Scribbled on the car what to do

What to do if you scratched your car in the yard and drove away

Any car enthusiast who parks in the yard may be faced with a situation where he has to decide: “What to do if you scratched your car in the yard and drove away?”

The tightness of local parking lots, which are not designed for the ever-increasing number of vehicles, leads to common cases when you can find your “iron horse” with scratches, or even more serious damage.

The procedure for action in this situation depends on several nuances, based on which further steps should be planned.

Scratched your car in the yard: what to do

The actions of an owner who discovers damage (scratches, abrasions) on his car depend on several factors:

the specific location where the car was parked;
method of damage - another car or any object;
actions of the offender - he remained at the scene of the accident or disappeared and wished to remain anonymous.

It is necessary to call the traffic police only when the culprit remains at the scene of the accident, since in this case the fact of a traffic accident is recorded.

In such a situation, you need to act the same as if a standard accident had occurred:

you should call the traffic police;
find out if the culprit has an auto liability policy;
record the passport and contact details of the other party.

Even if the exit from the yard is blocked, you should not drive away from the scene of the accident and clear the passage, as this may be regarded as leaving the scene of the accident.

The parties can also agree on a monetary settlement for the person responsible for the accident on the spot, if the injured party is satisfied with the amount of compensation.

If the amount of damage is not large, and there were no casualties in the accident, then you can do without calling the traffic police and file an accident under the European Protocol.

A small scratch on the car body fits these criteria quite well. Then you need to photograph the cars, fill out an accident report and go to the traffic police yourself.

What to do if you scratched your car in the yard and drove away

A completely different situation arises when the fact of the damage received is obvious (or rather, on the body of the car), but the culprit is not at the scene of the incident.

Regardless of whether the damage shows signs of impact from another car or was caused by some object, you need to call the local police officer to draw up an administrative violation report.

If you have a CASCO policy, you must:

obtain a certificate from the local police officer regarding the damage received;
contact the insurance company within 5 days;
receive the necessary CASCO payments within up to 30 days.

If there is no CASCO policy, then you can only hope to catch the culprit of the accident, who will have to compensate the victim for the damage caused.

Despite the fact that in such a situation the search for the offender is the direct responsibility of law enforcement agencies, the owner of the car can also help the police and organize their own investigation.

Inspecting the damage received can help determine the color of the culprit’s car and its approximate dimensions.
Parked vehicles should be inspected for similar damage. It is possible that the culprit will be found without delay.
Parked cars with working DVRs can help in finding the culprit; recording from them will help identify the offender.
Video cameras installed above entrances or institutions located in the yard can also help. You must apply to the store or institution to request the video recording within 5 days, since after this time the recordings are deleted.
You can post notices on the entrances of your home and ask your neighbors. It is possible that one of the neighbors could have seen the moment of the accident.
You can contact your local car service center. Paint specialists can tell you if anyone has contacted them with a request to repair the corresponding damage to their car.

If you manage to find the potential culprit of the accident, you should contact the local police officer. The found culprit of a traffic accident faces not only full compensation for the damage caused, but also sanctions for leaving the scene of the accident.

According to the Code of Administrative Offenses, such actions are punishable by either administrative arrest or deprivation of a driver’s license for up to 1.5 years, and in the vast majority of cases, judges apply the latter penalty.

You need to act in a similar way when the damage was caused by unknown people out of hooligan motives, for example, they punctured the tires or scratched the car with a nail in the yard.

What to do in such a situation is described above: call the local police officer, record the damage and start searching for the culprit.

Helpful information

It is worth examining a situation where you are not the victim, but the involuntary culprit of what happened. It’s not difficult to imagine an unpleasant situation when, while driving, you scratched your car in the yard. Not everyone knows what to do in such a situation.

Under no circumstances should you leave the scene of an accident, as this can lead to negative consequences in the form of deprivation of your license. If you feel a collision or contact, you should:

find the owner of the car that was damaged due to your fault;
call the traffic police and file an accident;
If both car owners have auto liability policies, you can file an accident under the European Protocol without calling the inspection staff.

A completely different situation arises when you left the scene of the accident intentionally or because the contact was very small and happened unnoticed.

It is especially easy to get into such an accident in winter, when visibility is reduced. If you are found by the owner of the damaged car or a local police officer or traffic police officers, then Article 12.27 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation will apply to you.

In the event of a trial, there is an extremely high probability of being found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident, which threatens:

deprivation of rights up to 1.5 years;
administrative arrest.

Therefore, if you are found by the owner of a damaged car, the best way out would be to negotiate with him and pay for the damage privately.

