I'm certain you would be found to be at fault in the accident. Hopefully the other guy's door wasn't damaged such that he can't open and close it and latch it. The paint damage and small ding in the fender of your truck can be fixed easily enough.
The other day I hit a customer's truck parked on his property. The customer was not there at the time. I was authorized to come do the work while he was gone.
I forgot about the tool box I have mounted on the front hitch of my truck. His truck was parked such that I couldn't make the turn to access the work area on his property. I was intending to pull up closer to his truck so I could turn and back up and then go forward again around his truck.
At that time, I was reminded of my tool box, when it contacted the bed of his truck. Fortunately, I was going maybe 1 mph, with my foot already riding the brake when it happened, so the damage was minimal, but still noticeable.
Long story short, I will be paying significantly more money than I made on the welding job I did for him that day, to fix his truck. He is going to get an estimate for me and I will decide if I want to pay cash for it, or run it through my insurance company. Either way, he will be taken care of. I am not one to run from my responsibilities. Do it, own it, settle it, be done with it, is my way of thinking.
I called him, gave him my insurance info and sent him pictures of his truck via cell phone as soon as it happened, then did the job per our agreement and left. He paid me for the job later that day and is going to get back with me on the estimate cost to fix the truck. I'm not going to like spending the money, or having my insurance rates raised, but it was my fault for running into his truck and it's my responsibility to take care of it. That is how damaging someone else's stuff should be handled.
On the other side of things, on one of my recent jobs on a construction site, someone driving a forklift with a pallet of something on the forks scraped it along side my truck. No one owned up to it.
On the same job on a different day, someone ran something into the other side of the truck, putting a dent in the bed of the truck near the tail light. No one owned up to it.
Also on the same job, on yet a different day, another welder, who was not working for me, was welding right next to my truck on top of a trailer and pitted all 3 windows on the passenger side of my truck with weld spatter. When I noticed it and asked him about it, he denied it up and down.
So on all 3 of those counts, I lost out. Someone else damaged my truck and no one is going to fix it but me, even though it was not my fault. And my truck is not an old piece of junk either, it's a nice looking truck in good shape, not a typical old work truck. That is how NOT to handle damaging someone else's stuff....
Several years ago I was driving through the ghetto of L.A. I got distracted and ran into the back of another vehicle. I did about $1200 worth of damage to my vehicle but it looked like a lot more to the vehicle I hit. His vehicle was driveable but barely. He was a Mexican illegal but had insurance. I gave him my insurance info and he gave me his info. Since it was my fault I never turned it in. Neither did he. Somehow I felt a little sorry for him since he had insurance and he had a lot of damage that was my fault. Sometimes we get hasty to judge. This guy should have asked for a police report but didn't because he was a illegal.
NewsW wrote: I shuddered to think at once upon a time, in a certain jurisdiction where such privileges are highly prized, I could have applied for and and used an "official" tag.
You are a great guy, in NC it is private property, so they would call the police and they would just tell you to check with your insurance company. The individual who left the door open may of gotten arrested/ICE agents, home busted up, foster care and so on. Your kindness overshadows the damage, but yep, it sure hurts but it is just a thing, expensive but still a thing and when you see that damage you could remember your kindness may of kept a family together. Legal or not, still a family.
I shuddered to think at once upon a time, in a certain jurisdiction where such privileges are highly prized, I could have applied for and and used an "official" tag.
I have to say, you hit a parked car... sorry for your luck, glad no one was hurt. Don't feel bad, lots of duellies have scratches on the fenders. It happens and can easily be fixed.
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 6.7 Mega Cab 4x4 SRW
Hijacker Auto Slide/ P3
2006 Triple E Topaz 310RBXL
Wife, 2 kids and Murphy the dog Pictures
OK. Thanks for all who posted. I will make this one last post and then I'm done. As far as I'm concerned, y'all can keep it going or they can lock it up. Makes no matter to me.
1. I like to reverse the situations when I wonder how to judge something. I can promise you 110% if I back my vehicle up to another vehicle that is in a temporarily parked situation. And I am so close that when I leave my door open, its actually blocking part of the other vehicle's path. If that guy hits my door, I WILL feel responsible. I will feel like I just wasn't using good sense. Whether I could be held legally responsible is another story. But I'd still in my opinion believe my actions were the main reason it happened.
2. The other guy's vehicle was not harmed. My truck was scratched up but not dented. If I hadn't noticed in time, who knows how bad it would have been. So stop saying idiotic stuff like he "should have gotten my license tag number" or "Did you give them your phone number and insurance company so they can get their vehicle repaired?". Stick to the facts given. Don't make stuff up.
3. Whether you like it or not, the Hispanic part was important to the underlying issue. Everyone who read my original post stereotyped a picture in their mind. In reality, in my life I'm fortunate enough to be driving a $65,000 truck and he's driving his family around in an old Isuzu Rodeo that he probably couldn't sell for $1500 on craigslist. He may be a legal citizen or he may not. He may have insurance or he may not. But I truly think he was sorry for what had occurred.
All this time, I'm thinking he's at fault at the time of the incident (whether he is or not). But standing there seeing him with his family and knowing it was probably his kid who left the door open. How could I take it any further?
Again, thank you to all who responded. But I must admit, I tried to get some opinions on whether I was at fault or not and yet from several members here, I feel almost attacked. I'll be sure from now on to keep my truck and camping stories away from RV.net and share them to others who will offer constructive opinions in a more friendly manner.
Notice how we "campers" have become here on the forums? I expected more from fellow RV'ers. I guess I was wrong.
NewsW wrote: I shuddered to think at once upon a time, in a certain jurisdiction where such privileges are highly prized, I could have applied for and and used an "official" tag.
I didn't think the privilege was worth having.
?????
You lost me there...
Nothing new... but the post count
Construction sites and nice looking work trucks don't mix Glen. Ain't right but this is 2012. Us old guys need to adjust to the new manners in life, NOT
Good side is those little fenders can't cost to much. I agree your a good guy even before this happened.
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