MY CAR WAS IN A HIT AND RUN

I am a lawyer in CT and practice in this area of the law.  I was in this situation recently.  I suggest filing a small claims lawsuit against the security company and then subpoena the tape to court.  hopefully the tape will reveal the culprit or show the security guard company is responsible.

Turn the matter over to your insurance company. If you did not have insurance you will have to file a lawsuit in Superior Court because there is no discovery in Small Claims in California apparently unlike CT which once again illustrates why lawyers not licenced in California shouldn’t give legal advice here.

If it the value of the damage is under $25K then you would file in the limited jurisdiction otherwise it will be in unlimited jurisdiction. You would sue John Doe because you don't know their name. Once the suit is filed then you could get a subpoena issued for the tapes.

You had better immediately write a letter to the company and demand they preserve the tapes and get what their policy is so they don't erase the tapes.

Practical advise from an attorney who is actually licensed in California and knows the law here.