Here’s what you need to know if someone hits your parked car:
- The driver who hit your car is responsible for the cost of repairs.
- Optional collision coverage can help pay for damage if this person can’t be located.
- Without collision, you could have to pay for repairs out of pocket. If your insurer recovers funds from the driver, your deductible may be refunded in whole or part depending on your policy.
Question I live in an urban area and park on the street every day. If someone hit my car, I probably wouldn’t even know what happened. What can I do to protect myself?
Many of our customers have wondered the same thing. Let’s get some insight from Nick Chupp, a Farmers Insurance® agent in Toledo, Ohio.
Answer Just about everyone experiences this at one time or another. You return to your car after it’s been parked for a while and find a scrape down the side — or a dent in the door that wasn’t there before. It’s obvious that someone has hit your car. If you’re lucky, the person responsible left a note. Or maybe there are security cameras or witnesses who can tell you what happened.
If you can’t find the person who did it, your own collision coverage should cover the damage. A deductible would apply, however. Also, remember that collision coverage is optional — if you chose not to purchase it, you’d have to pay for repairs out of pocket. Uninsured motorist property damage coverage also could pay for damage caused by hit-and-run drivers in states where this coverage is available.
Sometimes insurers are able to locate the responsible party and recover some or all of the repair costs. In a best-case scenario like this, the insurance company may refund your collision deductible in whole or in part depending on your policy provisions.
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