The Shoulder
The Shoulder
68
Car accidentscalm-swan-907

Delivery driver sideswiped my parked car and just drove off — hit and run??

I'm still kind of in shock and not sure what to officially call what happened to me.

So I was home yesterday afternoon and had no idea anything was wrong until I walked outside to grab my mail. Found a long scrape and a caved-in rear quarter panel on my car, which was just sitting parked on the street in front of my house like it always is. I looked around and caught a glimpse of a delivery van turning the corner at the end of my block.

Checked my neighbor's doorbell camera footage (bless her) and sure enough — a delivery van clipped my car pretty hard while making a wide turn, paused for maybe five seconds, then kept going. Nobody knocked. Nobody left a note. Nothing.

About two hours later I get a call from some kind of fleet supervisor saying the driver 'reported an incident' and that they'd 'take care of it.' The actual driver never called, never came back, never even texted through the company. I still don't have his name, his license, his insurance — nothing that would normally change hands in a normal fender bender.

My questions: 1. Does this legally count as a hit and run even if the company reached out afterward? The driver personally never identified himself to me. 2. My car is only a couple years old and now has accident history on it — can I claim diminished value on top of the repair costs? The resale hit feels really unfair. 3. Should I be talking to their claims department at all before I know more about my rights?

I filed a police report this morning just to have something on record. Feeling really frustrated that I have to chase this down when I did absolutely nothing wrong.

14replies

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14 replies

  • 21
    steady-wren-770

    I used to work claims for a large commercial carrier. When a company vehicle is involved, there's almost always dashcam or GPS data that their legal team will pull immediately. You probably won't get access to that footage without formally requesting it — and if you wait too long it may get overwritten or 'unavailable.' Send a written preservation request to the company ASAP, even just via email, stating you expect all footage and GPS records to be retained. That alone can change how seriously they take you.

    • 1
      steady-walker427

      How long did it end up taking in your case?

  • 20
    bright-beaver-673

    Not legal advice, but for what it's worth: in most states, a driver is legally required to stop and provide their information directly to the owner of the vehicle they hit — a supervisor calling you later generally doesn't satisfy that requirement. Whether it rises to a criminal hit and run vs. a civil matter depends on your state's specific statute and how the DA's office views it. The police report you filed was the right move. Don't let the company's quick outreach make you feel like everything's already handled.

    • 1
      calm-traveler982

      Wish I had seen this a month ago — would have saved me a lot of stress.

  • 18
    spry-crow-524

    Be really careful with that fleet supervisor. Their whole job in that first call is to keep things in-house, minimize your claim, and get you comfortable before you start asking harder questions. 'We'll take care of it' is not a commitment to anything. Get everything in writing and don't agree to use their preferred repair shop without researching it yourself.

  • 18
    cool-marmot-340

    Ugh, this is so infuriating. You were just living your life and now you have to spend your time and energy cleaning up someone else's mess. The fact that the driver just drove away and let his boss handle the fallout says a lot. Please don't let them rush you into a quick settlement — take your time and make sure you're actually made whole.

  • 16
    warm-hare-208

    Quick question — did the police officer who took your report actually classify it as a hit and run, or did they just take down the details as a property damage report? That distinction might matter depending on what you want to do next. Also, did your neighbor share a copy of the footage with you, or just let you view it? You'll want your own copy.

    • 9
      patient-rider511

      Appreciate the detailed write-up. Saving this for later.

  • 14
    hearty-swan-739

    On your diminished value question — yes, that's a real and legitimate claim in most states. Basically it covers the gap between what your car would've sold for before the accident and what it's worth now that it has a damage history on the Carfax, even after perfect repairs. It's separate from repair costs. You'd typically need an independent appraisal to document it. A lot of people don't even know to ask for it, so insurance companies definitely won't volunteer it.

    • 7
      steady-optimist123

      Curious whether you did this on your own or had help with it.

  • 8
    steady-fox-663

    Were you in the car when it happened or just nearby? If there's any chance you were inside and felt any jolt at all — even minor — please don't dismiss symptoms over the next few days. Neck and shoulder stuff can take 48-72 hours to really show up. Get checked out if anything feels off, and make sure it's documented medically. Just looking out for you.

  • 5
    mellow-sparrow-744

    Almost identical thing happened to me with a different delivery company last year. The driver 'reported it internally' but never once contacted me directly. I was told that doesn't necessarily get the driver off the hook for leaving — the obligation to stop and exchange info is on the driver, not just the company. Definitely keep pushing on getting his actual information in writing.

    • 8
      mellow-offramp506

      Adding this: keep copies of every email. It mattered for me.

  • 5
    patient-sparrow-739

    Three things: don't sign anything, don't give a recorded statement to their insurance without knowing your rights first, and get at least two independent repair estimates before anyone touches that car. You're in a decent position here because you have camera footage. Use it.