Car Accident on private car park any difference?



The increasing amount of public car parks and the increasing amount of super stores offering free parking has not only increased the amount of people shopping but it has also increased the amount of car accidents occurring in car parks. The status of car parks which are located on private property but regarded as public car parks has recently changed which means compensation matters have also changed. It is important for car owners to be aware of the responsibilities in relation to admitting liability for car accidents and also the responsibility to provide insurance details.
Some insurance companies will not pay compensation to cover the costs for cars which have been damaged on private property. This does include car parks which are offered by retail stores such as supermarkets. Due to this, car owners are advised to check what their policy covers and also what their insurance company will pay out for. In recent times there has been a large amount of reports stating that there are many insurance companies reducing the claims they will pay out for.
If you are involved in an accident in a car park then the responsibility is with you and the other party to exchange details. The claims process should then operate in the same way as an accident which happened on a public road. This is insurance company specific but in the majority of cases this is how it operates. People who return to their car in a car park and find it has been damaged should then attempt to find any evidence to prove who damaged their car. For example owners should check if there is CCTV covering the car park, they should then contact the owners to gather tapes if possible. If evidence to prove the culprit cannot be found, in the majority of cases it will be up to the car owner to cover their own costs. Some insurance companies will provide compensation but the owner will be required to cover their excess stated on their policy and they are also likely to lose their no claims bonus. Another good source of evidence would be any witnesses who saw the accident happen. Obviously there are not enough to secure a successful claim but they are likely to help. The easiest way to ensure a claim is successful is to ensure the other party admit liability.