Collision in a private property

[cho006]

My car was hit by a lady backing up while it was parked without me on a private property. The lady did not have her insurance, because she was driving her daughter's car. When I asked her for her daughter's insurance, she refused to. I questioned her "who's going to pay for the damage on my car?" and she told me that my insurance company will handle it. I made a claim, gave my insurance company her information (driver's license and phone number). I went to a collision center and it was $700. My deductible for insurance is $1000. My insurance will most likely be useless. If that ends up happening, what can I do to get my $700 (+200 for rental car) from her. I even tried calling my local pd and they were telling me that they can not do anything about what happened in a private property.

 

[army judge]

If you want her to pay, you'll have to sue her in small claims court.
In cases such as these, it's a 50/50 bet that even if you prevail in small claims that you'll never see $1.00 of the amount you're seeking.

 

[mightymoose]

See if you can get a couple more estimates for at least $50 more.
Submit an SR1 to the DMV and they may be able to get you the other party's insurance information.
If you have an address you may want to go there and speak with the owner of the vehicle.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/forms/sr/sr1

 

[PistotnikLaw]

Your insurance company might be willing to help you identify the insurance company of the vehicle which struck your vehicle. Once you learn the insurance company, you can turn a claim into them. Suing in small claims court or contacting your Dept of Motor Vehicles could get you to the same place. You should consult with a local lawyer. Some states provide for a recovery of attorney fees if successful, but finding a lawyer willing to handle the claim is sometimes difficult. Your local bar association might be able to direct you to the right lawyer.