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Last updated: February 7, 2024
What to Do When Someone Hits Your Parked Car
Does car insurance cover hit-and-runs?
Table of Contents
- What to Do When Someone Hits Your Parked Car and Leaves
- Hit-and-Run Accidents
- Will Insurance Cover Someone Hitting My Parked Car?
- Will My Insurance Increase if Someone Hits My Parked Car?
- What Should I Do if I Hit a Parked Car?
- What Should I Do if I Witness a Crash in a Parking Lot?
- Is There Ever a Defense for Hit-and-Runs?
- Recap
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You park your car, run into a convenience store, and by the time you get back, someone has hit your car and left without a note. You see property damage — your rear bumper is bent and hanging on by a thread. What should you do? Does your car insurance cover hit-and-runs? As with most incidents that cause damage to your car, the answers to these questions depend on a variety of factors.
What to Do When Someone Hits Your Parked Car and Leaves
Here is what to do if someone hits your car and leaves, commonly known as a hit-and-run car accident:
- Stay at the scene of the accident.
- Contact the police and file a report.
- Collect evidence of the damage including pictures and notes about the time of day, the location, and so on.
- File an insurance claim if you have uninsured motorist coverage. collision coverage, medical payments coverage, or personal injury protection (more on that below). Or, if you want your insurance agent to file a claim for you, notify your insurance agent to begin the claims process.
- If you filed a collision claim, pay the deductible.
- Get your car repaired.
- If your insurance provider covered the claim, wait for them to reimburse you for repairs.
If They Leave a Note
A hit-and-run is a much better situation if the driver who hit you leaves a note. If that’s the case, take the following steps:
- Contact the person who hit you to get their insurance information.
- File a third-party claim for your property damages and bodily injuries, if any.
If They Don’t Leave a Note
If the party that hit you doesn’t leave a note, take the actions listed below:
- File a first-party claim with your insurance provider.
- If you lack uninsured motorist or collision insurance, pay out of pocket for your repairs.
- If you lack medical payments coverage or personal injury protection, pay out of pocket for your injuries or get your health insurance to cover them.
If You’re Injured
If you are injured in a hit-and-run, here’s what you should do:
- Call 911 to summon an ambulance if needed.
- Get medical attention for your injuries.
- If you have medical payments coverage or personal injury protection, file a first-party claim.
Will You Have to Pay?
You may or may not have to pay for the damages or injuries from a hit-and-run; it depends on what coverages you have and the limits for those coverages. If you have collision, medical payments, or uninsured motorist coverage, you could get some or all of your injuries and damages covered, and vice versa if you don’t.
Do You Have to File a Police Report?
Your state’s laws determine whether or not you have to file a police report. Find your state’s accident-reporting requirements below.
| State | When do you have to file a police report? | Time period to file a police report (from date of the accident) | Consequences for not meeting accident-reporting requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 by an uninsured motorist | 30 days | Class A misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine) for accidents resulting in property damages
Class C felony ($2,500-$6,000 fine) for accidents resulting in death or injury |
| Alaska | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $2,000 | 10 days | License suspension for no more than 30 days
$200 maximum fine, imprisonment of 90 days maximum, or both |
| Arizona | No state law requiring the driver involved in an accident to file a police report | N/A | None |
| Arkansas | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | Immediately for death or injury
30 days for property damage |
License suspension |
| California | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | 10 days | 90 days to 4 years in prison and/or $1,000-$10,000 fine |
| Colorado | Death, injury, or any property damage | 10 days | 10-90 days in jail, $150-$300 fine, or both |
| Connecticut | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | 5 days | $75-$600 fine, imprisonment for no more than 1 year, or both
For subsequent offenses: $100-$1,000 fine, imprisonment for no more than 1 year, or both |
| Delaware | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 | Immediately | $25-$75 fine
For subsequent offenses: $57.50-$95 fine |
| District of Columbia | None | None | None |
| Florida | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 | As soon as possible | $30 fine |
| Georgia | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 | Immediately | 3 points on driving record |
| Hawaii | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $3,000 | Immediately | $100 fine |
| Idaho | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,500 | Immediately | Fines or license suspension |
| Illinois | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,500 or $500 if any vehicle is uninsured | 10 days | License suspension |
| Indiana | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $750 | Immediately | License and vehicle registration suspension |
| Iowa | Death, injury, or damage worth over $1,500, unless the accident was investigated by the police | 3 days if report is required | License suspension |
| Kansas | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,500 | Immediately | License suspension, $500 maximum fine |
| Kentucky | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 | 10 days | $20-$100 fine |
| Louisiana | None | None | None |
| Maine | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | Immediately | Imprisonment for 6 months and $1,000 fine |
| Maryland | Death or injury | 15 days | 5 points and $140 fine |
| Massachusetts | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | 5 days | License suspension |
| Michigan | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | Immediately | Imprisonment for no more than 90 days, a fine of no more than $100, or both |
