quiet-swan-47419h ago

Woman photographed my plate and now claims I hit her — no damage on either car. What do I do?

So this happened a few days ago and I'm still stressed out about it.

I was pulling out of a busy parking lot near a shopping center. It was crowded, slow-moving, the usual chaos. I honestly did not make contact with any vehicle — I was being extra careful because there were carts everywhere and families walking around.

About ten minutes later, I'm sitting at a red light and I notice a minivan pull up right behind me, really close. A woman gets out, walks up to my passenger window, and just... starts photographing my license plate. That's it. She didn't knock on my window. Didn't ask for my insurance or my name. Didn't say a word to me. I rolled down my window and asked if everything was okay and she just waved me off and walked back to her van.

I got out and looked at both vehicles. My car is completely clean — no new marks, no scrapes, nothing. Her van already had a bunch of scuffs and dings that were clearly old (different colors, oxidized edges, etc.). If I had actually bumped her, something would've shown up on MY car too, right?

Now I'm paranoid she's going to file a hit-and-run claim saying I bumped her in that parking lot and drove off. I have a dashcam but the rear camera angle might not have caught everything perfectly.

I have NOT heard from my insurance yet but I'm dreading it.

Should I proactively call my insurance and give them my side NOW?
Can she actually make a hit-and-run claim stick with zero physical evidence?
Will this mess up my driving record or rates even if nothing is proven?

I feel like I'm being set up for something I didn't do. Has anyone dealt with a situation like this?

8 replies

Most helpful first

plain-finch-15419h ago
Almost the exact same thing happened to me in a grocery store parking lot last year. Someone claimed I sideswiped them, but there was zero transfer paint on my car and the 'damage' on their bumper was clearly old. My advice: call YOUR insurance first before she does. Getting ahead of it made a huge difference for me. Don't wait to see if she files — take control of the narrative now.
- tidy-kestrel-13619h ago
  Not legal advice, but: the absence of any physical evidence of contact is significant. No paint transfer, no matching damage profile — these are real evidentiary gaps. A dashcam, even with an imperfect angle, plus a written account you create today, could go a long way. If she does file and your insurer contacts you, you have the right to have an attorney present before giving a recorded statement. Don't feel pressured to rush through that.
humble-stoat-05719h ago
Be very careful here. Once she files a claim, adjusters are going to be working in the interest of keeping payouts low OR finding a quick resolution — and that might not be in YOUR favor. They are not your friend even if they sound friendly on the phone. Document everything right now: pull your dashcam footage tonight, note the time and location, write down everything you remember. Do it before memory fades.
humble-elk-29919h ago
Worked claims for years. A few things that will matter if this gets filed:

1. Paint transfer — if there's no matching transfer on your vehicle, that's a real problem for her story. 2. Damage consistency — adjusters are trained to look at the height and angle of damage to see if it's even physically consistent with the alleged contact. 3. Her behavior at the scene — not asking for your info is unusual and we'd note that.

That said, some claimants are savvy enough to know they just need a plate number to file. Don't assume it won't go anywhere. Call your insurer and document everything.
clever-bison-34919h ago
For a hit-and-run to stick legally, there generally has to be evidence that a collision actually occurred — not just a plate number and a claim. That said, if she files with her own insurance under uninsured motorist coverage, they might pursue your insurer without much in the way of proof upfront. You'll want to get your dashcam footage secured and timestamped ASAP. That's potentially your best friend here.
- candid-hare-70019h ago
  I'm a little concerned for your stress levels too, honestly — this kind of drawn-out uncertainty is genuinely hard on people. Just want to say: document everything, try to sleep, and don't catastrophize until something actually happens. Most of these situations don't escalate the way we fear they will.
silent-badger-54119h ago
Three things, do them today: 1. Back up your dashcam footage to the cloud or a USB — don't let it loop over. 2. Write a detailed account of everything with exact times and locations while it's fresh. 3. Call your insurance and give them a heads up. Don't wait for her to define the story.
candid-crow-26119h ago
Just to push back a little — are you 100% sure there was no contact at all? Parking lots are hectic and sometimes people genuinely don't feel a light tap. I'm not saying she's right, but your dashcam footage is going to be the thing that settles this either way. Have you actually reviewed it yet?