Finding a giant, new dent in your car can ruin a good shopping trip – especially when the perpetrator takes off without leaving a note. Your next steps can help or hurt your ability to file a successful insurance claim to pay for the damages.
Here’s what to do if your parked car gets hit and the implications for your auto insurance.
Learn more: What to do after a car accident: Your step-by-step guide
Your best actions after your parked car has been hit will depend on the circumstances. A primary factor is whether you know the other driver’s identity. Some drivers may leave a note and take off. Others may disappear without a trace. The driver who disappears may qualify as a hit-and-run driver, which makes the situation more complicated.
Step 1: Stay calm and assess the situation
Discovering that your car has been hit can be stressful and upsetting. Take a look around to evaluate any damage, inside and outside your vehicle.
Based on the damage you can see, decide if there’s any possibility you will file a claim with your auto insurance. For example, if you only have liability coverage and no way to find the other driver, your insurer won’t reimburse you for the repair costs. But if you file an insurance claim, you’ll likely want a police report.
If the other driver left contact information, call the number immediately. Introduce yourself and ask for their insurance information. The driver may offer to pay for the damage in cash, but it’s better to go through their insurance in order to protect your interests and avoid further personal interactions. You should collect a home address, policy number, and insurance company name.
Take photos of the damage and any other evidence, such as tire marks. Walk around the parking lot and into nearby businesses to ask if anyone saw what happened. Look for security cameras that may have captured the incident. Collect contact information and notes from eyewitnesses and anyone with access to security footage. If you have called the police, share this information with them for their report.
If you’ve collected insurance information from the other driver, call the insurer to start a claim. Share the accident information you’ve already gathered and ask if they will need anything else.
Even if you’ve decided to make a claim against the other driver’s insurance, contact your own insurer to report the damage.
If you have not identified the driver and the damage warrants a claim, call your insurance company. Depending on your coverage, you may have insurance for the incident. This is explained in more detail below.
There are three answers to this question. Depending on the circumstances, the other driver’s insurance might pay, your insurance might pay, or you may be stuck with costs yourself.
Generally, the at-fault driver’s insurance is responsible for property damage and injury costs, including vehicle repairs. There can be two exceptions which will shift the responsibility to your insurer or to you personally. One, if you can’t identify the driver, there’s no way to have that person’s provider pay up. And two, if you know who the driver is, but that person does not have auto insurance, you can make a claim on your insurance if you have applicable coverage.
Your insurance company will help with repair costs if you have the right coverage. Here’s how it breaks down.
For damage to your parked vehicle:
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Collision coverage. You can make a claim on your collision insurance if someone hits your parked car, regardless of whether they fled or stayed on the scene. Unfortunately, you will have to pay the deductible.
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Uninsured motorist coverage. If an uninsured driver hits your parked car and you have uninsured motorist insurance for property damage (UMPD), you can likely make a claim.
For injuries if you were in the vehicle:
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Uninsured motorist coverage. If an uninsured driver hits your parked car while you are inside, causing injuries, you can make a claim on your uninsured motorist coverage.
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PIP or MedPay. Personal injury protection or medical payments coverage (MedPay) are another option to pay the medical bills of you and your passengers if you were inside the parked vehicle and were injured.
If you can’t identify the other driver and you don’t have any of the above coverage types, you’ll have to pay for vehicle repairs yourself. Health insurance can cover any injuries not covered by your auto insurance.
Your auto liability insurance does not cover damage to your own vehicle or injuries to you or your passengers.
Filing a claim with another driver’s insurance for damage or injuries won’t affect your own car insurance premiums.
If you file a claim with your own insurance company after someone hits your parked car, you may not see higher rates because the accident was not your fault.
If you’ve hit a parked car and the car owner files a claim with your insurance company, your rates will likely rise – unless you have accident forgiveness coverage. The amount of the increase will generally depend on the severity of the damages.
Some drivers try to sidestep rate increases by offering to pay the car owner in cash for damages and avoid involving insurance companies at all. This approach can be risky. The damage could be more severe than it appeared initially, which could prompt the car owner to ask for more funds. Without an insurance company involved to act as an intermediary, it could be challenging to verify damage and your level of responsibility.
Is hitting a parked car considered a hit-and-run accident?
When a driver leaves the scene of an accident without providing contact information or leaving a note, it’s considered a hit-and-run accident. Whether the accident occurred in a parking lot or on the street, motorists must stop after a collision, even if the damage to the vehicles seems minor.
While the more severe penalties for hitting a parked car are reserved for wrecks that result in bodily injury, every state specifies consequences for hit-and-run drivers. Even a misdemeanor hit-and-run accident can result in significant fines, jail time, and car insurance rate hikes.
A driver who hits your car and leaves a note has essentially admitted fault. You should contact the driver and the driver’s insurance company to file a claim to pay for the damage to your car.
Consider calling the police at the scene. This way, you will have a police report to submit as part of the car insurance claims process. This can be helpful if fault is contested later or the damage to your car is more extensive than it first appeared.
Remember to take photos from different angles and get contact information for any witnesses before you leave the scene.
Amy Danise and Tim Manni edited this article.
Catherine Brock contributed to this article.
