You arrive at the venue, hand your keys to the valet, and trust that your valuables are in safe hands.
Simple. However, before you’ve even found your seat inside the venue, you get a shocking call: Your valet driver was in a crash with your car. Before you know what hit you, the exciting and enjoyable evening turns into a mix of concern, anger, and frustration. As you follow the manager to your vehicle, you’re filled with apprehension. What if I’m blamed? Is my insurance in order? What do I do now?
Legally, there are only three questions that matter immediately:
- Who was behind the wheel of your car?
- Who employs that driver, and are they employed?
- Which insurance policies may apply?
When a valet driver takes the wheel of your prized possession, they are at work, just doing their job. Hence, you cannot automatically lay the blame at their feet. Their employer and the venue that hired the valet driving company may share fault. Regardless, your primary interests are getting your repair paid out, protecting your insurance record, and being free of all blame.
What Should You Do Immediately After a Valet Crashes Your Car?
When you arrive at the scene, you may find your vehicle has hit another car, a wall, or even a person. You did nothing wrong, but your car is now embroiled in an accident. Fortunately, you can take immediate steps to support and strengthen your case should issues arise about who pays for what or insurers start blame-shifting.
Get proper answers directly from the site:
Get as many facts as you can; ask that the valet drive supervisor be called to the scene if they are not already there, and make sure the venue manager remains with you as well. You need to check the following:
- Who was behind the wheel of your car?
- Did your car hit another vehicle, a person, or property?
- Were there any injuries?
Don’t agree with the driver or venue manager’s version or argue about blame at the scene; get the facts.
Do your own documenting of damage to your car and the crash area:
Do not rely only on the valet company’s “incident report” or photos. Use your own phone:
- Record a video while walking slowly around your car, capturing all visible damage.
- Take clear still photos of:
- Each damaged area on your car
- Any other vehicle(s) involved
- Nearby objects that were hit (walls, poles, barriers)
- The lane, driveway, or parking area where the incident occurred
- The valet stand, any visible security cameras, and warning signs.
Regardless of whether the police come to the scene, take pictures of debris, skid marks, any liquids seeping from the vehicles, and where the cars ended up. These details are essential when insurers start arguing about how the crash happened.
Get a manager to put the basics in writing:
Once you have access to the valet drive supervisor, converse with them directly. Do not just discuss the incident with the attendant who was supposed to park your car safely.
Request the following from the supervisor or manager on duty to provide the following:
- Notes of the date, time of incident, and your vehicle information
- Where on the property the collision occurred
- A short description of what bystanders say happened while their employee was driving your car.
- Get a copy of the incident report, or at least a report or a case number, from the supervisor.
- If they refuse, take down their name and position, and, if you can, discreetly photograph any documents or screens that indicate the existence of a report.
Your job is simple. Prevent the valet’s employer from later claiming there is no record of the incident or changing their story months later. Documenting will ensure an authentic record.
Establish who insures and operates the valet service:
Before you leave the scene, get very specific answers on whether the driver was employed directly by the establishment or by an independent valet driver company. Be sure to get its full legal name and the contact details for their insurance.
Be specific with your notes. Take down exact business names and job titles, not just “Mike, the manager.” In a serious valet crash, legal responsibility can fall on a few parties:
- The valet driver
- The valet company that employs that driver
- The establishment that hired the valet service
- Any other negligent parties involved
With real names and entities, you enable your lawyer to go straight to the appropriate insurance providers, instead of chasing vague references.
Notify your own insurer appropriately:
Because your insured car was in a real crash, you will have to inform your own auto insurer, particularly if the damage is severe or the car might be totaled.
What to do when you call your insurer:
- Clarify that the crash occurred while a valet was driving your car, not you.
- Share basic facts: when and where it happened, that you were on the property, and the information you obtained.
- Confirm that your policy allows your insurer to repair or total (write off as a total loss) the car and then seek reimbursement from the valet’s insurer.
When you call your insurance provider, it doesn’t mean you’re admitting fault. You must report the incident to comply with your insurance regulations. Following the rules means your insurer can repair or total your car and recoup that money from the at-fault party’s insurance. That process is called subrogation. Regardless, it’s recommended to first speak with a lawyer to represent you, especially when the case is complicated. Remember, at HHJ Trial Attorneys, we don’t charge you a cent for a discovery consultation and only take fees if we win your case. So don’t hesitate to call an experienced car accident lawyer.
Can You Sue Valet Parking After They Crash Your Car?
Owners often ask this question when a valet employee crashes their car. Practically speaking, if the parties who caused your damage refuse to take responsibility, a lawsuit may be your best option.
The parties you can pursue for damages include the valet driver who first took ownership of your keys, or the company that employs them. Furthermore, you can sue the venue that hired the valet driver company and other negligent parties who were partly at fault for the incident.
In a case where only your car was damaged, you could claim the diminished value of your vehicle. You can also claim repairs or a fair total-loss value. If you needed to hire a car while yours was in repair, you can also claim those costs. There are also storage and towing fees for the damaged car, as well as other out-of-pocket expenses, such as deductibles and the replacement of property that was in the vehicle; you can claim them.
At HHJ, we have resolved complex vehicle cases where multiple businesses tried to dodge responsibility and point fingers at each other. That experience is directly useful when a valet crash involves a valet company, a hotel or restaurant, and other drivers all trying to shift the blame.
What Should You Do If Someone Is Injured in A Valet Crash Involving Your Car?
A valet driver may cause an accident that injures pedestrians, other drivers, or cyclists. When your car is involved in the injury of other innocent individuals, it’s natural to be concerned even though you were not even behind the wheel.
However, the law is focused on who was actually negligent. If the valet driver was speeding, backing unsafely, and ignoring basic rules, that conduct exposes their employer and the establishment that hired them. These claims can be serious for the relevant insurance providers. Your insurer may be drawn into the case. Nonetheless, the core focus stays on the people and companies that employed and trained the valet driver.
In these cases, our job at HHJ Trial Attorneys is to keep the valet driver’s negligence front and center. We exert pressure on the venue and valet companies’ insurers to protect you from unfair blame. At the same time, we ensure that you receive fair and reasonable recovery of your losses.
How Can HHJ Trial Attorneys Help After a Valet Crash?
As you may have gathered by now, a valet crash can be quite complicated, with many moving parts, so it is not your everyday fender-bender. There are employees, multiple insurance providers, and corporate rules and regulations to contend with. You’re dealing with employees and corporate policies; it’s natural to have questions you do not know how to answer.
When HHJ represents you in a valet crash case, we:
- Move quickly to secure evidence: We work fast to obtain camera footage, incident reports, witness statements, and relevant documents from the valet company and the business that hired them before anything “goes missing.”
- Identify each responsible party and the relevant insurance policy for each. We trace the chain of liability from the valet driver to the valet company, the hotel or restaurant, and any other negligent drivers, and then pursue their insurers, not just yours.
- Protect you as the owner: We clarify that you were not behind the wheel, push back against efforts to shift fault onto you, and work to keep your personal exposure as low as possible.
- Handle negotiations and, if necessary, litigation: We deal directly with the businesses and insurers, and when they refuse to be reasonable, we are prepared to take the case to court.
You do not have to untangle liability, coverage, and legal deadlines on your own. If your car was involved in a valet crash anywhere in California, HHJ’s car accident lawyers can step in, explain your options in plain language, and take the pressure off you so you can focus on getting your vehicle and your life back on track.
Whenever you find yourself in a complicated situation with several parties potentially responsible for the damage you suffered, whether your car is totaled or needs a good panel beater, our team has your back. We have successfully guided many cases just like yours through the labyrinth of claims and negotiations. Give us a call or use our convenient contact form. We’ll get back to you immediately.
