A trip to Walmart left one California driver with a damaged car and a $1,000 bill, and they still cannot make sense of what came next. After another car reportedly backed into them while they searched for a parking space, the driver says their insurance dispute ended with all the blame falling on them.
The crash took place September 3 in a busy Walmart parking lot, according to a post on Reddit. As the driver drove down an aisle, a car pulled out of a parking spot and struck the left rear of their vehicle. The damage was near the back door and wheel well.
At first, it seemed simple enough to trade details and file a claim. Both drivers had moved their cars before taking photos, though, leaving no pictures of where the vehicles had stopped right after the crash.
Then the other driver gave a very different account, claiming their car had been parked the whole time. The two insurance companies could not agree on who was at fault. When the case ended, the Reddit poster asked why all the blame fell on them.
Stories Don’t Match
In the Reddit post, the driver says they filed a claim with Mercury Insurance. The other motorist had coverage through National General and blamed the poster for the crash.
Someone else had seen what happened, but the poster says they never spoke to that witness at the scene. Later, Mercury told them the witness saw the other car move forward into theirs. That clashed with the other motorist’s claim that their vehicle had not moved at all.
The witness did not back every part of the poster’s story, however. Along with saying the other car had moved, the witness claimed the poster was speeding through the lot.
That part drew a strong response from the driver. With cars and shoppers all around, they argued, there was little room to drive fast. They said they had been moving slowly while looking for a space.
All The Blame
Since the insurance companies could not agree, the case went to arbitration. During that process, a third party reviews both sides and makes a decision. The outcome was not what the poster expected.
Rather than split the blame, the ruling placed 100% of it on them for failing to stay in their lane.
What troubled the driver most was how that finding fit the damage. Their car had been struck near the rear door, while the other vehicle had front bumper damage. To them, those marks fit the story of a car pulling out of a parking spot. Damage alone, though, cannot prove who caused a crash.
Repair costs came to about $2,500, with Mercury paying roughly $1,500. The remaining $1,000 was the poster’s deductible. On top of that expense, they worried the fault finding could lead to higher insurance rates.
Still Pushing Back
Several Reddit users urged the driver to ask Mercury to review the finding. Others suggested small claims court as a way to seek the $1,000 from the other driver, although a lawsuit would not promise a win.
Under California rules, fault can affect what a driver pays for insurance. The California Department of Insurance explains how that works, while state courts provide guidance on where to file small claims cases.
For this driver, the money is hard to lose. They told other Reddit users they are a single mother with little cash to spare, making the deductible a major expense.
Rather than accept the fault finding without question, the poster wants Mercury to take another look at how the crash will count against them.