself. Parking damage can sometimes be quite expensive, but the premium increase after a single claim can also be substantial. A single claim can reduce your discount by tens of percent. As a result, it may not be wise to file claims for small amounts of damage.

Parking Damage to a Car

Parking damage—and car damage in general—is never pleasant. Especially not when you can’t hold someone else liable and therefore have to cover the costs yourself, even though the damage wasn’t your fault. Fortunately, in these situations, you can turn to the Guarantee Fund. In certain situations where there is no identifiable perpetrator, the Guarantee Fund will reimburse the damage so that you don’t have to pay for it yourself. You must, however, be able to prove that the damage was actually caused by a motor vehicle. You must also show that you have tried to find the at-fault party, for example, by conducting a neighborhood inquiry, filing a police report, or placing an advertisement. Don’t wait too long to take these steps, as they must be completed within 14 days of the damage occurring.

Parking Damage to Door

You open the car door a little too hard, causing it to slam into another car. Oops, a big scratch on both doors. What a shame! Of course, you’ll want to have that repaired as soon as possible. Unfortunately, third-party liability or limited comprehensive auto insurance does not cover paint damage—whether it’s scratches on your car or any other type of paint damage. Do you have comprehensive insurance? Then paint damage to your car will be covered by the insurer, even if the at-fault party is unknown. If the at-fault party is known, the insurer will seek reimbursement from them. Aside from filling out an accident report form, you don’t have to do anything else.