If a trial is inevitable, then during the proceedings it is necessary to focus on the fact that the scene of the accident was left unintentionally, and you did not even suspect that the accident had occurred.

In this case, there is a small chance that the judge will believe your arguments and no punishment in the form of deprivation of rights or arrest will be imposed.

A significant part of drivers are ready to accept minor injuries, since it can be difficult to find the culprit and the damage is not great.

However, even a small scratch or abrasion is in any case an accident, the culprit of which must be punished.

In such a situation you need:

call the traffic police if the person responsible for the accident did not leave the scene of the accident;
call the local police officer if the culprit is absent;
start looking for the culprit.

In any of the above cases, the amount of damage is recorded, a certificate of which must be obtained from law enforcement officers called to the scene of the incident.

Also, you should not completely rely on police officers to find the culprit in the incident, since the district police officer is usually busy with work, and a small yard accident is not the most serious matter.

So the car owner will have to largely rely on his own strength in finding the culprit of the damage received.

Scratched the car with a nail in the yard

Home » Accident » Registration of an accident » The car was scratched with a nail in the yard

For many car enthusiasts, a car is one of the most expensive things, and it’s not a matter of price. Often they take care of her as if they were a loved one, pamper her and worry about her condition.

It is clear that some kind of damage, even the most insignificant, for example a scratch, resonates with pain in the heart of the owner.

And such situations happen quite often. You go out into the yard, and there is a surprise in the form of a terrible stroke of a nail on the shiny surface of the hood.

At such moments, you think about nothing but how to find the insolent person who damaged the car. What should the owner of the car do, should he look for the culprit and how to do it? Let's figure it out.

What to do if someone scratched your car

Let's return to the scratch that evaporated not only your mood, but also the appearance of the car. When there is damage, you need to get rid of it. This requires funds. If there is no culprit, who will pay for the repairs?

Some contracts concluded with an insurance company contain a clause that concerns the possibility of receiving compensation for damage to a car without certificates or documents confirming this fact.

The owner of the car writes a statement, describes the situation, indicates that there is no one responsible for the damage. The insurer, having reviewed the application, usually compensates for expenses or offers to send the car to a service station. Repairs are carried out at the expense of the insurance company.

But such a condition is not always specified in the insurance contract. Therefore, in this situation, you will have to act not according to such a simple plan as we described above.

First of all, try to determine the cause of the scratch.

You need to understand whose mark it is, a car or a nail. Your further actions depend on this.

The car was damaged by hooligans

So, you managed to figure out that we are not talking about any other car, because it is clearly visible that this is a mark from a nail, knife or other metal object.

What to do if your car is scratched in a parking lot?

How to apply for CASCO insurance if you scratched the car yourself, read here.

Let's look at the sequence of your actions:

Call the police. Upon arrival at the scene of the incident, law enforcement officers will draw up a report on the administrative violation. Note! The document must reflect the fact that the scratch on the car was caused by a third party;

Notify the insurance company about the incident . You need to do this by personally composing a written explanation of the situation. Why is a written explanation necessary? This way, the insurer will not be able to avoid paying compensation. They will pay your insurance because the dates on the police report and your statement match;

At the next stage, a criminal case is initiated . It is considered in court within 30 days. In most cases, such cases are closed after the expiration of the term, since there is no culprit;

After the period for consideration of the case has expired, contact the territorial police department . There you will receive documents indicating the closure of the case. Submit these documents to the insurance company. Their duty is to compensate you for any damages incurred. Sometimes, instead of money, the insurer may offer to repair the car;

If the case is successful, you will receive a car restored after damage only in a month.

Unfortunately, insurance conditions do not always cover different life situations.

A scratch on a car is a mark caused by another car.

In this case, we will already be talking about an accident. Therefore, your actions will be different from the previous case:

Report the accident to the traffic police;

When drawing up a report, the traffic police inspector will enter information about the participants in the incident, the culprit of the accident, the nature of the damage, insurance information and insurance policy number, etc. Make yourself a photocopy of the protocol;

On the day the car was damaged, go to the insurance company with a photocopy of the report. Make a corresponding statement. The amount of compensation will be determined with the help of an independent examination. Sometimes the contract mentions the possibility of performing repair work at the expense of the insurer. Therefore, your car will be sent to a service station that cooperates with this insurance company.

How to find someone who scratched a car in the yard

Acts of vandalism against vehicles have become noticeably more frequent recently. And although CCTV cameras are installed in most yards, it is very rare to find the culprits.

If you decide to independently identify the hooligan who caused you so much trouble, look at the recordings from CCTV cameras.

