Walk It Through: The Crash in the Parking Lot
A bumper into a parked car, a second crash with someone hurt, and a call to report it.
Backing out, a car scrapes a parked car with no one in it.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
Two crashes with ordinary cars, both drivers insured. Insurance claims, fault and lawsuits for the damage are not part of this walk.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Bodily injuryPhysical pain, physical illness or any impairment of physical condition.
- Reportable accidentA crash on a public way, or where public traffic is expected, that causes injury or death or apparent property damage of $2,000 or more, reported immediately to the police.
- Serious bodily injuryInjury that creates a substantial risk of death, or causes serious permanent disfigurement, loss or substantial impairment of a bodily member or organ, or extended convalescence.
- Traffic infractionA traffic violation that is not a crime. The penalty is a fine of $25 to $500 unless another section says otherwise, a license suspension, or both.