Expert: Richard Hixenbaugh - 10/5/2010

Question
I backed into a truck that was parked perpendicular to the parking lines. I'm a tenant at some apartment above a pizza place, and he works at the pizza place. The boss mentioned to him that he told him he shouldn't park there when I told him about the accident. I still gave him my insurance information. It was about two hundred dollars worth of damage, so not much, and only cosmetic damage. But can he really make a claim since he was parked illegally?

Answer
Hi Lance,

Unfortunately, anytime you hit a stationary object you are 100% at fault, even if the object you hit was an illegally parket vehicle.

Your insurance will pay for the damage, although, if the damage was only $200.00 you would have been better off to pay for the damage out of pocket. Since this will be considered an at-fault event, your premiums will likely go up more than the $200.00 and will stay that way for 3 years.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh