Bumped in a car park? Who is at fault, and what to do

In the weeks before Christmas, supermarket and shopping centre car parks are packed: tight spaces, drivers reversing out while others hunt for a space, and shoppers walking between the cars with trolleys. Most car park collisions are slow and nobody is hurt, but they can still cost hundreds of pounds to put right, and they are often argued over.

Stop. The legal duty to stop after a collision applies on any road or other public place, and a car park open to the public generally counts. Exchange names, addresses, registrations and insurance details with the other driver, and take photos of both cars, where they ended up, and the lines and signs around them.

Ask any witnesses for their names and numbers, and ask the shop or the car park operator to keep their CCTV. Many systems record over their footage after a short time, so ask the same day.

If you hit a parked car and cannot find the owner, leave a note with your name, address and registration where it will be seen, and report it to the police. If you have not given your details to the owner at the scene, the law says you must report the collision to the police as soon as you reasonably can, and in any case within 24 hours.

Fault in a car park depends on what each driver was doing. A driver reversing out of a space must look carefully before moving (Highway Code rule 202), so if someone backs into you as you drive along the lane, the blame usually falls on them. If you were the one reversing, it usually falls on you.

When two drivers reverse into each other, or both pull out at once, insurers often split the blame between them. Photos, witnesses and dashcam or CCTV footage make a real difference to how that ends up, which is why they are worth gathering at the time.

If the other driver was at fault, your claim is against their insurer, and there is nothing to pay up front. We arrange the repair, a replacement car while yours is off the road, and a specialist solicitor on a no win, no fee basis if anyone was hurt.

If the bump was your fault, it goes through your own insurance. We still help: we guide you through telling your insurer, arrange the repair, and help with your excess where we can.

Whoever was to blame, you can start your claim here or call us on 0141 258 2030.