Am I responsible for an accident on private property?

The owner of the parked car has the option to sue you, your employer, or both. Ultimately, it was you who did the driving, so you would have to pay if you were negligent. So if the owner of the parked car sued your employer successfully, your employer could sue you for reimbursement. The fact that this happened on private property will not help you. This is a question of negligence. Negligence can happen on public or private property. The question a jury would have to answer if the case goes to trial is whether you had a duty to be careful, whether you breached that duty by being careless, and whether your careless act caused some damage.

In Michigan we have No Fault coverage, which means that every individual is responsible for insuring their own vehicle. This also means that you can insure your vehicle as much or little as you would like under Michigan law. Collision coverage is optional. Should the person you crashed into carry coverage he/she will look to their own insurance company for coverage. The most he/she should be able to collect will be limited to $500 for what is called "mini-tort". There are exceptions to this that may depend on where the vehicle you struck was parked but I doubt you need to concern yourself with that. I suggest you have your employer report the claim to the company's insurance carrier and the company should handle everything.

I agree with Attorney Whiting, except because the vehicle was legally parked, the driver of the other car (you) are liable for the damage. It can be a bit confusing but, I am also a licensed insurance agent and have had quite a bit of experience here. The insurance company for the vehicle you were driving will be the one to pay. They may also pay for a replacement vehicle while that car is being repaired. I hope this helps a bit. Michigan's No-Fault laws can be very confusing.

Attorney Whiting provides the law as it applies to your state. Minor accidents happen, and hopefully you won't end up out-of-pocket.

You both are. Report this incident to your company's liability carrier. Legal Disclaimer: If this information has been helpful, please indicate below. Mr. Lundeen is licensed to practice law in Florida and Vermont. The response herein is not legal advice and does not create an attorney/client relationship. The response is in the form of legal education and is intended to provide general information about the matter within the question. Oftentimes the question does not include significant and important facts and timelines that, if known, could significantly change the reply and make it unsuitable. Mr. Lundeen strongly advises the questioner to confer with an attorney in your state in order to ensure proper advice is received.