Getting into any kind of car accident is always a scary experience, but when another driver hits your car, whether you were there at the time or not, it can be extra frustrating. If another driver hits you in traffic, dents your bumper while your car is parked, or sideswipes you and speeds away, you’ll need to know what to do to make sure you’re safe and how you can get any compensation you deserve from their insurance.
In general, most of the steps you should take after a car accident are the same no matter who was at fault: Make sure you’re safe, call the police, don’t leave the scene and document everything so you can file a claim with your car insurance company. But when another vehicle hits yours, and the other driver was at fault, the specific actions you need to take can vary depending on the situation.
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What to do if someone hits your car while it’s parked
Say you come outside to find that someone has hit your parked car, leaving it damaged. Just like after another type of accident, there’s a certain set of steps you should follow.
One of the first things you should do is call 911, even if no one is injured. The responding officer, or officers, will write up a police report documenting the accident, which may be necessary to make an insurance claim on the damage
You should also try to collect as much information as possible. If the driver who hit your parked car is at the scene, take down their insurance information, including their provider name and policy number. You should also record their license plate number, as well as the make and model of their car
If the other driver isn’t at the scene, let’s hope they did the right thing and left a note. If they didn’t, well, that would make it a hit-and-run, which is a scenario we’ll go over later. But assuming they left a note with their name, contact information and insurance policy number, snap a quick photo of the note so you have an extra copy
If you have a smartphone handy, you should also take photos of the damage to your car as well as the location of the incident. Ask around to see if there were any eyewitnesses and get their contact information too. If your car insurance company has a mobile app, you may be able to report the accident right from the scene, and upload your photos and other information straight into the app
Now you’ll need to start the claims process. Contact your insurance, if you haven’t already, and give them all the necessary information. Tell them you’re planning on filing a claim with the other party’s insurance. Then notify the other party’s insurance and tell them you’re filing a claim against one of their policyholders. You can usually do this online or over the phone
Stay on top of the process. You may be asked to provide more documents or information. The other driver’s liability insurance should cover the damage they caused. If you’ve notified your insurer, they may also work with the other party’s provider
What to do if someone hits your car while you’re driving
If you’re in an accident caused by someone else while you’re driving, follow the same steps you’d take after any car accident:
Pull over and get to safety. Turn on your hazards or light flares so other drivers know to stop. Then evaluate the scene and check yourself and any passengers for injuries
Call 911. Police officers can check everyone involved for injuries, and they’ll also write up a police report that you’ll need when filing a claim
Collect all the required information. That includes names, license plate numbers, insurance policy information, date and time of the accident and contact information for any witnesses
Document the accident. Photograph the cars, location, license plates and any other details. You can even draw a diagram of the accident while it’s still fresh in your mind
File a claim. Now we get to the insurance part of things. Even if you believe the other person was at fault, you should still notify your insurance. Your provider will work with the other party’s insurance company to determine who was at fault and what will be covered. If it’s clear that the other driver was at fault, you should still tell your insurance provider that you’re planning on filing a third-party claim with the other party’s car insurance company. If your car was damaged and the other driver was at fault, their liability insurance would pay for the damages or injuries they caused. Just like filing a claim with your own car insurance company, filing a third-party claim with another driver’s car insurance can usually happen either online or over the phone. Be sure to have all the necessary information handy when you file a claim— you’ll need all that info you collected at the scene
Follow-up. Stay in touch with both insurance providers as you move through the process. Depending on the extent of the damage to your vehicle, you may also choose to file a claim through your own insurance if you have collision coverage, which covers damage from an accident regardless of who was at fault. If you’ve filed a third-party claim with the other driver’s insurance company, you should eventually receive a payment made out to you directly
What if the other driver doesn’t have insurance?
If another driver hits you and they don’t have any car insurance, or the car insurance they have can’t cover the full extent of the damages, the damage they caused may be covered by your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, or UM/UIM. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage exists for just this scenario — it covers you if you’re in an accident caused by someone who doesn’t have insurance, or whose insurance can’t cover all the damage.
As we mentioned above, collision coverage will also cover damage to your vehicle after an accident, regardless of who was at fault, but collision coverage usually requires you to pay an out-of-pocket deductible before it covers the rest of the costs.
What to do if someone hits your car and leaves or hits your car and doesn’t leave a note
If someone hits you while you’re driving and speeds off, or hits your parked car and doesn’t leave a name or a note, that’s what’s considered a hit-and-run. When you’re involved in a hit-and-run, you should still follow many of the same steps as you would in any car accident, like calling 911, recording any details about the other driver that you know and taking photos of the damage.
If your car was parked when it was hit, you can ask people nearby if they witnessed the accident, and take down their information. There may also be businesses nearby that have security footage of the accident, which could be helpful.
If your car was damaged in the hit and run, don’t panic. The damage may still be covered by your own insurance, even if you never successfully identify the other driver. Depending on the state you live in, damage from a hit and run may be covered by your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage or by your collision coverage.
Collision coverage - Pays to repair or replace your car when it’s hit by another vehicle or object, regardless of who was at fault. Collision coverage comes with a deductible, usually of $500 or $1,000, which you must pay first in order to receive coverage.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage - Covers your medical expenses and vehicle repairs when you’re in an accident with someone who doesn’t have car insurance, or doesn’t have enough to cover the full extent of the damage they caused.
And if you were injured in a hit-and-run, your personal injury protection, or PIP, may cover medical bills as well as other expenses related to an injury, like lost wages or childcare.
Does your car insurance go up if someone hits you?
An at-fault accident can cause your car insurance rates to go up significantly, but they can also increase even when you file a claim for accidents you don’t cause.
According to 2017 research by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), [1] getting into a not-at-fault accident caused by another driver can increase your premium by hundreds of dollars. The research found that some major companies raised premiums by an average of 10% or more for not-at-fault accidents, and in some cities, drivers saw average rate increases of more than $250 after a not-at-fault accident.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you do if someone hits your car while it’s parked?
If someone hits your parked car and damages it, you should call the police so they can investigate and write an accident report. You should also notify your insurer and give them as much info as possible. If whoever hit your car didn’t leave a note, you may be able to find witnesses or get security footage from nearby businesses. If you have collision coverage, you can file a claim to cover your vehicle repairs.
Should I call my insurance if an accident wasn't my fault?
You should still call your insurance company and report an accident even if it wasn’t your fault. If you get hit by another driver, you should stay on the scene and get the other party’s information so their insurance can cover your injuries and vehicle repairs. If you’re hit by a driver who doesn’t have insurance, or doesn’t have enough to cover the costs of the damage, then uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can cover the costs.
What can you do if someone hits your car without damage?
If someone hits your car but doesn’t damage it, you should still consider reporting it to your car insurance company. The damage may show up later, in which case you’ll want to file a claim. The other driver’s insurance should pay for damage to your car that becomes apparent later, as long as it was caused by the accident.
