You’re done shopping and now it’s time to go home.

Walking to the parking lot, you get a weird vibe but you go anyway just to find that your car’s rear bumper and fender are completely messed up. It basically doesn’t exist. The rear bumper has completely fallen off and now you wonder “what should I do?”

Although it may seem like it’s going to be a long and tedious path to getting your damages, it actually is not. 

Take Photos of the Accident

This is the first thing you should do.

Don’t touch anything about the parking lot accident in Fort Lauderdale. Leave the car alone and just take pictures of the damage. Messing with the evidence and possibly trying to make the accident worse than it actually is might backfire on you and result in you losing the right to file suit or file a claim, which in turn can lead to no financial compensation to help alleviate the costs of the damages. 

Call the Police

This is the most important step. 

The police officer will always be the one that gives you the accident report, which is an important piece of information when filing the accident with your insurance. The two most important things that the accident report must have are the name of the officer and the badge number of the officer. Without these two things, it is possible that someone can doctor a fake police report. 

File the Claim with Insurance

Call your insurance and get the car accident reported. 

They will give you next steps and the documents you will need to properly file this.

Since the accident can be technically filed as a hit-and-run accident. 

A hit-and-run accident is an accident where the person that hit you is at fault and has also left the scene of the accident before you can gather any information on the person. 

Filing a Claim for Hit-and-Run Accident

A hit-and-run accident in Fort Lauderdale, especially in a parking lot can seem difficult.

Lots of thoughts go through your head.

How am I going to get evidence for the accident?

If I can’t find the driver, then how am I going to find the person liable for the damages to my vehicle?

Do I have to pay everything out of pocket?

These are common questions that come up in our heads, and I get it. 

But if you have these two things, then there should be NO problem getting your insurance to cover you up. 

1. Collision coverage (PIP) is something that is required in the state of Florida. This is a type of coverage that is universal to everyone and it helps pay for damages regardless of who is at fault. Because of the no-fault policy in Florida, you can get your damages covered even if fault can’t be determined. 
2. UM coverage or uninsured motorist coverage is something that helps pay for repairs when your car is damaged by a driver that is uninsured or fled the scene of the accident. However, the “problem” is that uninsured motorist coverage is optional and not required. So if you don’t have this, the additional damages may not be covered under your policy.

Living in the state of Florida, PIP is a requirement. PIP will cover you regardless of who was at fault for up to $10,000. A hit and run accident in a parking lot that exceeds $10,000 is quite rare, since most of the time it is a small fender bender or a small bump. 

Contacting a Personal Injury Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale for Parking Lot Accidents

Although the steps outlined are for basic parking lot car accidents in Fort Lauderdale, there is a solid chance that it may not always go down this route.

The road to financial compensation and getting your damages repaired may not be as quick as you want it to go. The insurance companies might make it harder if the damages are excessive and the financial compensation necessary is more than expected.

Remember, insurance companies are supposed to act in good faith and cover you to as much as they possibly can. But this can get murky when damages get excessive and the evidence is vague. An insurance company is still looking to profit and obviously will not willingly cover you for damages that have minimal evidence to back up. 

If you find yourself in a complicated situation getting financial compensation for the parking lot car accident in Fort Lauderdale, contact a personal injury lawyer in Fort Lauderdale. 

Personal injury lawyers in Fort Lauderdale will start you off with a free consultation to hear what happened to you during the accident. From there, we will start gathering evidence on the accident, such as photos and accident reports to build you a strong case for financial compensation.