To worry I might have been a soft touch

[MissDemelzaCarne]

There was a knock at the door early yesterday morning, before I was up, that DD answered. A distressed-looking woman said she'd hit our car.

DH was still bleary eyed so I pulled a coat on over my pyjamas and popped out. DH's car was in the street and she pranged the front driver's side, God knows how there were no obstructions not too close to the corner or anything.

I said not to worry and that I'd take her details, I took a photo of the damage and one of her car number plate but then she started to cry and said it was her father's funeral tomorrow.

I for got all about the car and just concentrate on making sure she was OK, offering her tea. I didn't think she should be on the road in her state of distress and asked her in to calm down.

She gathered herself and mages to drive off, once back inside I realised I hadn't got her name or number

I later also thought she could have been a member of an Am Dram society for all I knew. I have at least got he reg, I did think she might call back with her details but didn't though she may well have much more important things on her mind.

DH doesn't think it's worth an insurance job.

Forgot to add the damage.

I haven't told DH I forgot to get her name and contact number.

Report it to the police (non-emergency number) to get a crime reference number, and report to your insurers today!

To be honest I would just get it fixed myself and write it off to experience.

It will be a more long out drawn process to reclaim etc and if it really was he dads funeral then it will add more stress for s illy bit of paint work and scratches.

She was obviously genuine as she didn't have to knock your door she could have just drove on

Tough one. I know nothing about cars but if it was mine, assuming it wasn't a new or very valuable car and the running of the car wasn't affected I'd probably just leave it. Fair enough if you want to make a claim though.

You have been a little bit of a soft touch, but another way of looking at it is that you have been a kind person and supported a stranger who was going through a difficult time. It may have been an act. In general if you try to view people as 'nice' 'honest' etc rather than expecting people to rip you off, be liars, etc, then you are likely to have a more positive experience of the world.

If it was all an act then it is likely she couldn't afford to pay. I would forget about it, sort out the damage and consider that you have done a good deed.

She was obviously genuine as she didn't have to knock your door she could have just drove on

That's what I reassured myself with.

It's not a remotely fancy car and fortunately DH is not going to bother getting it fixed so I might get away with my uselessness. I'm not going to tell him!

Once she told me about her Dad I just forgot all about DH's car.

Your insurance can get details of her insurance from the registration number of her car. They won't give you her personal details but it will enable you to report it and potentially claim on her insurance if she admits to the accident.

one thing i'd check after someone doing similar to my car is that although the damage on the outside doesn't look bad, the bracket for the light had been broken and a few other bits and pieces damaged, which made the light unsafe to drive with and a few other things i can't remember

How did she know which door to knock on?

i'd imagine the car is parked outside the house?

Not a soft touch. A compassionate human being who supported someone in their hour of need.

I suspect this woman will always remember the lady to treated her grief as more important than a bit of paintwork.

And you have her reg so you could make a claim if it mattered to you.

You can find out details of the owner of a car, but it must be in writing and you must have a good reason to know:

www.gov.uk/request-information-from-dvla

You don't need to report it to the police to get a crime reference number. Details were exchanged and there was no injury to anyone or damage to street furniture.

If you wish to claim then give details to your insurer and let them deal with it.

That's a few hundred pounds worth of damage there.

How did she know which door to knock on?

It's a quiet residential street and DH's car is parked outside our gate, mine's nice and safe on the drive.

I imagine most garages can make any scratch or dint stretch to a 'few hundred pounds'