To do this, contact the office of the management company with an application to view records for a specific date.

Sometimes owners of apartments located on the lower floors independently install such cameras in order to be able to monitor their car.

Find a camera that is aimed at the place where your car was parked. Try to agree with its owner to view the records made at the time of damage to your car.

The most “knowledgeable” people in every city yard – grandmothers – can become excellent assistants in your business. Or chat with mothers walking with their babies in the courtyard.

Also, a good way to get the necessary information can be regular advertisements asking for help, posted in the right places. It is possible that someone will respond.

In addition, you can ask to view video recordings from organizations, stores or other buildings located near your home or parking lot.

If you can find such information, immediately share it with traffic police officers.

If the car is scratched by a child

It is possible that the hooligan who scratched the car will be a child.

Children often play in the yard. Sometimes accidentally, and sometimes intentionally, they can scratch the car, testing its strength.

If this was done by a minor teenager, then he will not be responsible for his actions.

What should you do?

If you have CASCO insurance, contact the police. Their actions will be identical to the previous example. If you have compulsory motor insurance, call the police. If you already know who scratched the car, be sure to contact the parents of the little hooligan.

After drawing up an administrative protocol, you can seek compensation in court for the child’s parents.

The car was scratched in the yard. What to do?

Damage to a car in the courtyard of a house is a common problem for motorists, especially in megacities, where the number of vehicles exceeds the number of parking spaces near residential buildings. Causing damage looks different: it can be an accidental mechanical impact on the bumper or hood due to the carelessness of another driver, or deliberate damage to movable property.

Regardless of the circumstances, the fact is unpleasant and requires compensation from the perpetrator. If you find yourself in such a situation, act consistently and in the manner required by law, thanks to which you will be able to restore the appearance of the car and moral damage, while keeping money in your wallet.

What to do first?

Artificially caused scratches and chips on a car spoil its exterior. The same nuances apply to a traffic accident in a backyard, requiring the drawing up of a protocol according to the rules.

Usually, owners do not immediately notice that their car has been scratched. A slight damage or flaw in a poorly visible place can leave the real culprits of the crime unanswered. For example, boys played in the yard with sharp metal objects, after which thin but deep marks appeared on the hood. Or, when leaving the yard, a neighbor inadvertently touched the back of the car, causing the paint to come off. There are a lot of damage scenarios. The main thing here is to take all measures in time to receive fair compensation.

If you witness damage to your car or notice scratches as soon as you are about to drive it out , reschedule your plans and don’t move. The step-by-step action plan can be presented as follows:

Carefully inspect the object for additional damage that has not occurred since the last time the vehicle was used.
Take high-quality pictures of scratches with your phone from different angles (including close-ups), numbers and panoramas.
Call the local police officer to the scene to draw up a report.
Take contact information from witnesses, if there are any, interview them yourself.
Try to resolve the incident peacefully with the culprit if he is willing to negotiate before the police arrive.

What to do if the culprit remains at the scene of the accident?

The law does not define as insured events those traffic accidents that occurred due to the fault of an animal, bad weather conditions or mechanical damage (a piece of the roof fell on the hood, the side of the stroller was damaged, the glass cracked under the window where the car was parked). It’s a different matter when a person became a participant in the incident, and his vehicle was in motion.

jointly draw up a European protocol - a form for notification of an accident, in which there is no need to involve the traffic police;
send documents to the insurance company to receive money to restore the external attractiveness of the vehicle;
if the culprit does not have a policy, wait for the police to arrive so that a specialist can conduct an examination of the damage caused and name the amount of compensation.

Actions if the culprit has escaped

In nine cases out of ten, the culprit of an accident flees the scene. The driver might not have noticed that he had scratched someone’s car and gone about his business. If the damage is insignificant, the injured party will prefer not to start a legal process, will leave everything as it is and, most likely, will spend personal savings on correcting someone else’s mistake, that is, on repairs.

However, impressive traces of scratches evoke a burning desire to deal with the pest and its actions. Of course, it is difficult to find the culprit without the support of eyewitnesses; it is impossible to do without legal representatives and their methods of finding out the truth.

call the local police officer and tell him in detail what happened (the more facts are recorded on paper, the greater the chances of quickly catching the “fugitive”);
capture all scratches and surroundings on your smartphone;
provide the police with telephone numbers of witnesses, if available;
walk around the area and ask the employees of a service station, car wash or car service, whether among the clients was one whose car needed painting or minor repairs;
Post a notice on the board asking eyewitnesses of the accident to respond.

