How do you deal with insurance after someone hits your parked car?
if you've caught yourself wondering, "Someone hit my parked car, what should I do"? you should first call the police and report. After that, you can speak to any witnesses and ask for their contact information. If your car was hit in a parking lot, you could ask the businesses if they have video cameras.
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Joel Ohman
Founder & CFP®
Joel Ohman is the CEO of a private equity backed digital media company. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, author, angel investor, and serial entrepreneur who loves creating new things, whether books or businesses. He has also previously served as the founder and resident CFP® of a national insurance agency, Real Time Health Quotes. He has an MBA from the University of South Florida. Jo...
Founder & CFP®
UPDATED: Jun 2, 2022
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Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from top car companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Jun 2, 2022
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single company.
Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from top car companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- When someone hits your car and leaves that is called a hit-and-run
- Drivers will have to file a collision claim to fix damage from a hit-and-run
- Drivers can utilize discounts to keep their rates low after a hit-and-run
Do you know what to do if someone hits your car and drives away? Coming out of the grocery store to find a major dent on your fender or your door can be incredibly frustrating for anyone but knowing how to handle it can at least make the process of dealing with your insurance easier.
Of course, discovering that you’ve been the victim of a hit and run can leave you asking questions like, “I have affordable car insurance, but someone hit my parked car and didn’t leave any of their information. Who should I call?” You might also be wondering, “What would happen to my car insurance quotes if someone hit my parked car?”
If you need car accident insurance claims advice, you’re in luck. Keep reading to learn what to do when someone hits your parked car.
Enter your ZIP code to receive free car insurance quotes if you’ve caught yourself saying, “Someone hit my parked car, and now my rates are too high.”
What should drivers do if they’re the victims of a hit-and-run?
If you’ve discovered that a driver has hit your car and driven off, you should first call the police and report, “Someone hit my parked car and left.” After that, you can speak to anyone who witnessed the event and ask for their contact information. If your car was hit in a parking lot, you could ask the businesses that share the lot if they have video cameras that may have picked up the incident.
Be sure to note the date and time you discovered the damage because if you do happen to find the person who hit your car, you’ll need to have more backing up your claim besides the statement, “Someone hit my parked car and drove off.”
If you aren’t able to learn who damaged your vehicle, you’ll need to move on to the next step of reaching out to your insurance company.
Contacting Your Insurance Company After a Hit-And-Run
Drivers who are victims of a hit-and-run may be left scratching their heads and wondering, “How do I make a car insurance claim for a hit-and-run?” If someone has hit your car and left none of their insurance information behind, unfortunately, you’ll be left holding the short end of the stick. The question, “Should I file a claim with my auto insurance or theirs?” doesn’t really apply in this scenario.
You’ll need to call your insurance company and file a collision claim even though you personally did nothing to harm your vehicle. If the damage is extensive and you need a repair, you will have to pay your deductible to get financial assistance with the repairs.
Naturally, the next thought on your mind may be, “Will there be an increase in my car insurance rates because someone hit my parked car?”
Hopefully, your rates wouldn’t rise too much if someone were to hit your car, but filing a claim does increase the likelihood that you could face paying higher insurance rates. Thankfully, insurance companies offer discounts to keep your rates low. You can review this list to make sure that your rates stay reasonable even if you do become the victim of a hit-and-run:
Types of Car Insurance Discounts Available
Vehicle Discounts | Driver/Customer Discounts | Personal Discounts |
---|---|---|
Active Disabling Device | Claim Free | Emergency Deployment |
Adaptive Cruise Control | Continuous Coverage | Family Legacy |
Adaptive Headlights | Defensive Driver | Family Plan |
Anti-lock Brakes | Driver's Education | Federal Employee |
Audible Alarm | Driving Device/App | Further Education |
Automatic Braking | Early Signing | Good Student |
Blind Spot Warning | Full Payment | Homeowner |
Daytime Running Lights | Good Credit | Life Insurance |
Economy Vehicle | Loyalty | Married |
Electronic Stability Control | Multiple Policies | Membership/Group |
Farm/Ranch Vehicle | Multiple Vehicles | Military |
Forward Collision Warning | New Customer/New Plan | New Address |
Garaging/Storing | Occasional Operator | New Graduate |
Green/Hybrid Vehicle | Online Shopper | Non-smoker/Non-drinker |
Lane Departure Warning | On-Time Payments | Occupation |
Newer Vehicle | Paperless/Auto Billing | Recent Retirees |
Passive Restraint | Paperless Documents | Stable Residence |
Utility Vehicle | Roadside Assistance | Student Away |
Vehicle Recovery | Safe Driver | Student or Alumni |
VIN Etching | Seat Belt Use | Volunteer |
This information may have you asking, “Must I file a claim with my car insurance company if someone hit my parked car?” If you’ve ascertained that the damage to your vehicle is less than your collision deductible, you don’t have to file a claim. You can simply pay for the repairs out-of-pocket.
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Where Do Hit-And-Runs Happen the Most?
Hit-and-runs can happen anywhere — even on back country roads. However, it is most common to hear of someone becoming the victim of a hit-and-run while their car was parked along the street or in a parking lot.
Some states do have more reckless drivers than others though:
10 States with the Most Reckless Drivers
Rank | State | Reckless Driving Fatal Crashes per Capita | Reckless Driving Fatal Crashes | Hit and Runs | Police Pursuits | Rollover | Speeding | Work Zone |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wyoming | 17.11 | 99 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 37 | 7 |
2 | New Mexico | 14.12 | 296 | 26 | 4 | 124 | 130 | 12 |
3 | South Carolina | 12.78 | 658 | 34 | 15 | 181 | 416 | 12 |
4 | Montana | 11.51 | 123 | 4 | 2 | 61 | 51 | 5 |
5 | Mississippi | 10.11 | 301 | 19 | 4 | 164 | 102 | 12 |
6 | Alabama | 9.79 | 480 | 30 | 12 | 228 | 193 | 17 |
7 | Missouri | 9.73 | 597 | 38 | 16 | 227 | 298 | 18 |
8 | Arkansas | 9.38 | 283 | 17 | 4 | 121 | 121 | 20 |
9 | West Virginia | 9.10 | 163 | 8 | 4 | 64 | 79 | 8 |
10 | North Dakota | 9.05 | 69 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 24 | 6 |
The information contained in the chart above is a great example of why location plays such an important role in your insurance rate calculations.
Someone Hit Your Parked Car: The Bottom Line
No one ever wants to deal with a hit-and-run, but if it should you ever have to report, “Someone hit my parked car and left” you now know how to deal with it. You should file a police report, ask anyone present in the area if they saw what happened, and take copious notes.
While you may have to file a collision claim with your own insurance, employing discounts can keep your rates low even if you have a smudge one your claims history.
If you’ve been the victim of a hit-and-run, you way be worrying, “Can I still buy car insurance if someone hit my parked car?” You’ll be happy to know that you can shop for car insurance online no matter what has happened to your vehicle.
Enter your ZIP code to get free quotes from insurance companies near you if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I need new insurance because someone hit my parked car.”
Free Car Insurance Comparison
Enter your ZIP code below to view companies that have cheap car insurance rates.
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Joel Ohman
Founder & CFP®
Joel Ohman is the CEO of a private equity backed digital media company. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, author, angel investor, and serial entrepreneur who loves creating new things, whether books or businesses. He has also previously served as the founder and resident CFP® of a national insurance agency, Real Time Health Quotes. He has an MBA from the University of South Florida. Jo...
Founder & CFP®
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.