| Minnesota | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | 10 days | License suspension |
| Mississippi | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 | 10 days | License suspension |
| Missouri | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 | 5 days | License suspension, fine, or possible misdemeanor charge |
| Montana | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | Immediately | Misdemeanor ($200-$300 fine or imprisonment for 20 days) |
| Nebraska | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | 10 days | Class V misdemeanor (maximum fine of $100) |
| Nevada | All crashes | Immediately | Driving privileges suspension for a maximum of 1 year |
| New Hampshire | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000, unless police file report | 5 days | Felony (for operators) if the accident caused death or injury; misdemeanor if there was only property damage |
| New Jersey | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 | Immediately | License suspension, $30-$100 fine |
| New Mexico | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 | Immediately | License suspension |
| New York | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,500 | 10 days | $250 fine maximum, 15 days of imprisonment, or both |
| North Carolina | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | Immediately | $100 fine maximum |
| North Dakota | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 (not required for property damage only with an undomesticated animal) | Immediately | License suspension |
| Ohio | All crashes | Immediately | $150 fine maximum |
| Oklahoma | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 | Immediately for death or injury
6 months for property damage |
License suspension |
| Oregon | Injury or death
More than $2,500 in damage to driver’s vehicle More than $2,500 in damage to any vehicle Any vehicle towed from the scene
More than $2,500 of any property damage (not including a vehicle) Any injury or fatality (involved driver must call 911) |
72 hours | $300 fine maximum |
| Pennsylvania | Death, injury, or if the vehicle is disabled | 5 days | Driving privileges suspension |
| Rhode Island | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | 21 days | $500 fine maximum |
| South Carolina | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | 15 days | $100-$5,000 fine, 1 year of imprisonment, or both |
| South Dakota | Death, injury, property damage worth over $1,000 to 1 person’s property, or $2,000 of total property damage | Immediately | Class 2 misdemeanor (up to 30 days of imprisonment, $500 fine, or both) |
| Tennessee | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $50 | Immediately for death, injury, or property damage $50-$400
20 days for death, injury, or property damage worth over $400 |
License and registration suspension |
| Texas | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | Immediately for death or injury
10 days for property damage |
License suspension |
| Utah | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | 10 days | License suspension |
| Vermont | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $3,000 | 3 days | Fine |
| Virginia | Death or injury | Immediately | $250 fine maximum |
| Washington | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $700 | 4 days | License suspension |
| West Virginia | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | Immediately | License suspension |
| Wisconsin | Death, injury, property damage worth over $1,000, or government property damage of $200 or more | Immediately to law enforcement by quickest means of communication | $40-$200 fine |
| Wyoming | Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 | Immediately | $200 fine1 |
TIP
Even if it’s not legally required, file a police report for your claim. This will provide evidence that could help you get coverage.
Can You Sue?
If you know the person’s information and you meet your state’s monetary or serious injury threshold (if any), you may be able to sue for damages. Here are the states with thresholds for civil suits:
| State | Monetary threshold for suing | Serious injury threshold for suing |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | None | Permanent injury
Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement |
| Hawaii | PIP benefit amount | Significant and permanent loss of use of a bodily function or body part
Permanent and serious disfigurement resulting in emotional or mental distress |
| Kansas | PIP benefit amount | Permanent disfigurement
Fracture of a weight-bearing compound or bone Comminuted, displaced, or compressed fracture of any bone Permanent injury Permanent loss of a bodily function |
| Kentucky | $1,000 | Permanent disfigurement
Fracture of weight-bearing compound or bone Comminuted, displaced, or compressed fracture of any bone Permanent injury Permanent loss of a bodily function |
| Massachusetts | $2,000 | Permanent and serious disfigurement
Fractured bone Substantial loss of sight or hearing |
| Michigan | None | Serious impairment of a bodily function
Serious and permanent disfigurement |
| Minnesota | $4,000 | 60 days of disability
Permanent injury Permanent disfigurement |
| New Jersey | None | Dismemberment
Significant scarring or disfigurement Loss of a fetus Displaced fractures Permanent injury other than disfigurement or scarring |
| New York | None | Bone fracture
Significant disfigurement Permanent limitation of use of a body member or organ Significant limitation of a bodily system or function Substantially full disability for 90 days |
| North Dakota | $2,500 | Permanent and serious disability
Disfigurement of at least 60 days |
| Pennsylvania | None | Serious injury |
| Utah | $3,000 | Permanent disfigurement
Permanent disability Bone fracture |
| Washington, D.C. | PIP benefit amount | Substantial permanent disfigurement or scarring
Substantial permanent impairment Substantially total impairment lasting 6 months2 |
Hit-and-Run Accidents
From the years of 2015 to 2019, nearly 4 million drivers in the U.S. experienced hit-and-runs, which is 2 percent of all licensed drivers3. Here’s how those hit-and-runs break down:
- Fatal hit-and-runs: 0.004 percent
- Hit-and-runs with injury only: 0.47 percent
- Hit-and-runs with property damage only: 1 percent
As you can see, 73 percent of hit-and-runs cause only property damage, which is preferable to injuries or fatalities4.
