Have you ever returned to your parked car only to find a note on the windshield apologizing for the door dent or scrape? Or worse yet, no note and only the carnage left behind?

For many of us, parking lot dings and dents are a fact of life — but do you know what to do if there’s been damage to your vehicle or you’ve accidentally damaged someone else’s? 

First and foremost, if someone has been injured, call the police, paramedics, and report the incident. For minor accidents, here’s the playbook on how to handle it:

If your vehicle is damaged
You won’t be at-fault. If the individual who damaged your vehicle is no longer on the scene and hasn’t left their contact information, look around for possible witnesses so that you can gather more information for when you contact the police to file a report. Note that you are required by law to file a report if the damage exceeds $2,000 or if someone has been injured. 

You should also take a few photos of the area and the damage to your vehicle, as this may help with your insurance claim. You have seven days in which to report the accident to your broker, agent, or insurance copy.

If you hit a vehicle
Stay on the scene — if you leave, you could potentially be charged with a hit-and-run offence. If you are unable to locate the driver, leave a note with all of your contact information. It’s also recommended that you take a photo of the scene and the damage to share with your insurance company and talk to any witnesses and request their contact information in case you require their statement in the future.