If you scrape a car that blocked you in

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Just that really. Your car doesn't have sensors, somebody has parked illegally in a car park and block you in making it very difficult to exit, and despite best efforts with lots of dry steering, you scrape the car trying to get out. What is reasonable to do next

Legally, it's the OP's fault for crashing.

She could potentially claim for financial losses from the car owner, but that would be a hassle and a half. It would be easier to take photos and get the parking company to agree to drop any extra charges.

It's a bit of a sticky situation. A lot of people believe they can have random cars towed for being in their way. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. No company exists that comes out to tow and impound random vehicles for free.

This is why cars end up getting keyed.

We've had a few incidents here where people have just driven off from accidents and witnesses have reported them to the police (with evidence).

You can't drive into someone's car and bugger off just because they've parked illegally. You're still breaking the law and are to blame for any damage you've caused.

I can see why, but you're still putting yourself in a massive amount of risk because you're liable for the damage.

A comparison would be, if you got locked in a car park, would you just ram the barrier open? Some people would but I'd rather not damage my car and end up getting prosecuted for criminal damage.

I'd be absolutely fuming though!

You leave your details. It doesn’t matter how they’re parked, you hit them. Only the scum of the earth would drive off.

Literally nobody would do this.

Apart from the people on here saying they would 🤷‍♀️🤣🤣

Last year I badly scratched someone’s badly parked car in a car park, I left a note and my details but explained I had to get out and they had parked over the ‘white line’. They never contacted me, I never heard from them. So I’d leave your details and a quick note explaining you were blocked in, take pictures and hope they dont contact you!

I hadn't thought about this till I read this thread.

But, fuck them.

This should be in law a bit like if you hurt someone in self defence. It was their actions, and theirs alone, that resulted in this. So, tough.

I'd leave a note with my details.

My car has really good concealed cameras - I can't be the only one.

I recently reported a car that hit another one in a car park and just drove off. Ive been contacted to give a proper statement as the police are thinking to prosecute. I think they can use my dashcam The driver of the scratched car was grateful I reported it.

So, apart from being the right thing to do I would leave details as you don't know who has seen or recorded it.

I'm all honesty, if check if there were obvious cameras. If not, I'd drive away. They shouldn't have made it so difficult.

If there are cameras, I'd consider coming clean.

This is exactly why my DH had front and rear dash cameras with pre collision parking recording fitted too both our cars,

The last prick that scraped my car in a car park and drove off, was recorded with parking mode and I reported the fucker to the police and my insurance. Their insurance paid out a pretty penny and the police were very helpful.

it's not irrelevant at all.

There was no choice either. despite best efforts with lots of dry steering, you scrape the car trying to get out. At best, an accident, but caused by the arsehole parker.

do you make a habit of parking illegally and blocking people?

I would. Because if you don’t and there’s cctv or other you’re in trouble.

Absolutely would leave a note.

if you managed to get out they didn’t actually block you in. Yes it’s annoying when someone makes it difficult to judge getting out but doesn’t give you a right to damage their car

Of course she had a choice

Legally speaking, it's irrelevant that the other person parked like an arsehole. You still can't damage their car and drive away. If you can't get your car out safely then you (unfortunately) need to wait until they get back.

👍 Hopefully they got a few points on their license too!

Of course the other driver was an inconsiderate idiot, but the shirking of personal accountability and the idea that is someone else's fault if they could not competently manoeuvre their vehicle and hit a stationary object says a lot about both a persons intellect and integrity.

This happened to me last week I owned up and now I'm having to pay the damage.
I could have just driven off no one saw me and there are no cameras I didn't even feel the bump just knew I'd gotten close so checked.

I would have felt very guilty though so not worth it.

The police were helpful over egged it with this, police don't give a shit when people get hurt let alone a scuff in a car park.

But that's the thing though - it wasn't their actions. Their actions, albeit a dick move, left both cars undamaged. It was the op's actions that caused the damage. They had a choice to wait/report the car but they chose to attempt to get out of the space.

the bloody cheek! 😂

If someone has parked for the weekend, you expect the blocked car to wait for 2 or 3 days?

I don't think I would dare, but I applaud the people who just get the arsehole car out of the way.

Drive away and hope for the best

Someone blocked me in a supermarket car park once - blocked completely. I had to go to work so I drove into them and pushed the car out the way - dent in the bumper

Private land, nothing they can do. Don't block people in 🤷‍♀️

The police were helpfulover egged it with this, police don't give a shit when people get hurt let alone a scuff in a car park.

good point.

I'm pretty sure when it's on a car park it doesn't matter. It didn't when my car was hit.

You took the risk but so did they. I wouldn't do anything.