I was at Sunshine Speedway last night waiting in line to get my car registered. I saw a big white van in the mirror going around everyone on the right side. I was idle at the moment and he hit the front right of my car (just some cosmetic damage). He stops for a second. Then continues into the parking lot. It is a one way in, one way out type of thing so I waited at the entrance and called the cops while my friends went and looked for the van. They found the van all the way in the back with knowone near it. It was like they tried to hide it. One cop showed up and we had the announcer there ask the person to go to there car. I was expecting it to be a hit and run, but the cop told me there is nothing he can do because its on private property. I was like wtf. He said the same thing would happen if we were in a parking lot at publix. He also said his insurance wouldn't pay for it. What should I do? I got all his information. Am I screwed or what?

 

Nope, claim it on your insurance than tell have your insurance go after his. They will pay. However it is true that the policy cannot write citations on private property.

 

Eric, that sucks!! How did you keep from getting out of your car and pulling the bastard out of his van? Anyways, let your insurance pay, then they should subrogate the claim from his insurance. In other words his would end up paying in the end.

 

I had the same thing happen to me and the insurance company subrogated,but it rasied my rates. I don't they ever got the money from the SOB because he didn't have insurance.

 

This crap is so stupid. Ask the cop, "If I'm sitting in a Publix parking lot, and a drunk plows into me and totally destroys both cars, would you not cite him? What if the guy in the van isn't looking and hits the gas instead of the brake and plows into me causing severe bodily injury and a lengthy hospital stay? He gets off Scott free?" Just because it happens on private property doesn't mean he is free from liability. Let me guess, people are going to flame me 'cause those are extenuating circumstances. So the logic becomes; if it's just little thing, we have to let it go.

How about telling the cop to pull him over when he leaves and cite him for leaving the scene? Sorry, just hate to see this happen to people. It really makes me mad.