Will Insurance Cover Someone Hitting My Parked Car?
If you have the proper coverage, insurance can cover someone hitting your parked car.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Hit-and-runs fall under uninsured motorist coverage — insurance for accidents involving people who are driving without insurance. If you can’t get the person’s insurance information, they’re an uninsured motorist as far as the insurance company is concerned.
DID YOU KNOW?
Across the U.S., an estimated 12 percent of drivers are uninsured as of 20195. Learn more in our uninsured motorist research.
Collision Coverage
Although collision coverage is usually applied to at-fault accidents, technically, you can apply it to any damage from collisions whether it was your fault or not. But note that collision coverage comes with a deductible, which you pay first in a covered claim, so it should be your last result in a hit-and-run.
Medical Payments Coverage
Similarly, while medical payments coverage is usually for your injuries in accidents you’ve caused, you can use medical payments coverage for a hit-and-run if the driver didn’t leave a note. If you have personal injury protection, you can get lost wages and childcare covered as well.
Will My Insurance Increase if Someone Hits My Parked Car?
Any claim that you file with your own insurance provider could increase the cost of auto insurance, even if the accident wasn’t your fault. That includes hit-and-runs. However, if the person left a note and you filed a third-party insurance claim, your rates won’t increase.
What Should I Do if I Hit a Parked Car?
If you hit a parked car, follow these steps:
- Remain at the scene to avoid being accused of a hit-and-run, for which you could be held legally and financially liable.
- Try to find the car’s owner by going into nearby stores, describing the car you hit, and leaving a note with employees, if need be. You can also ask employees to announce the information on a loudspeaker.
- If you find the other driver, exchange insurance information so they can file a third-party claim with your provider.
- If you’re unable to find the other driver, write a note that includes your phone number, name, and a description of the accident. Leave it somewhere secure, like between the car’s windshield and wipers.
- Call the police.
- Document the accident.
- File first-party claims for your damages or injuries, if any.
What Should I Do if I Witness a Crash in a Parking Lot?
If you witness a crash in a parking lot and want to help out, do the following:
- Help the victim document the damage.
- Give them your contact information. That way, you can stand in as a witness if the insurance company needs further proof of the hit-and-run.6
Is There Ever a Defense for Hit-and-Runs?
There are two common defenses for hit-and-runs:
- The person says that they didn’t know if they hit a person or vehicle, or that there was no damage from the collision.
- If the victim was present at the time of the hit-and-run and said there were no damages at the time, the driver can use that as a defense, even if they left without giving any contact or insurance information.
These defenses may or may not work in the court of law, but if you get hit, assess the damages before you let the perpetrator run off without exchanging information.
Recap
What to do in a hit-and-run is one of the most frequently asked questions about car insurance. Although you can’t help someone hitting your car when it’s parked, having more than the minimum coverage is necessary if you don’t want to pay out of pocket for injuries and damages.
Citations
State-by-State Laws & Requirements for Reporting a Car Accident. Enjuris. (2022). https://www.enjuris.com/car-accident/accident-reporting-requirements.html
No Fault Car Insurance: States with “Serious Injury” Thresholds. Nolo. (2022). https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/no-fault-car-insurance-states-with-serious-injury-thresholds.html
Highway Statistics 2019. U.S. Department of Transportation. (2021, Mar). https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2019/dl201.cfm
Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST). NHTSA. (2022, Mar). https://cdan.dot.gov/query
One in Eight Drivers Uninsured. Insurance Research Council. (2021, Mar). https://www.insurance-research.org/sites/default/files/downloads/UM%20NR%20032221.pdf
How to deal with parking lot accidents. State Farm. (2022). https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/auto-and-vehicles/how-to-deal-with-parking-lot-accidents
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