Key Takeaways:
- Document the accident, notify the police, and, if necessary, contact an attorney if someone hits your parked car.
- If you don’t know who hit your car, your insurance may still help cover damages if you have collision coverage or uninsured motorist coverage.
- Consider contacting an attorney if you were in a parked car and suffered injuries.
What should I do if someone hits my parked car?
Whether you witnessed the accident or came back to find your bumper on the ground, having your car hit by someone else is upsetting. Here’s what to do if someone hits your parked car.
Document the Accident
In the moment, don’t forget to gather evidence that will be important in any subsequent compensation claims.
- Do not move your car before documenting the accident.
- Take pictures from every angle and of the surroundings.
- Talk to any potential witnesses about what they saw.
- Take a picture of the other car, if it’s still there.
Notify the Police
Even if you didn’t suffer any injuries, you should still notify the police that someone hit your parked car and file a police report. If no one was hurt and there is no immediate threat to safety, it’s best to call your non-emergency police line rather than 9-1-1. In Chicago, you can call 3-1-1 to report a parked car accident.
Contact an Attorney
It’s possible that you were in your parked car when it was hit and suffered injuries. The person who hit your car would be responsible for your damages, such as medical bills. In this case, you should contact an attorney who could go to bat for you to get the compensation you deserve.
Parked car accidents, however, don’t usually result in injuries or major property damage, so it may not always be necessary to contact an attorney. However, if you are experiencing issues with the insurance company regarding compensation you are owed, a skilled attorney, like the team at Disparti Law Group, can negotiate on your behalf.
This is especially true for hit-and-run accidents, where insurance companies may try to deny your claim.
Will insurance cover damage to my parked car?
If you witnessed the accident or the person who hit your car left a note, the claim would be filed through their insurance since they are at fault. However, if the accident was a hit-and-run or the at-fault party does not have insurance, a claim would need to be filed through your insurance.
Check your insurance policy to confirm that you have collision coverage or uninsured motorist coverage.
Collision coverage. Helps cover costs to repair or replace your vehicle if someone else hits your car or if you hit another car or object, regardless of fault. This allows you to file a claim with your own insurance even if you cannot find the driver.
Uninsured motorist coverage. May help cover repairs to your car if the driver who caused the damage is uninsured. This, however, is usually optional coverage and may not be offered in every state.
Unfortunately, without the proper coverage, insurance may not cover damage to your parked car.
Is it worth it to file a claim?
Whether to file a claim after someone hits your parked car may depend on several factors:
- How much damage the collision caused. If the person who hit your car only left a scratch, it may not be worth it to go through the trouble of filing a claim.
- How much your deductible is. With so little damage done, your deductible may be higher than the cost of repairs on your vehicle. In this case, it’s likely best to pay out of pocket.
- Whether you know who hit your car. If you can file a claim with the other driver’s insurance, then it may be worth it to file a claim, as it would not impact your insurance rates. However, filing a claim with your insurance may increase your premiums, even though the accident was not your fault.
Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers
The Disparti Law Group is one of the most successful law firms serving the greater Chicagoland area. As the leader in Injury, Disability, Workers’ Comp, and Employment Law, with more than $1 billion in recoveries, the Disparti Law Group has been named one of the Most Influential Law Firms in America by Trial Lawyer Magazine.
For a FREE case review, call (312) 600-6000 and find out why thousands say… LARRY WINS!
