A French driver named Diego from Royan had his car struck in a supermarket car park, raising legal questions over access to security footage after the store refused to hand over video recordings.
The incident was addressed on TF1 television during the consumer assistance segment Le 13H à vos côtés, presented by journalist Valentin Dépret alongside news anchor Marie-Sophie Lacarrau. Supermarket management confirmed that another vehicle collided with Diego's stationary car while he was shopping, but staff declined to provide him with the security footage directly.
Road law attorney Basile Tissot explained during the broadcast that private retail businesses are under no legal obligation to release surveillance footage directly to members of the public. However, French police and gendarmerie officers possess the legal authority to formally requisition security recordings as part of an official investigation.
To secure the footage, Tissot advised victims to lodge a formal complaint with law enforcement immediately and explicitly note that a surveillance camera recorded the collision. In addition, drivers should send a registered letter to the store management requesting that the video files be preserved for investigating officers.
Even if license plate numbers cannot be read on camera, Tissot noted that footage remains valuable for identifying hit-and-run drivers. Video evidence can reveal crucial details such as the vehicle model, body color, distinctive wheel rims, or customized windows.
Supermarket car park liability rules
Under French traffic rules, a moving vehicle involved in a collision with a stationary car in a parking lot is automatically presumed responsible for the damage. This presumption of liability applies unless the parked vehicle was improperly or illegally parked, in which case financial responsibility is divided between the drivers.
If the stationary car was properly parked, as Diego's was, and the fleeing driver is identified, the victim is entitled to full financial compensation. In such cases, the victim pays nothing out of pocket, regardless of whether their insurance policy is third-party or comprehensive.
In France, third-party insurance, known as assurance au tiers, represents the minimum legal requirement and covers damage inflicted on other vehicles. Comprehensive coverage, known as assurance tous risques, protects the policyholder's vehicle against accidental damage even when the responsible party remains unknown.
Insurance claims and policy deductibles
When an at-fault driver cannot be identified, compensation depends entirely on the victim's insurance contract. Policyholders with basic third-party coverage receive no payout from their insurer following an unidentified hit-and-run incident.
Drivers holding comprehensive policies are covered for repairs when the fleeing driver is unknown, but they typically face an out-of-pocket excess fee, known as a deductible. To process the claim, policyholders must provide evidence including damage photographs, proof of correct parking, customer or security guard statements, and a completed official accident report form known as a constat amiable.
Diego's insurance company determined that he bore no responsibility for the collision and agreed to cover the repair costs. However, because the hit-and-run driver remained unidentified, Diego was left paying a mandatory 300 euro deductible.
Tissot explained that Diego could only avoid paying the 300 euro charge if his policy included a supplementary option known as deductible buyback. Although Diego did not carry this add-on coverage, Dépret suggested that drivers who frequently experience minor parking bumps should consider adding it to eliminate out-of-pocket costs.
Background and submitting consumer queries
Royan is a coastal resort town situated along the Atlantic coast in the Charente-Maritime department of southwestern France. The TF1 national news broadcast, Journal de 13 Heures, regularly features legal advice segments to assist viewers with everyday administrative, insurance, and consumer disputes.
Viewers seeking legal guidance or resolution for daily disputes can submit video questions directly to the TF1 news team through its dedicated website. Questions can also be sent by email to the broadcast team at [email protected].
