Hit & Run / Odds on Actually Getting Other Party Details through Police?

tempestswitch on 15/08/2025 - 21:44
Last edited 16/08/2025 - 14:41 by 1 other user

Was in a hit and run while my car was parked today in my 5 week old car :( Actually more like a "Hit, Park, Eat Some Chicken and use a walking frame to run away"

My car was reverse parked in a 45 degree spot. Other car backed into my rear driver door. They reparked the car, sat and ate some food and left 15 minutes later. My dashcam captured everything perfectly. Got their number plate.

Went to my local police station. They have been super helpful in the past and call the mobile linked to the rego to get the other party to exchange details. In and out within 5 minutes to start a claim. This time they said the car is registered under a company name to it will take a few months to make a report to the company and attempt to collect the other party's details.

Apparently, it's a car rental car from what the Police told me. And they need to contact the company to find out who was driving. But I have my doubts as it's a '98 Mitsubishi Magna driven by a 70-80 yo driver. A 27 year old car as a rental car?

What are my odds in actually getting the other party's details? I want to lodge a claim with my insurance company (Shannons) to get the ball rolling, but it seems like I will have to pay the excess as I don't have the other party's details?
Can I lodge a claim, start the repair, pay the excess and then get Shannons to reimburse me when I finally get the other party's details? Or should I just wait a few months.

Obligatory drawing here. No MS Paint so used my iPad.

TLDR: Car was hit while parked. Got rego plate through dash cam. Rego linked to company. Police say it'll take months to retrieve other driver details, and they might not even get it.

Automotive Car Hyundai Motors Mitsubishi Magna

Comments

  • MS Paint on 15/08/2025 - 22:00
    +3

    No MS Paint so used my iPad.

    Hmmmmm.

    • tempestswitch on 15/08/2025 - 22:01

      Forgive me MS Paint for I have sinned

      • MS Paint on 15/08/2025 - 22:04
        +1

        I forgive you on this occasion. I have a policy with Shannons and I have found them super helpful and knowledgeable. Give them a call to find out the correct answer about excess reimbursement in the event of finding out the drivers details.

        Any photos of the damage to yours? No real reason just curious.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 16/08/2025 - 00:01
      +1

      No MS Paint so used my iPad.

      Travesty. Find a mirror and have a good, hard look at yourself.

  • randomusername2017 on 15/08/2025 - 22:04
    +1

    so used my iPad

    Looks more like 2 iPhones colliding…

  • pegaxs on 15/08/2025 - 22:24
    +1

    “What did Shannon’s say when you asked them?”

    My first port of call after reporting it to police and getting an incident number would have been to call my insurance company and ask them what the next steps are.

  • miwahni on 16/08/2025 - 00:28
    +2

    No experience with Shannons, but NRMA refunded the three excesses my son paid when the police caught and charged the person who broke into his house, stole contents then took car keys and stole his car.

  • JIMB0 on 16/08/2025 - 00:40

    For privacy reasons the police won't give you their details, they'll only give it to your insurance company, or if you don't have one you'll need to engage a lawyer to handle it.

    You should be able to make a claim, get it repaired and then when they ask for payment of excess, call up to get it waived pending the outcome of the of the rego search. This was our recent experience with another Suncorp brand.

    • prdreilly on 18/08/2025 - 05:00

      I showed CCTV footage with the business name written down the side of the truck and after about a month, the Queensland Police contacted me with Rego number, driveres name and licence number, which I then passed onto the insurance company. So no issue with privacy in that instance.

  • AustriaBargain on 16/08/2025 - 03:18
    -1

    I know someone who works at Shannons in Adelaide and they say they have a really toxic office culture. They don't actually care about client's cars at all. But if you are paying them for comprehensive insurance, why are you doing all this yourself? They have lawyers that do all the thinking for you, but they probably know how to clear this up quickly. Otherwise company cars would be smashing into everyone all the time.

  • payless69 on 16/08/2025 - 04:53

    Costs you $9 for an ASIC extract.
    Invoice directors under the director's guarantee
    Its a long road but worth persueing!

    • ol mate on 17/08/2025 - 10:27

      The OP would need to get the company name for starters, which is probably the hardest part.

      Then you'd need to send a letter of demand to the company (and follow up with legal action).

      You wouldn't be able to sue the directors unless there's ability to under Corporations Act (illegal conduct, trading insolvent, etc. which is unlikely in this situation), the director/s have provided you a written guarantee of the business' debts (this is usually to banks for bank loans, etc. and includes a caveat over director/s property), or the director was the driver.

