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Original poster

Hit parked car

21 replies

Gem176 · 18/12/2025 19:52

I hit my bosses car leaving work tonight. It was dark and I didn’t realise it was parked as close to me as it was. Totally my fault and I’m so angry at myself for such a stupid mistake. I went straight back in to let my boss know and apologise, I didn’t have insurance details on me so I’ll give them to him tomorrow. What details do I actually give? Policy number? I have no idea. DH is furious and grumping about the damage to our car and while I can’t blame him for being annoyed, I’m annoyed at myself, I expected a little more understanding. Accidents do happen. He’s annoyed I didn’t take photos or note the other cars make, model and registration. I didn’t know I needed all this and photos in the dark would have been useless anyway.

Suppose I’m hoping someone can make me feel slightly better by letting me know I’m not the only idiot who has done something like this. Feeling really rather shit now and totally unfestive.

OP posts:
Jc2001 · 18/12/2025 20:01

All you need to give them are your name, address and registration. Their insurance company will do the rest. Call your insurance company and explain what's happened. You will need their name, address and registration number for this as well.

Don't feel too bad, those things happen. You owned your mistake and your insurance company will sort it out. That's what insurance is for.

Littletreefrog · 18/12/2025 20:05

You need to give them you name, address and reg but best practice is to also take their details and call your insurance company asap. They usually have 24 hour phone lines. As it's your bosses car and they are unlikely to pull a fast one no photos isnt the end of the world and you can always get some tomorrow but I definitely would have taken photos, unless you are using some sort of ancient camera the photos would come out fine even in the dark.

Original poster
Gem176 · 18/12/2025 20:14

Jc2001 · 18/12/2025 20:01

All you need to give them are your name, address and registration. Their insurance company will do the rest. Call your insurance company and explain what's happened. You will need their name, address and registration number for this as well.

Don't feel too bad, those things happen. You owned your mistake and your insurance company will sort it out. That's what insurance is for.

Edited

Will I be able to do this tomorrow, I don’t know my bosses address or his registration number. He was happy to leave it until tomorrow and so was I as it was hammering down with rain, pitch black and everyone just wanted to head home.

OP posts:
Egglio · 18/12/2025 20:18

Ah poor you OP! If it helps even a tiny bit, when I was much younger I managed to take out the entire entrance barrier to the work car park. Right out the ground.

Jc2001 · 18/12/2025 20:20

Ideally you should inform them within 24 hours, you could call them to register the accident tonight if they're still open. You can always call later with more info. I'm sure tomorrow will be fine if you can do it sooner rather than later.

If it's any consolation, I went into the back of someone at a roundabout earlier this year and the insurance company made it all so easy and it got sorted quite quickly. It feels like a big deal, but it's not.

YorkshireGoldDrinker · 18/12/2025 20:24

"He’s annoyed I didn’t take photos or note the other cars make, model and registration. I didn’t know I needed all this and photos in the dark would have been useless anyway."

It's one of the very first things you do even when the accident isn't your fault. Insurers need all this information to resolve the issue smoothly, they also then need to adjust premiums to match liability. As for it being dark, your phone should have flash on it.

I'm not trying to victim-blame here, but these do sound like mealy-mouthed excuses.

Farticus101 · 18/12/2025 20:29

Well done for being a decent person and owning up to it straight away. My parked car has been hit twice in 5 months and both times it's been a hit and run! Cost me so much paying the excess 😕

northtea · 18/12/2025 20:29

Check your policy very carefully. Some of them have a condition on the excess that you must report within a certain time frame otherwise the excess can rise drastically.

Jc2001 · 18/12/2025 20:31

YorkshireGoldDrinker · 18/12/2025 20:24

"He’s annoyed I didn’t take photos or note the other cars make, model and registration. I didn’t know I needed all this and photos in the dark would have been useless anyway."

It's one of the very first things you do even when the accident isn't your fault. Insurers need all this information to resolve the issue smoothly, they also then need to adjust premiums to match liability. As for it being dark, your phone should have flash on it.

I'm not trying to victim-blame here, but these do sound like mealy-mouthed excuses.

