WIBTA for asking a kid to pay damages for hitting my car?

A guardian is mulling over whether to request a child to cover the costs of repairs after their bicycle collided with their stationary vehicle, causing a scratch. They possess surveillance video capturing the event and are confident they can recognize the kid.

They find themselves in a difficult position because accidents involving children are sensitive, and they worry that seeking damages for a small injury might appear uncharitable. read the original story below…

‘ WIBTA for asking a kid to pay damages for hitting my car?’

Yesterday I discovered a scratch on my vehicle caused by a child on a bicycle. I reviewed our security footage to determine the cause. The video showed two elementary-aged children passing by, and it appeared one of them forced a smaller child into my car.

As a parent with children in elementary grades attending the local school, residing in a compact neighborhood, it would be fairly easy to identify the child who damaged my car by consulting my children or making some inquiries around the area.

My spouse and I are thinking about doing that and subsequently requesting they simply cover the repair expenses. Would I be the bad guy if I went ahead with this? The reason I’m unsure if this would be a bad move is because 1. our vehicle was parked directly along the street, providing ample chance for children and other objects to collide with it,

I have children, so I understand they aren’t always cautious, and I tend to be forgiving of errors. Also, my husband values our vehicle and cars more than I do; I wouldn’t even mind a mark or scratch. So, pursuing someone for money seems unnecessarily unkind and baseless to me (though my husband disagrees).

Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

pacazpac −  The kid was run off the road by another kid into your car and you want to go after the poor kid for damages? Yikes. Yeah, YWBTA.

Broad_Respond_2205 −  It looks like there were a couple of grade school kids going by, one of them drove one of the younger ones off the side of the road into our car. Amm is there a reason you aren’t going after the kid that’s actually responsible? YTA just for that.

crypticXmystic −  If after cleaning there are real damages then you ask the parents to pay for it not the kid. Parents should be held responsible for the damages caused by their children.

If they feel it is the responsibility of the older children for driving him off the road then it is their responsibility to then go after them for reimbursement.
However keep in mind that though you may be owed the reimbursement for the damages, claiming it may come with a reputation. What is the cost of the repair? Is it worth it?

Lyrehctoo −  INFO – what exactly dies “left a mark” mean?

KitchenDismal9258 −  NTA but only if you go for the child who deliberately ran the other child into you car. They were the ones that caused the accident.
Of course the kid isn’t going to be able to pay for it but his parents will be liable.

Doing so could demonstrate to the child that actions have repercussions, and he is incredibly fortunate that the other child wasn’t pushed into oncoming traffic. However, what is the extent of the damage? Is it noticeable, or can it be repaired?

If feasible, I might contemplate discussing the conduct of the child with the parents, recommending they contribute to covering the repair costs. However, should they dismiss the matter and exhibit indifference towards their child’s actions, I would then file a claim with the insurance company, providing the relevant video evidence of the event, and accept whatever outcome ensues.

Be aware of the influence these parents wield over others and their children. You wouldn’t want your child to suffer social isolation as a result of their words and actions. While this shouldn’t be the case, it sometimes is.

zombieqatz −  Yta report it to your insurance if you want to but they’re not going to do anything and neither are you.

RGSerpent −  Info – do you know the older child or their parents in some way? Is that why you’d rather go after the innocent younger child than the person who actually caused the incident? You’ve got a video that (from what you’ve written) clearly demonstrates that the younger child was forced into your car.

Do you honestly believe that 1) a mother or father would consent to foot the bill for something without viewing the recording in question and 2) that after watching the video of their child being coerced into your vehicle, they would willingly pay for an incident that wasn’t the fault of their child?

It’s my belief that you have a connection to the older child or their family, which explains your targeting of someone innocent, potentially even a younger child being harassed by an older one (depending on their relationship). Otherwise, it’s incomprehensible why you’d fault the younger child. You would be the a**hole.

NomadicusRex −  YTA – The accident was not caused by the kid who ran into your car. The bigger kid who drove the younger one into your car is at fault. AND a child isn’t going to have the means to pay. AND you would probably be making your own children pariahs at their school, likely leading to b**lying.

You might consider talking to the parents of the older child involved, but given that their child wasn’t the one who initiated physical contact, I suspect they wouldn’t be very open to such a conversation.

Kaumira −  YTA. absolutely insane

Iliketortlez −  YTA! Get some water and a rag… most likely fixes the tire mark. As I doubt there is physical damage.

Is it ethical to demand monetary compensation from a minor, or should the injured party simply accept the loss? I’m interested to hear your opinions on this matter. Please share your insights in the comments section.