Contractor hit my parked car and ran off

[kach22i]

Contractor hit my parked car and ran off

Some contractor working on the the special needs housing across the street backed his truck/trailer into my zebra stripped Geo Tracker parked in front of my house in the street yesterday while I was at work.

Two of the special needs people saw it happen, but we found this out after the police came and made a report.

The car was pushed almost a foot back and up on to the curb. Dirt marks on the tire tells me he hit that part blunt and hard turning the wheel perpendicular to the angle of attack and maybe doing internal damage to my 4WD. Part of the front quarter panel is pulled out just before the door (real ugly), and there a deep dent in at the top of the fender at the hood line where something was sticking out of the back of the truck.

I'll post pictures soon.

How drunk or wreckless does one have to be not to see a zerbra stipped car?

The car might be totaled if I can't get the hood open or if there is damage to the wheel.

I have no-fault Michigan coverage, however hit and run is against the law, right?

I figure any car that runs is worth at least $500, my time to bend out the fender and fix other unseen damage is worth something too.

I had my wife call the special needs housing manager to get a list of the contractors, and she is going into work late today so that she can take pictures of the contractors work trucks (looking for black and white paint marks), when they show up at around 8:30 AM.

What's next?

What you you do?

What else should I ask of the special needs housing association? We are on good terms with them and I think they could help as the property damage done is associated with the work they are having done .

[TerryBPP]

Call your insurance company and they will send an adjuster out to do exactly what you are doing "if" its cost efficient. Otherwise they will just settle with you. Due to the old, crappy, africanized condition of you truck they will most likely do the latter.

Whats your deductible?

[URY914]

Maybe the contractor knew you were an Architect?

[TerryBPP]

Originally Posted by ury914

maybe The Contractor Knew You Were An Architect?

Lol!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by URY914

Maybe the contractor knew you were an Architect?

That was my first thought.

Have any outstanding change orders from previous jobs?

[widebody911]

Given the paint job, he probably thought it belonged to one of the "special people"

[URY914]

Here is a picture of the trailer....

[legion]

Back in 2000 a tow truck hit my parked car with the car it was towing.

The tow truck driver was attempting to leave the scene when I caught him. I told him: "I've just called the police and I have your license plate number. You need to stay put until the police arrive or I will have you charged with fleeing the scene of an accident." Then I wrote down his license plate number and called the police.

The insurance card the tow truck driver gave me was bogus. Apparently the tow truck company issued fake insurance cards in the hope it would make any claims a dead-end.

I ended up filing a claim with my own insurer under comprehensive coverage and having them subrogate. I had to pay my deductible, but eventually got it back. The biggest hassle my insurer faced was figuring out who the tow truck's insurer was.

Do you know what kind of vehicle hit your Geo? You can probably find out which company onsite owned it.

[dad911]

I would get a police report, and talk to the job supervisor.

[Joeaksa]

Friend of mine had a "day glo green" Ford Bronco years ago. Idiot hit it on the highway and his lawyer tried to get out of it by saying that his client could not see the car.

Judge laughed and awarded the judgement to my friend, saying if he could not see anything painted that color he did not need to be driving.

Joe

[Joeaksa]

Friend of mine had a "day glo green" Ford Bronco years ago. Idiot hit it on the highway and his lawyer tried to get out of it by saying that his client could not see the car.

Judge laughed and awarded the judgement to my friend, saying if he could not see anything painted that color he did not need to be driving.

Joe

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Note to self: Must paint all cars day-glow green.

[lendaddy]

I've seen the Tracker, it was probably an improvement j/k

Years ago I was driving a beat Fiat 124 sport and I was making a left turn onto a divided four lane, the guy coming at me in a junker Escort was doing the same to head the other way. We each turned in a little early and scraped the drivers sides against each other pretty good at low speed. We were window to window, I looked at him and shrugged and he looked at me and shrugged. Not a word was said, we both just drove away. Tis the beauty of driving a beater.

[rouxroux]

George, Clarence the cross-eyed lion was driving, he was mumbling something about how he's been screwed all these years out of his royalties off of "Daktari" and your truck just pushed him over the edge. I think I also heard him say something about coming back with Judy the Chimp (whose only other gigs since the show has been as "Trunk Monkey" and as an opening act for Spinal Tap at Amusement Parks- splitting gigs with the puppet show).

Be careful, it's the fault of "the bush".

[Red Baron]

Originally Posted by kach22i

Contractor hit my parked car and ran off

Some contractor working on the the special needs housing across the street backed his truck/trailer into my zebra stripped Geo Tracker parked in front of my house in the street yesterday while I was at work.

.

Let the punishment fit the crime...

[azasadny]

George,
I'm sorry to hear about this! Pursue it and get your "zebra" fixed better than new!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Zebra=prey animal.

Leopard=hunter animal.

Conclusion: re-paint Geo in leopard spots.

[island911]

Funny thread. But IMO here is you best advice:

Originally Posted by legion

...
I ended up filing a claim with my own insurer under comprehensive coverage and having them subrogate. I had to pay my deductible, but eventually got it back. The biggest hassle my insurer faced was figuring out who the tow truck's insurer was.

...

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Zebra=prey animal.

Leopard=hunter animal.

Conclusion: re-paint Geo in leopard spots.

[kach22i]

I was thinking worse case; the housing manager could hold back payment on the project until all damages were fixed including my car.

If they hit his building I'm sure similar conditions would apply.

We have help them before, a few years ago when they had a small fire. We helped get people out including pushing people over to our house in wheel chairs and taking care of them until 5:00 am in the morning.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by kach22i

I was thinking worse case; the housing manager could hold back payment on the project until all damages were fixed including my car.

You're an architect. You know that they can't legally do that.

Fun thought, though.