Don't be such a dick. They know what they should have done, but this isn't a stranger and they've done the right thing and informed they third party. So no harm done.

intrepidpanda · 18/12/2025 20:55

All he needs is your registration. His insurance can get all details from that.
Too many people hand over personal details at crashes. Not required

Shade17 · 18/12/2025 21:04

intrepidpanda · 18/12/2025 20:55

All he needs is your registration. His insurance can get all details from that.
Too many people hand over personal details at crashes. Not required

Whilst in practical terms the registration is all that’s needed, it’s a legal requirement to provide your name and address.

Lamentingalways · 18/12/2025 21:09

Why are men like this? You’re working and contributing, it’s not his business is it really? Honestly it’s so abusive. Hopefully your boss tells you not to worry about it or knows a good mechanic and you can just give him the money it costs (if it’s just a scratch for example)

CalmShaker · 18/12/2025 21:16

Accidents happen and that made me really angry reading that You have done nothing wrong OP, nothing at all. If you've not bought him a christmas present yet I wouldn't bother

G365 · 18/12/2025 21:18

I had an accident in a car park last year. I waited for the owner to return and gave my details. I took photographs and showed them to her. We examined her car together and agreed the damage I was responsible for. However, she later claimed the damage to be much more extensive. It wouldn't have been possible for me to cause the damage she claimed I had. I was furious. It transpired her partner had a car body repair shop. The claim ran into thousands ££££ It doesn't pay to be honest. If it was to happen again and I could get away with it I would. Apparently approx 90% of drivers that have damaged a car in an accident drive off.

Original poster
Gem176 · 18/12/2025 21:47

Thank you for all the helpful comments. Can’t get our insurer on the phone, only an online form that requires photos and details that I stupidly don’t have. I would have asked for all this if I was dealing with a stranger as I would likely never see them again but this is my boss and we both decided just to sort it tomorrow as it was well after 6. I thought he would need the name of the insurer, policy number etc. had I known it was as simple as a registration number then I’d have taken that and given him mine.

Tomorrow morning will be well within 24 hours and they were only available via a form that I couldn’t complete. Hopefully they will be happy enough with that.

OP posts:
vanillalattes · 19/12/2025 08:39

intrepidpanda · 18/12/2025 20:55

All he needs is your registration. His insurance can get all details from that.
Too many people hand over personal details at crashes. Not required

Legally speaking, it is.

PacificState · 19/12/2025 08:51

I didn’t know you are supposed to provide photos etc! Wasn’t a possibility when I first got car insurance back in the last century. Maybe I’m unusually clueless, but I don’t think it’s a case of ‘any fool knows this’.

Almost everyone makes dumb mistakes when driving. Over the years I’ve driven into a parked car in a car park, and reversed into a drainage ditch so that the bonnet of my car was right up in the air (had to wait for a friendly landrover to pull me out). I’ve also had my car written off by another driver coming round a bend in the middle of the road at 40mph. Now that was dramatic - ambulances, A&E, police, the works. (Thankfully everyone was fine.)

It’s just a prang. It happens to the best of us and you didn’t run away like most people do. Your husband is being a dick.

surreygirly · 19/12/2025 08:54

Really ?
You hit a car
It is not a big deal
This is why we have insurance

fiorentina · 19/12/2025 08:57

Take photos of where it was in the daylight. From all angles and the damage today. Then you can upload with the details he gives you. It will be fine. Unless he’s an absolute twat, he will let it go through insurance too. Sounds like both cars are totally driveable so it can be repaired in the new year.

It’s annoying. But these things happen. We are all frazzled this time of year.

intrepidpanda · 19/12/2025 22:51

vanillalattes · 19/12/2025 08:39

Legally speaking, it is.

Show quote history

Well it shouldn't be. It is downright dangerous and irresponsible to give out your name and address to stranger you have had an altercation with ( i meaning general, not necessarily this case)

ChristmasHug · 19/12/2025 22:54

It was someone you knew, who didn't over react and you didn't know what to do so fine to figure it out and do it tomorrow.

Now you know for the future.

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