  • Euphemistic on 16/08/2025 - 05:46

    Is the repair value greater than the excess? Just make the claim.

  • elgrande on 16/08/2025 - 06:58

    This would not have happened to your old car.

    • tempestswitch on 16/08/2025 - 08:14
      +4

      I disagree. Somehow my old car (same car but 5 years older) got hit 3x times in a year.

      It’s cause I live near Eastwood in NSW. Known for bad drivers

  • mattmel96 on 16/08/2025 - 08:14
    +5

    I had an instance where vehicle hit me, refused to provide details etc and drove off.

    Took a copy of the dash cam video to local police station and made a report. A couple of days later police rang to suggest lodging a claim as I would be unlikely to get anything directly from the other driver and to simply include their investigation details in claim.

    Lodged with NRMA, as suggested and car fixed, with no excess paid. Still don't know details of the other driver, however officer did indicate that they intended to also issue infringement notices for negligent driving and failing to provide particulars after an accident, which would be sufficient for red P-plate driver (NSW) to lose their licence.

  • holdenmg on 16/08/2025 - 09:28

    If only the Chicken had escaped and crossed the road…

  • tempestswitch on 16/08/2025 - 09:38
    +1

    UPDATE: Talled to Shannons and lodged a claim.
    Excess is payable despite a Police Event Number & Rego.
    All they want is the Name and Address of the other party…

    I feel stuck as the Police won't just give out the details to me? But Shannons wants me to give it to them not the Police?

    • kerfuffle on 16/08/2025 - 09:42
      +6

      Can you not argue to the police that the other party failed to exchange details at the scene of an accident, which is against the law?

    • Thinkscape on 16/08/2025 - 09:55

      This is dodgy. With Suncorp it’s EITHER contact details or police case number. The latter puts the responsibility of legally chasing the responsible party, with the help of Police, on the insurance company. In my case it took them like 2 years (company registered Ute) but I haven’t paid a dollar out of pocket…

      • ol mate on 17/08/2025 - 10:23

        No it isn't. Suncorp's PDS says you need to provide the at-fault driver's name and address, and vehicle rego.

        There's not exception for police case number in the PDS.

    • MS Paint on 16/08/2025 - 12:16
      +1

      But what about the main question? Will they reimburse you the excess if the details of the at fault party are received?

  • apple2016 on 16/08/2025 - 09:49
    +1

    What are my odds in actually getting the other party's details?

    Police are required to give it to you. So push for it. Ideally let shannons do the chasing up of cops. Just hassle shannons to do it!
    Shannons do have the obligation to take your side as your insureance. Remind them of that…

  • GordonD on 16/08/2025 - 17:47

    They reparked the car, sat and ate some food and left 15 minutes later.

    Might not have had a pen and paper to leave their details, and waited for a while to see if you'd come back so they could dob themselves in. I'd be more worried if they drove away immediately before they got caught.

  • 87percent on 17/08/2025 - 15:55

    Few years ago I was hit from behind and the person drove off. Luckily I had DashCam footage, which I took to the police station. Cops contacted the registered owner, and provided me with the other persons details

    I did contact my insurance, and did have to pay excess, but when I provided them with the other drivers details, I got it refunded

    Also, after I got the persons details, I googled their name and managed to find a site they set up with all their family tree details. Like name, address, contact number

  • prdreilly on 18/08/2025 - 05:03

    In a simliar situation in Queensland, I showed the police CCTV footage with the business name written down the side of the truck and after about a month, the Queensland Police contacted me with Rego number, driveres name and licence number, which I then passed onto the insurance company.

    I had lodged all the details for the claim and could have paid the excess, which would be refunded once the drivers details were provided, or in my case I just told them not to proceed until I got the details they required, and then when I had them, I got them to action the claim without an excess.

  • lint on 18/08/2025 - 09:59

    I wish police would just do their jobs and do it consistently rather than make things like this a huge hassle for victims. For business-owned vehicles, it's the business that's ultimately liable. If they want to pass on liability to the driver then they need to identify the driver or pursue it with the driver themselves.

    Why can't the police just provide the details of the business the car is registered to?

    • tempestswitch on 18/08/2025 - 11:36

      My thoughts exactly. Just put the person in charge liable unless they want to dob someone else in.
      Drags on for months when they deny and blame someone else

      • TilacVIP on 21/08/2025 - 08:27
        +1

        let's look at it another way. If this was an infringement (eg. speeding), how fast do you think the cops would be able to find the offender's details?

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