It is foolish to expect luck and instant police capture of the pest. If he still hasn't appeared on his own, perhaps he doesn't know what he did or doesn't want to take responsibility for what he did.

One thing saves: the facelessness of the second participant is not a basis for refusal to provide compensation by insurers. To receive money for repairs, you will need to provide the company with the appropriate package of documents. If the identity of the driver who scratched your car is established, an orientation will be distributed to all posts. Next, he will be summoned to a trial, where his guilt will be recognized and the punishment announced.

Statute of limitations

An unlawful act against a vehicle that was located at the time of damage is subject to a statute of limitations. In other words, if the guilty person fled, did not leave a note with a phone number and was not caught by the police, then after three months he is completely released from responsibility for paying monetary compensation. After 90 days , they will stop looking for the pest, and the claim for causing material damage will no longer be valid. However, in practice, there is one nuance that says that a state inspector can remove the culprit from the search, and if the authorized officer has not yet done this, then there is a chance to request a financial refund for moral damages when the other party is caught, even after many years.

Is a road accident considered an insured event?

Looking at the statistics of insurance cases, we can safely say that insurance companies often cover the risks of illegal actions of third parties that are associated with minor damage, including chips and scratches, that occurred in the yard and do not require major repairs.

The insurance contract often includes a condition for storing the car at a specific time of day. If the car was supposed to be in a protected area at night, but in fact it was parked in the yard, your insurance claim will simply not be considered. Otherwise you will need:

contact the traffic police in case of large-scale damage;
write a statement, participate in drawing up a police report, and then carefully read what is written;
obtain a certificate of a traffic accident, a copy of the protocol and form No. 31 (also provide a technical passport, identity card and license).

With this package of documents, CASCO registers your application. In addition, insurers make payments faster if the requested compensation does not exceed 3% of the policy amount.

Here everything is more complicated, since the insurance company will accept documents only if there is a guilty party. If the wrecker escapes, OSAGO will refuse compensation and the car will have to be repaired at its own expense. Persistent motorists are conducting their own investigation - interviewing witnesses, asking for a copy of the video from neighboring institutions, looking for the driver by the paint left on the body.

identification;
copy of the technical passport;
OSAGO policy;
notification of a traffic accident.

What to do if you are the culprit of an accident

Scratches on someone else's car in the yard can occur due to your carelessness. In order to reduce the degree of punishment, it is better to leave your mobile number under the wipers if the owner is not around.

Thus, you will not be found guilty, and your actions will not be called intentional, even if you left the scene in a hurry. Be on the safe side and take a photo of the note left behind. Otherwise, the procedure is no different - from calling an inspector to submitting documents to the insurance company.

Legal advice

Public access is replete with questions from civilians who find themselves in a situation where either their car was scratched in the yard, or they themselves were the culprits of the accident. The answers of professional lawyers are limited to considering each case on an individual basis, taking into account the details. However, general recommendations contain advice of the following nature:

if the damage to the vehicle is small, it is better to draw up a European protocol with the other party without involving the police;
calling the traffic police is mandatory when the car is badly damaged and the culprit left for unknown reasons;
To quickly resolve the problem, the owner needs to make his own efforts to find the pest - find witnesses, get copies of video recordings, provide the police with useful and reliable information.

With a competent approach to registration of an accident, the car owner will protect himself from unexpected financial expenses and restore the appearance of the vehicle without nerves.

Criminal lawyer. Experience in this direction since 2006.

How to remove scratches on a car with your own hands

Stop tearing your hair out over every scratch. Almost all cosmetic defects can be easily corrected without much expense.

Scratches on your car are inevitable. Whether it's your fault or not, sooner or later they will appear. And although such damage, as they say, does not affect speed, every car owner dreams of getting rid of them at any cost. Especially if the car is new or recently purchased.

Here are the main types of scratches and proven ways to deal with them.

1. How to remove small scratches on varnish

We are talking about small thin scratches, noticeable only from a certain angle and not visible at all on a wet car. Such scratches affect only the very top layer of the paintwork. And the easiest way to remove them is.

Wax polish

You will need a wax polish, which is applied after washing. A thin layer of wax will create a protective coating and fill in scratches. The good thing about this method is that it does not require special equipment or skills. But, as you might guess, such protection does not last long. After some time, the coating will have to be reapplied.

Polishing machine + abrasive paste

A more effective method of removing scratches is polishing with a special machine and fine abrasive paste. This way you can deal with almost any scratches that touched the varnish, but did not reach the paint.

Polishing is usually done by specialists. If you decide to go it alone, you will need:

polishing machine;
fine abrasive paste;
sanding paper P2000;
sprayer with water;
napkins.

