How to Handle a Parking Lot Car Accident

My daughter and I recently found ourselves in a parking lot car accident. Even though it wasn't our fault, we found ourselves in a nasty confrontation with an angry motorist who accused me of following too closely.

Following too closely? We were both parked in the drive-through lane of a Burger King, when she put her SUV in reverse and accelerated right over the hood of my car.

Stay calm and assess injuries

As with any motor vehicle accident, the first step is to assess injuries. Keep everyone buckled in, check for signs of injury and ask if anyone is hurt. If someone seems to be injured, call 911.

Fortunately, most parking lot crashes happen at pretty low speeds. If everyone seems OK, this is the time to take a deep breath and count 10 before stepping out of the car. Emotions are pretty frayed at this point, and yelling at the other motorist can make the situation ugly. I'm afraid that I lost my patience with the other motorist, and snapped rather tartly, "In a hurry, weren't we?" This comment put the other motorist on the defensive who snapped back that I was "obviously too close".

Take reasonable steps to protect yourself and the car

If you are in a parking lane which sees heavy traffic, it's usually best to pull the car out of the way where it can't be hit. If the accident was severe enough that the airbags deflated and stalled the engine, set the emergency flashes and exit the car.

Don't discuss the accident with others

Even if the accident appears to be your fault, don't discuss the responsibility of the accident with the other driver or witnesses. The accident should only be discussed with the police or your insurance agent, and no one else. The woman who hit me confessed that she had indeed backed up and struck me, but that it was still my fault for "driving a smaller car."

Exchange insurance information

With parking lot collisions, it's best just to exchange insurance and registration information, and let the insurance companies work out the details. Take good notes, such as the date, time and the location of the accident. Record how the accident happened, and the details leading up to the accident. Record the damage sustained by the vehicles, taking a photograph if a camera is available. Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses if available. Do verify the insurance information.

All states require that motorists carry proof of registration and vehicle insurance. My car's glove box was so crammed full of junk that I couldn't find my information quickly enough to suit the other motorist, which made things even more ugly. The other motorist then accused me of driving illegally, of breaking the law, of tailgating, following too closely, and of inattentive driving. When she snapped, "I'm calling the police," I told her to "go right ahead."

Call the police

In our community, the police will not cite for accidents happening on private property. However, if the the other motorist is hostile, the police should be called for your own safety. Do keep in mind that parking lot accidents are usually pretty low on the priority list when it comes to having a policeman show up. In our case, amazingly, an officer responded within 5 minutes.

Even if the police officer doesn't file an accident report, don't forget to get his name and badge number as a witness.

Call your insurance agent

Call your insurance agent as soon as possible and report the accident. Your insurance agent will begin the process of resolving the insurance claim immediately, and will walk you through the process of working with an adjuster. It is the adjuster who will assess liability, and put you in contact with an authorized claims agency to assess the damage on the car.

While getting hit in a parking lot isn't nearly as harrowing as getting hit on the highway, it still is a frightening and nerve wracking experience. Having your insurance papers and registration where they can be easily reached will definitely make things smoother. Keeping calm however, is the most important thing you can do to prevent tempers from flaring and making a bad situation even worse.