Asked by user in Tennessee. Answered by Enjuris Editors.
Hi, Nelly.
I am sorry to hear this! You’re right that it’s going to be hard to prove that your friend’s roommate damaged your car. Yes, you can take photos of anything that is publicly viewable BUT you should do it from the street, sidewalk, or other public space. Avoid being on their private property.
The caveat is that if the roommate is a friend of yours and gives you permission to be on their property, then it would be okay to be there. Still, you can avoid any problems if you can stay on the road and take photos from there.
The photos can be a valuable piece of evidence, but it still might be hard to prove that this person damaged your car and there were no witnesses. It might be worth inquiring as to whether any residents in the surrounding homes have cameras that might have picked up footage of her pulling in or out to see if it looks like she scraped against your car.
You can also report the accident to the police. They have ways of matching paint chips and other techniques in order to identify vehicles in a hit-and-run (which is any accident where the driver leaves the scene without providing identifying information).
You can read more about a hit-and-run (which includes hitting a parked car) here, and you’re welcome to use the Enjuris law firm directory if you need an attorney to assist with your claim.