Someone backed into my wheelchair lift
Okay, my buddy and I were at breakfast this morning. I have a suburban with a wheelchair lift.
I parked in the handicap spot, up against the front curb and the left curb. I didn’t have my wheelchair with me, so it was folded up against the truck as far as it goes.
I’m sitting there eating with my buddy, like we do all the time. Couple comes in and I overhear the lady state that she needed to find out who owned the beige suburban with the “thing sticking out the back”. I told her it was my truck and it was legally parked in a handicap spot, and asked what the issue was.
She proceeded to tell me that she was backing up (about the length of a parking lot), and backed right into my wheelchair lift. A lot of wild statements about how it put a hole in her brand new car, and it sure sticks out a lot and she saw my truck, but not the lift. Keep in mind, it’s been snowing for a week, and my wheelchair lift is black and bright blue.
She tried to convince me that since she donates money to a local veteran organization, that should make us equal (I’m a 100% disabled veteran). She also tried convincing me to just accept her pyramid scheme magnesium supplements. And asked me to not go through insurance or involve the police.
For coverage, I contacted the police to get a report of what happened. It was noticed that she hit it hard enough to punch my vehicle 12 inches to the side.
When the cops showed up, she told them that her car normally tells her when something is behind her. She did mangle the lift and twist it a bit so I’m concerned with putting my wheelchair on it.
Cops did give me a report which indicated she did get a citation for “improper backing”
Do I contact her insurance, or what do I do from here?
TLDR; Parked in a handicap spot at a restaurant. Lady backed into my wheelchair lift and mangled it pretty good. Got cited for improper backing, what do I do next?