I was at my high school and getting out of a parked car. When I opened the passenger door to get out, I hit a moving car. I heard a thud and the driver and passenger of the moving car scowled at me and then drove away. Around a week later, the driver of the moving car comes up to me, claiming I made a big dent in the car. Am I at fault for the damages or is the driver of the moving car because after all, they did not stop to assess the situation and I don't know for sure that I caused the dent in that car, since they just drove off. That dent could have possibly occurred after and they are just blaming me for it.

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Originally Posted by anna.conda

Am I at fault for the damages or is the driver of the moving car because after all, they did not stop to assess the situation

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Hello a:

You ARE responsible for the damages. You can't open your door into oncoming traffic.. HOW MUCH the damage IS, is the question.. I'd sit down with them and negotiate a settlement.

excon

Agreed, if you opened your door without taking due care to check for moving traffic, then you are at fault.

But, the fact that the driver did not stop to assess the damage makes their case very tenuous. I would tell them to report it to their insurance company. That you have no evidence to prove the amount of damage that you may have done.