Someone Hit My Parked Car & Left: 6 Steps To Take (2026)

6 Steps to Take if Someone Hit Your Parked Car and Left

When you know what to do after someone hits your parked car, you can preserve your ability to file an insurance claim and maximize your chances of locating the at-fault driver. Here are six essential steps to take:

1. Look for a Note

The driver may have left a note on your car with their contact information, a brief explanation of what happened, and their insurance information. Check around your vehicle for a note. It can be helpful to check the surrounding area in case the note was blown away.

2. Stay at the Scene

If you witnessed another car hit your vehicle, you might be tempted to jump behind the wheel and chase the driver down. However, your best bet is to stay on the scene and collect any evidence you can. See if you can get the license plate number and a description of the car as the driver drives away.

3. Call the Police

Even if you weren’t in the car when it was hit, the driver has still committed a hit and run. Your state might require you to file a police report in this scenario, even if the driver left a note. States also have different laws when it comes to what to do after a minor car accident.

Whether your state requires you to call the police or not, having a police report can be incredibly useful. If police come to the scene, they can gather evidence that might help them catch the at-fault driver. They can also fill out an official accident report, and that report may be essential if you ultimately decide to file an insurance claim.

4. Check for Witnesses

Depending on where the accident happened, there may be a chance that someone saw the other car hit yours. Look around the scene and approach any potential witnesses you see. Ask what they saw, and see if they’re comfortable giving you their contact information.

It may be useful if the police, your insurance company or your lawyer would like to ask them about the accident.

5. Take Photos

Taking photos of any accident scene is important, but it’s especially critical in this situation. High-quality photos may make it more likely that the police can identify the at-fault driver.

For example, if one car scratches another, it might leave traces of paint. If you take a close-up photo of a scrape on your vehicle, the police may be able to identify what color the offending car was. If they see a similarly colored car with body damage, they can then investigate to see if its driver was responsible.

Take photos of the road, too, since there could be skid marks or other clues that could help your personal injury lawyer later on. Document the time of day that the accident occurred, the weather conditions and whether there is any debris nearby that could be related to the crash.

6. Talk to Your Insurance Company

As soon as possible after the accident, you should reach out to your insurance company to report it.

Common Mistakes After Someone Hits Your Parked Car

There are numerous things you should also avoid doing after seeing that someone has hit your car. One of these is not immediately calling the police. The more time that you allow to pass, the more difficult it will be to find the culprit.

In the same vein, don’t delay in letting your insurance know that your car was damaged. Insurers can grow suspicious if you don’t immediately report something like this, so acting quickly can save you a lot of hassle.

Don’t move your car too rapidly after noticing the damage. People are often upset, and that can lead them to act rashly, including leaving the scene without taking pictures or gathering other evidence. Always wait until the police come to the scene so that officers can see exactly what happened. They may be able to notice details that you may have missed.

You should also not send the car to be repaired immediately. It’s important to first document all of the damage, and that may mean having a mechanic look it over at the site of the crash. There could be internal damage that may not be apparent to the naked eye, and moving the vehicle could make it worse.

In all instances, avoid confronting the other party if you see them hit your car. It can be dangerous to approach others angrily and could impact your future claim, too. Note any information you can about their vehicle and allow them to leave. By providing details to law enforcement, it will be much easier for them to bring charges against the culprit.

What Are Drivers Supposed to Do if They Hit a Parked Car?

Each state has its own laws dictating what a driver must do if they hit a parked vehicle. Many states require the at-fault driver to take these steps:

• Make a reasonable effort to find the driver
• Leave a note with contact and insurance information
• Call the police

Some states only require a driver to call the police if there is substantial damage to the parked car. Unfortunately, some drivers try to escape responsibility by fleeing the scene without leaving any contact information. In most states, this is considered leaving the scene of an accident, which means committing a hit and run. It's a crime. Even if the driver didn’t realize they hit a car at the time, they may still be legally responsible. Unknowingly hitting a parked car doesn't excuse someone from reporting the incident once they become aware. Failure to do so could lead to charges, including receiving points on their license or even a suspension.

A hit-and-run ticket can leave you facing significant consequences. In California, for example, a hit and run in which there is only property damage can be charged as a misdemeanor. It could earn the defendant up to six months in jail and steep fines. A hit and run that results in injuries could be a felony, resulting in up to four years in jail and $10,000 in fines.

Throughout the country, hit-and-run laws tend to be similar in scope.

What if Someone Hits My Parked Car and Leaves a Note?

If someone leaves a note after hitting your parked car, it’s not considered a hit and run. Once you find the note, you should call their insurance company to begin the process of filing a claim.

However, the fact that someone hit your car and left a note doesn’t mean their car insurance will necessarily pay you a car accident settlement. You should take plenty of photos of the car before leaving, and make sure to also look for witnesses who may have seen the accident.

Additionally, if there are any businesses in the area, it’s a good idea to see if they have surveillance cameras that may have caught the crash.

Should You File an Insurance Claim?

It may prove to be impossible to locate the at-fault driver. However, if you can’t find the driver—or you find the driver and they don’t have car insurance—you may be able to turn to your own car insurance policy to cover the cost of repairs.

If you have liability-only insurance, though, it generally only pays for any car accident injury or property damage you cause. There are two types of coverage that may pay for repairs in a hit and run:

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
• Collision coverage

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is designed to pay for your injuries or property damage if the at-fault driver has no insurance, doesn’t have enough insurance or flees the scene.

Collision insurance, on the other hand, pays to fix damage to your car even if you caused the damage yourself. Filing a claim with collision insurance may be more likely to raise your average car insurance cost per month than an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim would.

Will My Insurance Rates Increase if Someone Hits My Parked Car?

You may already know that insurance rates are likely to go up after car accidents that are determined to be the car owner’s fault. But since it’s not your fault when someone hits your parked car, will your rates go up in that case?

Unfortunately, the answer is often yes. If you file a claim with your own insurance, your insurance company may see you as a risk. This is true whether you caused the damage or not.

In many cases, filing a claim with the other driver’s insurance won’t cause a rate increase. However, some insurance companies raise your rates any time you file a claim, even if that claim is against another insurance company.

What if I Don’t Have Collision Coverage?

If you only have bodily injury and property damage liability coverage—and you don’t have uninsured/underinsured motorist or collision coverage—your insurance generally won’t cover repairs to your car. Unless you or the police can find the driver responsible, you may be stuck paying for repairs out of pocket.

Do I Need a Lawyer if Someone Hit My Parked Car and Left?

You aren’t required to retain a lawyer after someone hits your parked car. However, if your car has serious damage, it might be worth considering.

A hit and run lawyer might be able to help track down the at-fault driver. Additionally, if your insurance company is only partially covering your car repairs, your lawyer may be able to negotiate with the company to try to obtain a fair settlement.

Not sure how to find the right lawyer? At ConsumerShield, we connect people like you with qualified legal professionals. Fill out our form to get started with a free case review today!