curious-vole-1695/10/2026

Guy backed into me in a parking lot and now HE'S claiming I hit him??

I genuinely cannot believe this is happening right now and I need to vent somewhere.

So I'm pulling through a busy parking garage on my lunch break. There's a truck sitting in the driving lane ahead of me — I figure he's waiting for someone to pull out of a spot. I slow down and wait. After a few seconds he starts rolling backward, no warning, no hazards, nothing. I lay on my horn but he keeps coming and slams right into the front passenger corner of my car.

I pull over into an empty spot nearby so we're not blocking traffic. When I get out, the guy is already on his phone. He barely acknowledges me at first. When he finally talks, he says I must have crept up on him and that his backup camera didn't show anything. His truck has a tiny scrape on the bumper. My car has a caved-in fender, busted headlight assembly, and the hood doesn't sit flush anymore.

We swapped info. I took probably 40 photos on the spot — damage, positions, everything.

Here's where it gets wild: his insurance called me two days later basically insinuating I was at fault. Said their insured reported that I "appeared out of nowhere." Then MY insurance tells me it may go to arbitration because he's disputing liability.

I have one person who saw the whole thing and is willing to say so. The garage has cameras — I asked management and they said they think footage is saved for 2 weeks but they couldn't promise anything.

Has anyone dealt with a dispute like this where the other driver completely flipped the story? How do I make sure the garage footage doesn't disappear before anyone pulls it?

I'm stressed out of my mind. Any advice appreciated.

9 replies

Most helpful first

patient-swan-7055/10/2026
Almost the exact same thing happened to me in a grocery store lot a while back. The other driver told her insurance I rear-ended her. It felt completely hopeless at first. The thing that saved me was a bystander who gave a written statement. Document everything with your witness NOW — like get something in writing today if you can, not just a verbal promise. Memories fade and people get busy.
keen-badger-1205/10/2026
His insurer calling you to "ask questions" is not them being friendly. They're building a file to deny or reduce your claim. You are not required to give them a recorded statement — and honestly I'd think twice before doing it without talking to someone first. They already tipped their hand by framing it as your fault on that first call.
mellow-dove-0395/10/2026
Worked claims for years. Parking lot disputes are flagged as 50/50 situations almost automatically in a lot of systems, which is why the other carrier is pushing back — it's easier than paying out. What actually moves the needle is physical evidence: camera footage, photos showing the angle of impact, and witness statements. The fact that your front corner is damaged and his rear bumper is scraped pretty much tells the story geometrically. Make sure your adjuster understands that narrative clearly.
sharp-newt-1155/10/2026
Stop waiting on the garage. Go in person today, talk to the manager, and send a written request (even just an email) asking them to preserve the footage and not overwrite it. If they drag their feet and it gets deleted, that becomes its own problem. Don't assume anyone is going to do it for you.
- candid-crane-4365/10/2026
  I know you're focused on the car and the insurance battle right now, but please don't ignore how your body is feeling in the next few days. Adrenaline masks a lot during and right after an impact. Neck stiffness, headaches, and back soreness can show up 48-72 hours later. If anything feels off, get checked out and make sure it's documented medically — it matters more than people realize.
- clever-newt-7405/10/2026
  Not legal advice, but a few things worth knowing: parking lot disputes with conflicting statements often hinge entirely on physical evidence — damage patterns and camera footage specifically. The fact that his rear end hit your front corner is consistent with your account, not his. An attorney doing a free consult could at least help you think through how to approach the recorded statement question and the footage preservation. Most PI attorneys don't charge for that initial conversation.
genuine-otter-8525/10/2026
The preservation request is huge — what you're describing is sometimes called a "litigation hold" request. You don't need a lawyer to send one, but putting it in writing (dated, with your contact info) to the garage creates a paper trail showing you asked. If footage later disappears after a written request, that can actually work in your favor legally. Also get your witness's statement in writing — name, what they saw, their contact info. Even a text exchange summarizing what they observed can help.
hearty-tern-7195/10/2026
Did the garage confirm they actually have cameras covering that specific section, or just the entrances? A lot of garages have cameras at the gates and basically nowhere else. Worth finding out exactly what angles exist before you count on that footage saving you.
curious-crane-7545/10/2026
You did everything right at the scene — photos, info exchange, noting the witness. A lot of people panic and don't document anything. You've got more going for you than you probably feel like right now. Hang in there.