If you hit an illegally parked car or another vehicle the question of fault or liability for the crash might be different compared to hitting a properly parked vehicle. Determining fault depends upon the specific location of the accident, details of the accident, other factors that contributed to the accident, and the laws of the state in which the crash occurred.
You Hit a Parked Car
In most accidents involving hitting a parked car, it is easy and straightforward to determine who was at fault. If you are driving and you crash into a parked vehicle, you are typically at fault for the accident. A parked car is, after all, a stationary object: it did not move into your path, nor could it move out of your way to prevent or avoid the crash. If your vehicle was moving and you were behind the wheel, you did have the ability to avoid a crash. When operating a motor vehicle, you have a duty to be attentive to the road ahead and to see any obstacles that may be in your path. Thus, you had the opportunity to avoid or prevent the accident.
