2 days ago i was driving and i accidentally hit a restaurants small enter sign. It didn’t break my car, and the sign only had very minor damage (the screw fell off so the cover was hanging and the light bulb fell out and broke). This is my first accident - i got out and i talked to the people and gave my information, told them i’m a minor (17) and gave them my parents info. They didn’t call the police because they thought a sign wasn’t worth it. Yesterday my mom was driving and seen that the sign was completely fixed (small town, the restaurant i wreaked havoc upon was the only one in town). They haven’t contacted me or my parents at all between the time it happened and now - should i still be worried? my dad said they can still come for us and make us replace the whole sign, but a family friend said nothing will most likely come of it. They have all my information including pics of my license and license plate. can they still report me ?
Answers & Comments
The polite thing would be for you with your parents to go to the restaurant, talk to the manager and inquire how much it took them to fix the sign. Since it was done quickly, this shouldn't be much. Then write a check (you can pay your parents back later).
On the other hand, if this is a corporate chain, it may be taking time for district or regional risk management team to get rolling.
It doesn't matter how old you are. You were in the accident, not your parents. YOU are licensed, which is a privilege.
The only thing I could see having to do with your parents is if they were the ones who owned the car but you said you own it. It's YOUR car, YOUR license, YOUR info. Your parents are not relevant in this particular situation. Good for you for taking responsibility though.
Yes, they can still report you until the statute of limitations expire.
The parents are 100% liable for the actions of their minor children.
I would just like to clarify since it won’t allow me to edit - i understand fully that i am the one responsible for the damage. me stating that i’m a minor isn’t to make you feel bad or to try and make it seem like i’m less at fault. my parents got involved by the request of the company because i’m a minor - not because i wanted my parents to get me out of the situation or pay for it. i’d also like to add just incase - before leaving i let them know that i was more than willing to cover all the cost for the damage.
Insurance claims can take a while. They may still contact you ...or your own insurance company might if their people contact your people. Sometimes damage is more significant or expensive to repair than it appears.
Yes, they can still report you, but I would take them at their word. They thought the sign wasn't worth the trouble, so don't worry about it. If your car has no damage either, then you have no responsibility to report it as an accident to the police or to your insurance company.
"can they still report me ?" Report you for what? Having an accident is not a crime. You provided them your information before you left the scene of the accident so no crime there either.
The probably replaced the bulb, put the screw back in and called it done. The cost of a light bulb and a screw are probably not worth the hassle of dealing with an insurance company for them.
One of your parents should call the restaurant to followup and offer to make right any damages. Then you should all go eat dinner there to give them some business.
Maybe if you paid for the damage that YOU CAUSED, you would be less worried about them reporting you. You're 17. You're plenty old enough to start being responsible for your actions.
So you drink alcohol? (How ELSE would you hit a sign with your car? Or are you just a bad driver?)