Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Got in a fender bender

Hey all, just looking for opinions and a bit of ranting.

I was driving my dad's truck the other night to go snowboarding at Blue Mountain (in Ontario for you Americans) but went to pick up some stuff for my parents at a friend's house nearby the resort. So I load up a box spring and mattress combo and a treadmill. I drive back to the hill and once in the parking lot, stop cause I just passed a spot. I decided to reverse into the spot since I've already passed it. So I look in my rearview mirror and behind me, and my gf does the same, we see nothing. I put the truck in reverse, look again, the only car I see is about 30 feet back so I've got lots of space so I very slowly start moving backwards. I go back about 2 feet and I hear a horn followed by a bamn half a second later. We get out, I call the police, but am told that a police report isn't needed if damage is less than $1000, so we just exchange info. The only damage was a 1.5" square hole in his bumper from my trailer hitch (no damage to my truck). He is driving a Volvo and to replace the bumper is going to cost about $1300 after tax.
I'm not sure about the laws on this stuff when on private property in a parking lot. I also have a suspision that he didn't see me reversing and drove into the back of me while I was reversing. Otherwise, he would've been right on my ass in the parking lot for me not to have seen him and should've honked as soon as he saw my reverse lights.

I'm wondering what laws are applicable. Also, it could just be my word verses his on what happend. I'm not trying to cheat him or anything, but I don't think I should be taking full responsibility for this or pay all of it either.

What do you guys think?

i think he should pay for his own thoughtlessness of running into you. did he say he was stopped when the impact happened?

That's the thing, it's his word verses mine on that. I don't know for sure if he was at a complete stop when we hit.

well, you did check behind, shift, check behind, and then start going really slow for a couple feet. that equate to me to be about 8 to 10 seconds that you were atleast stopped. and your gf was with you, a witness. did he have any passengers

Should have used a Spotter!

Sorry... it's what they tell us all the time. We're required to spot gov't vehicles back all the time (and of course we always do ).

I feel ya man, something very similar happened to me last summer. I had been looking for jobs, I went to the mall and dropped of my job application at a local Suncoast. Got into my tour Looked behind me to see a Taurus pull into a spot across the row from me.. Cool, I can back up now, So I inch out and turn to my left and right to see if anybody was coming in either direction, there wasnt so I eased the clutch out more and turned back around to find the taurus had decided to find a different spot as I was backing up... Kind of my stupid mistake because I should have looked sooner. The guy was very nice and there was hardly any damamged, a light scrape in both of our cars. We decided to just forget about it and go our seprate ways, very nice guy.

Yeah, he had 2 passengers.

hmm... well what did they say about it?

weird, I'm looking for a job right now too. That's part of the problem as well, cause I'm kinda short on money at the moment. Maybe when I call him today I'll offer to pay for half the damages.

Nothing. It was just me and him talking and we didn't even say much to each other, just what was necessary.