If you hit a parked vehicle in the street or parking lot, don’t panic — it happens more often than you think. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, nearly six percent of all motor vehicle collisions involve parked cars. In order to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, follow these steps after the accident.
Remain at the Scene of the Accident
Once you realized you’ve hit a vehicle, stay calm. Instincts may tell you to flee, especially if it looks like no one was around to see what happened. Never leave the scene of an accident. There are much greater legal consequences for hit-and-runs than for at-fault accidents where you follow the correct protocol. Also, many businesses and parking lots have hidden cameras that could detect your license plate and vehicle information, making it easy to track you down later.
If you do decide to flee the scene, and later end up getting caught, you will likely end up paying much more out-of-pocket than you would have for any ticket or minor increase in auto insurance. Hit-and-runs count as a major violation, and you’ll likely end up paying higher tickets and higher insurance rates than if you would have just reported the accident.
Try to Find the Vehicle Owner
If the accident takes place in a parking lot, the vehicle owner probably will not take very long to return to their car. Look around and wait a few minutes for the owner to approach the vehicle. If you can’t locate them, you can stop anyone who witnessed the accident and ask for their information.
Assess the Situation
Get out of your car to look at the damage done both to your car and the other one. If you have a smart phone or camera, take pictures of the site of impact on each vehicle. You can use these photos later when auto insurance companies are appraising the damage. Even if the mark on the other car is very small, stay there and take pictures. Even seemingly minor dents and dings can end up costing into the thousands of dollars to repair.
Notify Appropriate Parties
If the owner is nowhere in sight, find a pen and paper and leave a note in their windshield. The note should only include basic information: your name, address, phone number, and a brief neutral account of what happened. If you have it, also include your insurance company name and policy number. If you were driving someone else’s car, leave their contact and insurance information. Try not to explicitly admit fault or sound overly apologetic in your note. Anything you say or write may be used against you as adjusters investigate the claim.
You should also contact your insurance company within 24 hours of the incident. If there is damage to your vehicle and you have collision coverage on your policy, you can file a claim to fix your vehicle, and you will only have to pay the deductible out-of-pocket. Your policy can also pay to fix the other person’s vehicle through your property damage liability coverage.
Getting into any kind of car accident can be stressful. As long as you cover these bases after hitting a parked car, both you and the other driver will be able to move on from the incident and fix any damage as quickly as possible.
This photo, “Car hit by shopping cart 01,” by Alan Sim used under CC BY-SA 2.o. “Car hit by shopping cart 01” is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.o by Gay Family Kia.
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