Immediately before the procedure, wash the car well with car shampoo and dry. Place the car in the shade or garage so that the body does not heat up in the sun, and scratches and the result of the work are clearly visible.

Treat the damaged area with sandpaper soaked in water and wipe dry.

Apply a little paste to the circle and polish the scratch, gradually increasing the speed. Try not to stay in one place for a long time so as not to overheat the varnish.

Continue polishing, alternating left-right and up-down movements. Treat not only the scratch, but also the area around it. Rinse the polishing area with water often and clean the wheel from plaque.

Polish until the scratch is completely gone.

2. How to remove scratches from paint

If it's not just the varnish that's damaged, regular polishing isn't enough. In this case, the damage can be painted over with a restoration pencil matched to the color of the car.

In appearance and the number of shades, such pencils resemble nail polishes. But they are made from quick-hardening acrylic resins that perfectly fill scratches.

Before painting over a scratch, thoroughly clean and degrease the damaged area. Then carefully paint over it with a brush on the pencil bottle.

Let the paint dry for 15-20 minutes. Complete polymerization occurs in about a week, so it is better not to wash the car during this time.

3. How to remove deep scratches and chips

Paint will help here too. But, unlike the previous method, you will first have to treat the surface with primer, and after applying the paint, varnish and polish.

As a rule, the products necessary to restore scratches and chips that have reached the metal are sold as a set. This is still the same acrylic paint, anti-corrosion and regular primers, as well as a degreaser and clear varnish.

Wash and dry the car. If there is rust on a chip or scratch, clean it with fine sandpaper. Degrease the metal surface and seal the edges of the damage with masking tape.

Treat the surface with anti-corrosion primer and let it dry.

Then apply a coat of regular primer to level the surface and prepare the base for paint.

Apply the first coat of paint. Then, after waiting for complete drying, apply a second one.

After the paint has dried, coat the surface with clear varnish.

4. How to remove scratches on plastic

The interior of the car suffers no less from scratches. The sills, door cards and other plastic parts of the interior are covered with abrasions.

Plastic restorers

You can make the cladding tidy again with the help of plastic restorers.

Such products are sold in the form of aerosols, sprays and milk. They have good penetrating ability and are designed to fill scratches. In addition, the restorers contain a polish that returns the surface to its former freshness.

Instructions for use are on the packaging of the product. As a rule, restorative compounds are applied to dry and cleaned parts and left for a few minutes to dry. After this, using a clean microfiber cloth, the surface is well polished by hand.

Hairdryer or lighter

A simpler and cheaper way to deal with scratches on plastic is to heat it with a hair dryer or, in extreme cases, with a lighter. Under the influence of temperature, damage is literally healed. This life hack will help completely remove small scratches and make deep ones less noticeable.

To remove scratches in this way, you need to very carefully heat the damaged surface, without staying in one place for a long time. If there are a lot of scratches, take breaks so as not to melt the part and burn the upholstery parts adjacent to the plastic.

5. How to remove scratches on glass

One of the most unpleasant types of scratches. Scuffs and cobwebs on the glass not only spoil the appearance, but also impair visibility, creating flare and glare. They can be eliminated by polishing in a specialized service.

However, you can do it on your own.

This method perfectly removes small scratches and abrasions from windshield wiper blades. Deep scratches that cling to the nail will not go away completely, but will smooth out and become smaller. For polishing you will need a special kit, which usually includes a nozzle, wheels and a paste with cerium oxide.

Wash the glass and wipe dry. Use a marker to mark the scratches from the inside to control the treatment area.

Place the attachment on the drill and apply some paste to the circle. At medium speed and without much pressure, polish the scratches in small areas.

Take frequent breaks to avoid overheating the glass. Wet it with water and wipe dry again.

Continue polishing for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the result is acceptable.

6. How to remove scratches on headlights

Scratches on optics are removed using the same principle as on glass. You can try to remove ordinary cloudiness with toothpaste, but it is better to use special polishing kits, which include everything necessary for the procedure.

The sequence of actions is usually indicated in the instructions. Typically you need to do the following:

Wash the headlights and dry them. Cover the adjacent areas of the hood, bumper and fender with masking tape.

Treat the glass with sandpaper dipped in water. Then apply coarse polish to the wheel and polish the glass at medium speed.

Rinse off the abrasive and polish the surface using a fine-grained paste.

Clean the glass and wipe dry, then carefully apply one coat of UV varnish.

Leave the car in the sun for a couple of hours for the varnish to harden. Complete polymerization occurs within 24 hours—the car cannot be washed during this time.