Tapped from behind by my coworker in the parking garage — did I mess up by letting it go?

I did almost the exact same thing with a neighbor a couple years back. Minor bump, no info exchanged, thought nothing of it. Turned out fine in my case, but I only realized later that my backup camera had gotten slightly misaligned and the calibration cost me more than I expected out of pocket. Definitely get your car looked at before too much time passes — even just a quick free inspection at a body shop so you have something on record.

Are you feeling okay physically? Even super low-speed impacts can cause some neck or upper back stiffness that doesn't show up until a day or two later. Not trying to freak you out, just — if anything feels off in the next week, please see a doctor and mention the accident. Don't let it go undocumented medically if your body starts talking to you.

The car stuff aside, my bigger concern is that you have zero paper trail. If somehow SHE reports it first for any reason, you're starting from behind. I'm not saying she would, but you don't control that. At minimum I'd send her a casual text like 'hey just checking in about the parking garage thing' so you have a timestamp showing the interaction happened and was mutual.

Go get the bumper inspected. Today if you can. A body shop will usually look for free. If the sensors are fine and there's no hidden damage, then you've got peace of mind and you made the right call. If something IS wrong, you still have a narrow window to bring it up with her before too much time creates a 'why didn't you say something sooner' problem.

How new is 'a few years old'? Because if it's still under any kind of manufacturer warranty or you have a lease, unreported damage — even minor — can sometimes become a headache later. Just something worth looking into before you fully close the book on this.

You didn't make any legally binding agreement by saying 'don't worry about it' in a parking garage — that's not a signed release or anything. So technically you still have options if damage surfaces. That said, the longer you wait the harder it gets to connect new findings to this specific incident. If a shop finds something in the next few days, the timeline is still reasonable. Just keep any receipts or inspection reports dated.

Honestly I think it says something good about you that you prioritized the relationship. Most workplace drama starts with way smaller stuff than this. If the car checks out fine, you probably bought yourself a really loyal work friend. Just do your due diligence on the inspection front and I think you'll feel a lot better.

Not legal advice, but worth knowing: in most places, property damage claims have a statute of limitations of at least a year or two, so you're not completely out of options if real damage turns up. The practical challenge is proving causation after the fact without documentation. Get that inspection done ASAP — a dated written report from a shop is your best friend right now.