What to Do When Someone Hits Your Parked Car

If someone hits your parked car, it is important to get their personal and insurance info, take photos of the damage and file a report with the police. If the other driver leaves a note, or leaves the scene, gather as much evidence as possible. You'll need to submit photos and any other evidence when you file a claim.

But you should only file a claim with your own company if the other driver doesn't have insurance or it's a hit-and-run. That's because you'll have to pay a deductible, and there's a chance your rates could go up.

---

---

Someone hit my parked car and left a note

If someone hits your parked car and leaves a note, they will typically include their contact and insurance info.

If they don’t include their insurance info on the note, call them to get the company’s name.

---

Next, call the police to file an accident report. Many police departments have a nonemergency line, which you should use if the other driver isn't present and nobody's hurt.

An officer may come talk to you and document the damage, but many times the police department will collect info about the accident and give you a case number over the phone. It's important to write down this case number because you'll need to give it to the insurance company when you file a claim.

---

While you wait for an officer to show up, take photos of the damage to your car and the location of the accident. You should also take pictures of any other evidence, like tire marks or broken glass from a taillight.

---

It’s also helpful to look around for witnesses. People living or working near where you were parked may be able to give you more info.

---

Once you've gathered all of the evidence, you should call the other driver's insurance company to file a claim.

You usually don't have to contact your insurance company if you have the other driver's insurance info. When the other driver leaves a note, they're typically admitting that the damage was their fault. As long as your evidence backs that up, you shouldn't have a problem getting their insurance company to pay for repairs.

However, there are a few exceptions. If your car has major damage and the other driver has very low liability limits, they may not have enough insurance to pay for all of the repairs. In this case, you could file an underinsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.

Similarly, if the other driver leaves a note with their contact info and doesn't have insurance, you could file an uninsured motorist claim with your insurance.

Hit-and-run accident with my parked car

If nobody was hurt, you should start by calling the nonemergency line. While you're waiting for an officer to arrive, check for witnesses or security cameras at the scene.

Next, you should take photos and videos of the damage from different angles. Make sure to document even minor paint scratches or dings that can cost money to repair.

Does insurance cover a hit-and-run with a parked car?

You should start by reporting the accident to your insurance company. You can typically file a claim with your company if you have either:

Some insurance companies say that the person at fault has to be identified to make an uninsured motorist claim. So this may not be an option if the police can't find the hit-and-run driver.

You’re injured in your car while it's parked

If you're in your parked car when it's hit, you should seek medical care immediately to make sure you're not hurt.

That's because some types of injuries, such as whiplash, may not show up immediately.

If you have the other driver's insurance info, you can file a claim with their insurance company. Otherwise, you could file under your:

---

How auto insurance covers a crash into your parked car

There are three main types of insurance that can pay for damage after someone hits your parked car: the other driver's insurance, your uninsured motorist coverage and your collision coverage.

Comprehensive coverage does not cover another car hitting your parked car, which can be frustrating if you don’t have collision coverage. Comprehensive insurance typically covers natural disasters and theft or vandalism.

The other driver's insurance

You should file a claim with the other driver’s insurance if you have their policy info. Damage to your car will be covered under their property damage liability coverage. Any injuries will be covered under their bodily injury liability coverage.

After you file a claim, their company will start an investigation to determine who caused the damage. To help this process go faster, you should send:

Once you prove the other driver damaged your car, their insurance company will cover your repair costs. If you'd like, the company can usually help schedule repairs with a preferred shop. In addition, insurance will pay for a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired, but only if you have rental car reimbursement on your own car insurance policy.

---

Your uninsured or underinsured motorist property damage coverage

There are three main reasons that you would file an uninsured or underinsured motorist property damage claim with your own insurance company.

Uninsured or underinsured motorist property damage usually has a lower deductible than collision coverage, so you'll end up spending less on repairs if you have this coverage. Your insurance company may require a police report for an uninsured motorist claim. And the insurance company may conduct an investigation, which will take time.

In addition, some insurance companies may not let you file an uninsured motorist claim after a hit-and-run accident if the other driver hasn't been found.

Your insurance company generally won't raise your rates after an uninsured motorist claim since the accident wasn't your fault. However, if you have a lot of claims in a short period of time, an uninsured motorist claim could affect your rates.

---

Your collision coverage

If you can't make a claim with the other driver's insurance and don't have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, you may need to use your own collision coverage.

This is usually a faster process than the other two options above. But you will have to pay a deductible. The deductible gets paid regardless of who caused the damage.

This type of collision claim shouldn't affect your car insurance rates since the damage wasn't your fault. But if you've had a lot of accidents over a short period of time, your insurance company may consider you high-risk. In that case, your rates may go up.

What to do if you hit a parked car

If you're unable to stay, make sure you leave a note with your personal and insurance info so the driver can contact you. Your note should include:

Leaving the scene of an accident without identifying yourself can be considered a hit-and-run. In many states, it's considered a misdemeanor offense. You could get a big fine or even jail time.

It's important that you take photos of the damage to both cars, along with the location where the crash happened. This can help your insurance company understand how the accident happened. It can also prevent your insurance company from paying for other damage you may not have caused.

Lastly, call your insurance company to report the accident. You'll want to do this even if you're not planning on making a claim for the damage to your car.

---

Frequently asked questions