What to Do if Someone Hits Your Car

One of the most frequently asked questions in car insurance is, “What do you do if another driver is at fault in a collision?” Learn what to do if someone hits your parked car or if someone hits your car while you’re driving.

At the Scene

1. Call the police.
2. File an accident report. You’ll want a police report for your claim.
3. Collect other evidence, taking photos of the damage and notes about the circumstances.

If They Leave a Note

If the at-fault driver leaves a note:

1. Contact them to get their complete insurance information.
2. File a third-party claim with their insurance company for your property damages and bodily injuries, if any.  You can either submit a claim online or notify your insurance agent directly to begin the claims process.

If They Leave False Information

If the at-fault driver gives you false information:

1. Treat the incident the same as if they didn’t leave a note at all by filing a first-party claim with your insurance provider.
2. Get your vehicle repaired and make any necessary medical appointments.

In terms of coverage, insurance companies view drivers in hit-and-run accidents the same way they view uninsured motorists due to the lack of coverage and information.

If You’re Injured vs. Not Injured

If you’re injured in an accident:

1. Seek medical attention.
2. If the other driver didn’t leave a note or left a note with false information, get your claims covered under medical payments coverage or personal injury protection.
3. See if your health insurance will cover any of your medical costs.

If you’re not injured in an accident:

1. Capture evidence of the property damages.
2. File either a first- or third-party claim, depending on whether you have the at-fault driver’s insurance information.
3. Get your car repaired.
4. Wait for the insurance company to send a reimbursement check to the repair facility.

Insurance may or may not pay if someone hits your car. If the other party gave you accurate insurance information, their third-party insurance will pay for your damages and injuries. However, if the other driver didn’t give you accurate or any insurance information, you will have to turn to your own insurance policy, which may or may not cover your damages and injuries, depending on which coverages you have. See below to find out which coverages cover hit-and-runs and which don’t.

Liability Coverage

Liability insurance coverage, which includes property damage and bodily injury coverage, will not cover your costs in a hit-and-run. Rather, it applies only to the other party’s costs in accidents you caused.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

You can use uninsured motorist coverage for your property damages, injuries, funeral expenses, and loss of income from a hit-and-run.² Uninsured motorist coverage includes both uninsured motorist property damage and uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage.

Collision Coverage

You can also use collision coverage to get your car repaired after a hit-and-run. Note that if you use collision coverage, you’ll have to pay a deductible before your insurance company contributes up to your car’s actual market value.³ Learn more about collision insurance.

Comprehensive Coverage

You can’t use comprehensive coverage for hit-and-runs, as it doesn’t apply to damages from collisions.

Any time you file a first-party claim, you risk higher insurance rates. However, if you’re able to file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company, your insurance rates won’t increase. Hopefully, they leave you a note with their contact information.

After the accident, you may be required to report it to the police, depending on its severity. Find out your state’s legal requirements for accident reporting below.

Leaving the scene of an accident is either a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on where the accident occurred.⁵ If you commit a hit-and-run and get caught, you could face legal consequences.

The only defenses for hit-and-runs are if you say you weren’t aware that you hit another person or vehicle, or that the victim said there was no damage. If the other driver says the hit-and-run didn’t cause damages, you legally don’t have to provide your contact or insurance information.

There are two ways to collect damages after a hit-and-run:

1. File a claim. File either a first- or third-party claim, depending on whether you know the other party’s insurance information.
2. File a lawsuit. If the claim is denied, you can file a civil lawsuit, given you meet your state’s monetary or serious injury threshold, if any. Here are the states with thresholds for civil suits:

You can choose whether or not to hire a traffic attorney when filing a civil suit for a hit-and-run, but we recommend taking advantage of their expertise.

At-fault accidents happen, even if you drive defensively. Here’s what to do if you hit a parked car:

1. Remain at the scene. If you flee without giving your information, you could face legal and financial consequences.
2. Try to find the car’s driver. You may have to go into nearby stores and ask employees.
3. If you can’t find the person, leave a note in a secure place on their car that contains your insurance and contact information, along with a brief description of the accident.
4. Write down their license plate number.
5. Photograph the damage.
6. Call the police.
7. Once you exchange information over the phone, the other party will initiate a claim with your insurance provider for their damages. This is where your liability coverage will come in handy. If your liability limit is high enough, you won’t have to pay for the damage you caused out of pocket.

Whether you’re financially responsible for someone’s injuries in addition to their property damage depends on your state’s fault system.

Let’s say, for instance, that you live in the no-fault state of Florida. In this case, each driver would pay for their own injuries, childcare, and lost wages under PIP, which has a $10,000 minimum limit.⁷ The at-fault driver would pay for the other driver’s property damage under property damage coverage and their own damages under collision coverage, if they have it. In a fault state, on the other hand, the at-fault driver would pay for both injuries and damages.

The thing about auto insurance coverages is that they don’t work retroactively, meaning if you’re involved in a hit-and-run and lack collision or uninsured motorist coverage, you can’t get your damage repairs reimbursed, even if you add on these coverages after the fact. That’s why you should buy as much auto insurance as you can afford, and be sure to take advantage of car insurance discounts. To see if you can save money by switching car insurance, get an insurance quote today.