Someone hit your parked car: build a useful record

Record discovery separately from the collision

Write down when you discovered the damage and when you last saw the car undamaged. These are two different events. If you parked at 2:10 p.m. and returned at 3:35 p.m., that gives you a search window; it does not establish a crash time. Include the date and time zone, and note whether either time is approximate.

Describe the exact parking position: street address, side of the street, nearest entrance, space number if available, and which direction the front of your car faced. A photograph of a landmark can be more useful than a broad location such as “downtown.” Leave the other vehicle’s plate and direction of travel as unknown unless you have a reliable source.

Photograph context before close-ups

From a safe place, take an overall view showing the vehicle and its surroundings. Then photograph each damaged area at a medium distance and close up. Include an undamaged view of the vehicle for comparison. Do not step into traffic or handle debris just to improve a photograph.

Keep the original photo files. Make separate copies if you want to draw arrows, crop a detail or add a caption. In your photo index, record the original filename, when you took it, what it shows and where you backed it up. A filename can connect your written notes to the correct image without changing the original.

Make a report you can follow up on

Contact the appropriate local police reporting service; use emergency services for an immediate danger or injury. Explain that you discovered damage to a parked car and did not witness the collision. Ask for the incident or report number, the agency name and the method for supplying additional information.

Write down the time of your report and the name of the person who received it. If you later find a possible camera, give the agency its exact location and the time window you established. Record what you actually submitted and any acknowledgment. A report number identifies your record; it does not tell you which evidence has been obtained.

Turn unknowns into specific follow-up tasks

Instead of writing “find footage,” create separate tasks for each possible camera: identify its operator, ask who handles preservation requests, provide the relevant time window, and record the response. Do not assume a visible camera was recording or that it covered your car.

Illustrative entry: “October 7, 3:35 p.m.—discovered passenger-side damage. Last seen undamaged at approximately 2:10 p.m. Photo IMG_1042 shows the parking position. Store entrance camera may face the lot; coverage not confirmed.” This is a useful record because it makes the uncertainty explicit.

Use the worksheet without losing the originals

Use Crash details for the location and discovery notes, Timeline for each event, and Evidence sources for possible cameras and witnesses. If the collision time is unknown, label any estimate clearly in your notes rather than presenting it as confirmed.

Download or print your case summary. Optional device saving stores worksheet information in this browser, not a secure online evidence vault. Selected photo and video files are not uploaded or preserved by this site; keep originals and a separate backup yourself.

Further reading on keeping digital records

The Library of Congress personal digital archiving resources explain general approaches to keeping photographs, video, email and documents. These are preservation resources, not crash-specific legal instructions. The worked examples on this page are our own illustrations.

Continue your record

Open the evidence utility to organize your notes, or read another guide.

General educational information. For reporting requirements, access rights or legal deadlines, consult the relevant agency or a qualified professional.