What Should I Do If Someone Hit My Parked Car?

If your parked car is hit by another vehicle, the best-case scenario is a minor fender-bender with an insured driver who sticks around to make a police report and trade insurance information.

In the worst-case scenario, you are sitting in your car and endure not only damage to your vehicle but also injuries to your body from a driver who has no insurance or flees the scene.

No matter the scenario, if your parked car is hit, you are not at fault, which is never a bad thing in the world of auto insurance. After an accident, no matter who is at fault, you should always take the following steps:

What To Do If Someone Hits Your Parked Car

1. Seek medical attention and get an official medical report to document your injuries

2. Contact the police and file a police report

3. Exchange information with the other driver, getting their insurance policy number

4. Document the damage to your car and the other car with photos or video, making sure to capture the damage and the entire scene from different angles

5. Get the contact information of any witnesses

6. Write down as much information as you can remember about the accident

7. Contact your insurance company, giving them as much information and details as you can

8. Forward the official accident report and medical report to your insurance company or the other driver's insurance company

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Someone Hit My Parked Car and Left A Note

If someone hits your car but leaves a note with their contact information, contact them and get their insurance details. Of course, you should file a police report and take photos if you want to access the claims process.

Always file a police report after an accident.

Am I Covered if Someone Hit My Parked Car?

The insurance company of the person who hit your parked car should cover the damages to your vehicle assuming they are insured and you can find them. If you can't find the person who hit your car, you'll need uninsured motorist property damage coverage (UMPD) or collision coverage. UMPD helps cover damage that is caused by an uninsured motorist. Collision coverage helps cover damage caused by another vehicle or random objects, such as fences, trees, or rocks regardless of fault. Keep in mind you will most likely have to pay out-of-pocket if you can't find the at-fault driver and you don't have either of these coverages.

Note: UMPD availability and requirements can vary by state. It is currently required in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.

It should be noted that how you were parked will be a factor as to whether the other driver's insurance will cover the damages associated with a car accident. Simply put, you need to be parked correctly and legally, otherwise, this will affect how the coverage process works. Namely, fault could be shared between you and the other driver if it's determined that you parked in such a way as it makes a collision more likely. In that case both your rates may increase.

Will My Insurance Go Up if Someone Hits My Parked Car?

It is possible your insurance rate will go up, especially if you don't know who hit you and have to file a claim under your own coverage. Regulations and policies regarding rate increases will vary from state to state and from carrier to carrier. If you are lucky enough to live in California or Oklahoma, your insurance company is prohibited from raising your rates when you aren't at fault. Aside from this, a typical rule of thumb would be that anytime you submit a claim for your own insurance company to cover a loss, there is a good chance it will affect your rates. If you happen to know who hit you and it can be verified, then the claim can be submitted and paid under the driver's property damage liability policy, and you can avoid a rate increase on your own insurance. Other factors that influence whether your rates increase include:

• Your history of traffic violations and accidents

• The number of claims you have already filed with the same insurance company

• Your credit score

• The area you live in

• If your car was legally parked when it was hit

• If there was a court judgment against the person who caused the damage

• If your insurance company is able to recover their expenses

• The severity and cost of the damage

• If you have added "accident forgiveness" to your policy

The bottom line is that insurance companies calculate rates based upon risk.  If your records show you to be a higher risk, you will end up paying higher rates.

Hit-and-run accident with my parked car

If someone hits your parked car and doesn't leave a note, you and the police will have to identify the hit-and-run driver, getting more information, such as the at-fault hit-and-run driver's license plate, from security cameras and eyewitnesses.

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My Parked Car Was Hit and Got Damaged

Unless the offending driver is from New Hampshire or Virginia, the person responsible for hitting your parked car should have some amount of state-mandated liability insurance, which includes damage to someone else's property. If your car was hit while you were, for instance, shopping in the supermarket, the at-fault driver's property damage coverage will pay for any repairs to your vehicle up to a certain dollar amount based on the extent of the damage.

