If a snow blower has scratched a car, it is necessary to determine as soon as possible the organization that owns the vehicle that caused the damage. This is followed by an appeal to the traffic police, the determination of the amount of damage caused and its recovery from the insurance company or from the direct tortfeasor.
Car enthusiasts often get lost in situations when snow removal equipment inflicts damage to their vehicles. As a rule, such cases occur when leaving the car at the entrance or in an unguarded parking lot overnight. The perpetrator of the accident usually does not report his involvement in the damage, but simply leaves the scene of the accident. The owner of a scratched car should follow a certain scheme that will help to receive compensation for the damage caused in a short time. Many immediately contact the traffic police, trying to fix the circumstances in which the car was scratched, but in the absence of information about the guilty person, this action will not bring any result.
What to do if a scratched car is found?
Immediately after finding a car scratched by a snow blower, its owner should try to find eyewitnesses to the incident. If the vehicle was parked at the entrance of your own house, then you should go around and ask all neighbors, check the availability of video cameras at nearby organizations (shops, banks), place ads at the entrances of the nearest houses. If a witness is found, other evidence confirming the damage caused by snow removal equipment, it is necessary to determine a specific organization (public service) that is engaged in cleaning this area. After that, you can call the traffic police to the scene, who will need to provide evidence of the guilt of a particular company. The main goal of the car owner at this stage is to obtain a certificate of an accident, a decision or determination in an administrative offense case, which will indicate the guilt of a particular person in the accident.
What to do after receiving documents from the traffic police?
After receiving documents from the traffic police officers, a standard procedure for assessing the damage caused follows. If the damage caused is recovered from the insurance company (for example, if you have a CASCO insurance policy), then you should give the car for examination to your insurer. If the damage is recovered from the direct owner of the snow removal equipment, then it is recommended to order an independent examination, having previously sent a notice of the time and place of its carrying out to the guilty party. The results of this examination, in combination with documents from the traffic police, witness testimony and other obtained evidence, will become the basis for voluntary compensation for damage by the organization providing utilities, or for the recovery of a certain amount of money in court.
