The bumpers on many Japanese cars are horribly flimsy. I once knocked the rear bumper completely off a Honda Accord in a sub-10MPH wreck.

In IIHS's offset 3MPH crash testing, the Prius suffered $1,200 worth of damage. It's entirely possible that you did all of that damage.

As for the scratch marks lining up, did her scratch marks happen to line up with your tailpipes? They stick out pretty far and don't compress like the plastic bumper does.

 

If you were in a parking space you are a parked vehicle, and cars travelling in the lanes between parking places have the right of way.


Any time you are in reverse, all responsibility is placed entirely and exclusively on you to reverse into traffic safely. Other traffic is not required to slow down or stop for you.

 

Too bad You didn't have the reverse sensors. j/k

 

I agree with this poster regarding cars entering "traffic lanes". However I can't even count how many times I have been nearly out of a parking space and some rude inconsiderate person can't show me the courtesy to allow me to complete my move so they have to go around me. That sounds like what this person attempted to do.

 

You are 100% correct. I actually work in insurance claims.

Also, it is not unusual for a low speed impact to do that type of damage to the Prius (and most other cars). The section of the plastic bumper cover on the Prius that you hit is held onto the fender with a 10mm bolt and the rest snaps onto a plastic retainer. It's not hard for the plastic cover to rip from the single bolt's mounting point. It's also very easy for it to be sucked in like that due to the fact that there is hollow space behind the plastic bumper cover.

 

Per traffic guidelines, the duty is on YOU to complete your move without interupting or impeding the flow of traffic, period. If anything, you should be "courteous" enough to wait until you can proceed without disrupting the traffic which has the right of way. The person who has the right of way does not owe you courtesy.

 

No love goes out to the Prius. Even if they were trying to fraud you, you have no way to prove it unfortunately. This is why I always have my deductible set at $250.00. If anything happens I will always have the $250 to get it fixed right away. Living in NY.. You never know what ID10T is out there.

 

Spoken like a truly inconsiderate driver. Sure, one should not force themselves into traffic when backing out but there is no reason others can't extend some courtesy to a driver who has backed most of the way out of a space before they came along. Those extra few seconds it takes to be courteous costs them nothing.

 

Nope, I'm far from inconsiderate. In fact, I go out of my way to make sure I do not "inconsiderately" impede traffic like others may do. If I can't safely get up to speed before completing a traffic manuever that will cause another driver to slow down, then I simply do not do it. I also keep right except to pass.

The inconsiderate ones are folks who pull out when they don't have the right of way and have a sense of entitlement that folks should simply slow down for them or let them in.

But hey, since a few extra seconds cost nothing (as you state), then those extra few seconds it takes to wait until traffic is truly clear should not be an issue by your own logic.

 

You missed my point. I agree that one should never start backing out (or make a right turn, etc.) until and unless it can be done without impeding traffic. But in a parking lot you can start backing out when there's nobody around and still have someone come around the corner into the same aisle before you finish. The person that just came around the corner is an inconsiderate jackass if they try to squeeze by (because they technically have the right of way) instead of waiting a few seconds to let the other driver out.

 

I myself when going though a Parking lot if I see backup lights I will stop.. wait a few seconds maybe even verify if they see me. However also with that I have many of times come across someone sitting in their car with the backup lights on and not backing up. In those cases I will creep by slowly in efforts to make sure they do not do a bone-skull move. Last but not lease since my 06 Mustang had a very low front bumper I never ever ever ever front into a parking space. That way when pulling out I will always see fully what is in front of me. In fact just yesterday I was in a Mall parking lot where they have a ALL-WAY stop. I came to the stop sign (no one there) i start to do my pass through a woman (who had shopping on the brain and not driving) did a California rolling stop and proceeded to continue. I ended up stopping in the middle of the intersection to let said **s*ole through. Needless to say I don't like taking my Mustang to parking lots.

 

Where's Judge Judy when you need her?

 

What do you do when you have a large SUV on each side of you? The only safe way would be to get a spotter and have them marshal you out of the parking space and stop traffic in each direction. Not very practical.
What are your suggestions?

 

Large orange cones. Everyone must place them out into the street prior to backing or moving from a parked spot; then after the car is out, collect the cones and throw them at those that did not allow you room to get out!

 

If I take any of my vehicles to a store, and I always do this, I bring my wife with me. We load the groceries, she stands on the other side of the lane and signals when it's clear to back out (if I find myself surrounded by other cars). I look for spots that have an adjacent open spot, preferably two, but sometimes that's not possible. The reason? Has nothing to do with paint or door dings; I do it to avoid the very situation the OP brought up. And you know, it works.

 

I always park far away from cars and find spots that I can just drive straight out... I never back out of spots in big lots, even at the movies we back into single spots.. Its a pain but well worth it...

 

in california, the vehicle code regarding unsafe backing does not apply in a private parking lot. therefore, no one is "legally" at fault since the law is not applicable. it will be up to your insurance company and the other driver's insurance company to decide. naturally, her company will probably blame you. but your company will have the same right to blame her.

ed

 

good info

 

Same here. I try to park at least 4 spots from any other car, and I'll happily walk and extra 50 yards through the parking lot to keep my car safe. I've had it almost a year, daily driven, almost 13,000 miles on it, and not one door ding or shopping cart scratch.

Even at work I park on the 4th floor of our garage because it's very nearly empty up there and I can park near the Ford GT that another person in this building owns.

 

^ this, mine is always the one in the back by itself.. mainly because ppl don't know how to open their doors without smashing them into your car like animals