It is important to keep in mind that your own personal liability insurance coverage does not insure your own vehicle. If the other driver doesn't have liability insurance or hit your parked car and left the scene, auto insurance companies offer two products that will reimburse you for the damage to your vehicle:

Collision Insurance Coverage

Full coverage insurance comprises two insurance products: comprehensive and collision coverage. While comprehensive insurance coverage reimburses for vehicle theft as well as any non-collision-related damage (fire, vandalism, hail, a falling tree branch, contact with animals) to your vehicle, collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle that was caused by a crash, such as getting hit by that other vehicle in the supermarket's parking lot. Collision coverage typically pays for damage from the following perils:

• Crashing another vehicle

• Crashing into a tree, fence, mailbox or other object

• A single-car accident in which your vehicle rolls over

• Potholes

According to the Insurance Information Institute, collision insurance costs about $290 per year and comprehensive costs about $135 a year.

Collision insurance pays for repairs when your car is hit by another car.

Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Insurance

Uninsured motorist coverage pays for damage to your car when the at-fault driver has no property-damage liability coverage of their own, which is not unlikely when you consider that one in eight U.S. motorists have zero insurance. Your uninsured property-damage policy will pay for your car repairs up to a certain dollar amount—from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the policy you choose. Like comprehensive coverage, this insurance product will pay out even when the damage was caused by a hit-and-run driver.

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My Parked Car Was Hit, and I Got Injured

Unless the at-fault driver who hit your car is from New Hampshire or Virginia, the individual responsible for hitting your parked vehicle and causing you bodily harm should have some amount of state-mandated liability insurance, which includes coverage up to a certain amount for bodily injury to third parties.

For example, Maine drivers are required by law to carry $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident of bodily injury liability, while Massachusetts drivers must carry only $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident.

If the other driver doesn't have liability insurance or perpetrates a hit-and-run crime, auto insurance companies offer two products that will pay for your medical bills:

Personal Injury Protection

Also called "no-fault insurance," personal injury protection (PIP) helps to reimburse your medical expenses when you've been injured in a car accident, even when the at-fault driver is you yourself or, say, a hit-and-run driver. A PIP insurance claim is limited, but it can cover a lot:

• Ambulance and emergency-room charges

• Medical and surgical treatment

• Dental and optometric treatment

• Prescriptions and medical supplies

• Nursing services

• Transportation to and from follow-up medical appointments

• Prosthetic devices

• Lost wages

• Housekeeping, lawn care and other services

• Funeral expenses

You could also ask your insurance company about medical payments, or MedPay, coverage, which is similar to PIP.

Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Insurance

This type of uninsured motorist coverage pays for the cost of your medical expenses when the at-fault motorist has no bodily injury liability coverage of their own. Your uninsured bodily injury policy will pay for your medical expenses up to a certain dollar amount.

Like PIP, some states require their licensed drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage: For example, Maine mandates $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident of uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) coverage, while Vermont stipulates $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident.

Uninsured motorist coverage protects against hit-and-run drivers.

While PIP will pay out regardless of who is at fault, UMBI will pay out only when the other motorist is at fault. UMBI pays for many of the same items as PIP, but you should speak with your insurance company to find out what your policy covers and doesn't cover.

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Filing a Claim If Your Parked Car Was Hit

If you are not responsible for an accident and file a claim with your insurance company, you will not see a rate increase in most cases. However, your insurer may increase your rate to cover its own expenses, especially if you have filed claims before.

Collision insurance has a deductible. Generally speaking, the larger the deductible, the less you'll pay for your premium. However, if the cost of repairs is lower than your deductible amount, you should pay for that small dent yourself and not file a claim.

Injury Claims

If you are injured because someone hits your parked car, and they have their state-mandated bodily injury liability protection, you'll file a claim with the at-fault motorist's insurer. When the other driver's liability insurance reaches its maximum dollar amount, you'll have to file a PIP or MedPay claim with your auto carrier if you have these coverages. If your PIP or MedPay gets depleted, you'll have to file a claim with your own health insurance carrier. When in doubt, talk to a knowledgeable insurance agent to determine your best options.

Protect Your Parked Car by Ensuring You Have Adequate Coverage

Accidents are never expected, but it's important to know which coverages will pay for damages and injuries if your parked car is hit by another driver. Having collision insurance will protect you against repair costs if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured. Having PIP or MedPay will pay for your injuries if they don't have the proper insurance.

If you're not happy with the way your insurer handled a claim or your rates went up, you'll want to shop around for a better price. Buy adequate coverage at a low cost after a free car insurance quote comparison by entering your zip code below.