What's a good resolution when someone slams their door into your car causing paint damage?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › What's a good resolution when someone slams their door into your car causing paint damage?

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elpenguino

3427 posts

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#2770554 2-Sep-2021 13:06

networkn:

elpenguino:

If the door already has multiple similar scratches and dents on every panel the justification to repair and ask for compensation is different to say, a near new car.

Nope, it's not. The person who did the damage is responsible for the damage they do. Not for anything else. Usually, the fix for fixing one decent scratch or dent would cover most similar marks on the same panel.

Of course the person who damages your car is responsible for the damage they do, they did it.

The important factor, the reason I asked about the condition of the OPs car, is to come to a resolution. I think the important factor is to ask what's reasonable.

Is it reasonable to ask for a scratch to be repaired when the rest of your car resembles a dent magnet? In such a case, a damager might ask why you're suddenly so precious about your car.

What would a judge rule?

The reality is most damage events occur with no information provided. I'm not too precious about my car but if I had a really nice car and I was precious about it, I'd consider never leaving it anywhere in public.

But then, what's the point of having it?

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networkn

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#2770559 2-Sep-2021 13:18

elpenguino:

Is it reasonable to ask for a scratch to be repaired when the rest of your car resembles a dent magnet? In such a case, a damager might ask why you're suddenly so precious about your car.

Yes, it *IS* reasonable, IF that is what you want, and the damager can ask whatever questions they like, it's irrelevant, they are legally responsible and a judge would enforce it.

Reasonable is whatever the OP considers resolution to be up to and including the entire reinstatment.

jpoc

1043 posts

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#2770576 2-Sep-2021 13:47

shk292:

The thing that always gets me wound up is when I deliberately park in the furthest row of a car park, surrounded by empty spaces. Then when I emerge from the shop, the one other car that has parked is right next to mine. Do people do this just to wind me up, or do they think that cars have feelings and get lonely?

One person has told me that they prefer to park next to another car as it is easier for them to get their car correctly in the space.

shk292

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#2770667 2-Sep-2021 15:17

jpoc:

One person has told me that they prefer to park next to another car as it is easier for them to get their car correctly in the space.

I never thought of that, makes sense I suppose. Although if you do the sensible thing and revers into spaces, you can centre by watching the lines in your wing mirrors.

Bung

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#2770691 2-Sep-2021 15:42

Perhaps the safest place to park is alongside someone who trying to avoid dents 😀

Technofreak

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#2770693 2-Sep-2021 15:46

jpoc:

shk292:

The thing that always gets me wound up is when I deliberately park in the furthest row of a car park, surrounded by empty spaces. Then when I emerge from the shop, the one other car that has parked is right next to mine. Do people do this just to wind me up, or do they think that cars have feelings and get lonely?

One person has told me that they prefer to park next to another car as it is easier for them to get their car correctly in the space.

I'd suggest they shouldn't be driving if they need that sort of guidance.

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networkn

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#2770695 2-Sep-2021 15:51

I will always try and park away from other cars, but if that isn't possible, I'll try and pick the widest distance or better still, a pillar or ledge on one side so I halve my risk factors.

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wratterus

1687 posts

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#2770698 2-Sep-2021 15:56

Since we own a nice vehicle now, I'm always thinking about this (not that I wasn't before, it's just more of an issue now). I reckon parking next to the most mint car you can see in the car park is the way to go. Assuming that person looks after their car well, they aren't likely to be a dropkick who doesn't care. Getting new dents & scratches in car parks is one of the things that makes me really angry haha. If my car was in mint condition, and someone put a mark on it, I'd be after them to get it correctly fixed, regardless of how minor it is.

Mark

1653 posts

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#2770911 3-Sep-2021 09:27

Its horrible the way the world is stuffed full of people who just don't give a xxxx about other peoples things .. on the flip side I saw one guy going above an beyond to make sure someone elses car wasn't damaged, he put himself between the Ferrari and as his wife/girlfriend parking their junker, he saw me grinning and commented that he'd cry if she scratched it and that his legs would heal for free if she messed up parking :-)

My new car has lots of cameras so when the worst happens (and I'm sure it will) I hope to have a recording to give to the insurance company.

MarkH67

518 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2772103 4-Sep-2021 15:29

This would be my normal way of dealing with the problem, especially if I owned a nice new car:

Have full insurance.

Get other person's details.

Contact insurance company and panel beater. Pass on the other person's details to the insurance company.

Get repair sorted and let the insurance company deal with the other driver.

Carry on with my life.

If you have a nice new car and don't have full insurance, you really should get full insurance.

michaelmurfy

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#2772124 4-Sep-2021 16:02

MarkH67:

Have full insurance.

Get other person's details.

Highlighted the problem with your plan if you read the rest of the posts on here including my post.

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MarkH67

518 posts

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#2772167 4-Sep-2021 18:23

michaelmurfy:

MarkH67:

Have full insurance.

Get other person's details.

Highlighted the problem with your plan if you read the rest of the posts on here including my post.

Maybe you could re-read the OP? Because I'm pretty sure that I did read that correctly. I certainly wasn't trying to provide an answer to every single post so far in this thread.

Anyway, what I wrote works just fine in cases where you don't have the other person's details by simply omitting that step - except that you would then have to decide if it was worth the excess to have the scratch/dent fixed.

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