Walking out of a store and finding a shopping cart smashed into your vehicle isn't ideal but unfortunately happens. If you have some minor damage to the exterior of your car from a shopping cart, there are a few things that you want to do.

You may be surprised at how much the damage costs and that you may end up wanting to file an insurance claim. Take action and proceed with the following things so that you can get the vehicle fixed and potentially avoid paying a ton of money for the damages.

Talk With the Property Owner About Surveillance

Call the store that you were at and ask if they can look on the video cameras to see the cart hitting your vehicle. This is something that you may want to have to for insurance purposes. The video may show that one of the employees let the carts go or accidentally hits the vehicle while trying to get the carts inside the building, and this could end up with some money from the commercial property owner towards the repairs. If not, the insurance company may want to see the video, so ask for a digital file.

Find an Auto Body Repair Shop

Find a repair shop that specializes in bodywork and get an estimate for the damages. Make sure that the estimate includes all of the exterior damage, the time they will have the vehicle in case you need a rental car, and any mechanical concerns. You may have to get a mechanical estimate also if the damage is affecting the mechanical components of doors or other areas where the cart hit.

Insurance Options

If the quote is much more than the deductible would be, then you may want to submit the damages to your insurance company. Email pictures of the vehicle, the surveillance video if you have one, and the quote that you got for the repairs to your agent so they can get working on the claim.

If you came out of a store and saw that a shopping cart scratched and dented your vehicle and you are worried about the cost of getting it fixed, get evidence and find an auto body repair shop right away. This way you already have the claim in motion so you can get the money you need to get the car fixed and for insurance to help if needed.