What Happens If Your Car Gets Hit When You’re Not There?

Last Updated on October 24, 2026

By James Shaffer Reviewed by Thomas Rockford, insurance industry executive and financial analyst, on October 24, 2026 How we fact-check

If your car gets hit while you’re not there, it’s usually handled as a hit-and-run unless the other driver leaves contact information. In most cases, repairs are covered by collision coverage or uninsured motorist coverage (if your state and policy include property damage coverage), but you may still owe a deductible.

Whether you find damage on the street, in your driveway, or in a parking lot, the process is similar: document what happened, report it, and decide whether filing a claim makes sense. If you want a deeper walkthrough specific to parked-car damage, see what to do if somebody hit your parked car.

Hit While Parked Usually Means “Hit-and-Run”: If no driver is identified, insurers typically handle it as an unknown/at-fault loss.
Coverage Depends on Your Policy: Collision coverage is the most common way to repair a hit-and-run parked-car claim; liability-only coverage usually won’t pay for your car.
Deductibles and Limits Still Apply: Even when coverage applies, you may owe a deductible and some endorsements (like UMPD) can have separate limits.
Document and Report It Fast: Photos, witness info, camera footage, and a police report can speed up repairs and improve the odds of recovering your deductible.

Table Of Contents

What to Do Immediately After You Find the Damage
Will Insurance Cover a Hit-and-Run on a Parked Car?
Do You Have to Pay a Deductible?
What If the Driver Didn’t Leave a Note?
What If the Driver Is Found Later?
How Much Will Insurance Pay?
Will Filing a Claim Raise Your Rates?
Final Word on a Parked Car Getting Hit When You’re Not There
FAQs on What Happens If Your Car Gets Hit When You’re Not There
Sources

What to Do Immediately After You Find the Damage

Start by confirming everyone is safe and your vehicle is secure. Then take steps that protect your claim and improve the odds of identifying the at-fault driver.

Step	Why It Matters	What to Collect
Call the police (or non-emergency line)	A report creates an official record and can help insurers verify the loss.	Ask how to file a police report after an accident and get the report/incident number. Many insurers also ask: do you need a police report to file a claim?
Document the scene	Photos and notes reduce disputes about what happened and when.	Close-up and wide-angle photos, video walkaround, and a quick timeline. Use this guide on documenting damage and gathering evidence for a claim.
Look for witnesses and cameras	Independent witnesses and video can identify the vehicle or driver.	Nearby businesses, doorbell cameras, parking lot security, and witness statements (names, phone numbers, short written summary).
Notify your insurer	Prompt notice helps preserve coverage and speeds up repairs.	Your policy number, photos, and report number. Follow the proper way to file an insurance claim after an accident.

Quick tip: If the damage is severe or your car isn’t safe to drive, ask the responding agency (or your insurer) about towing rules in your area before moving it—especially if the car is parked in a spot where it could be ticketed or towed.

Will Insurance Cover a Hit-and-Run on a Parked Car?

Sometimes. Coverage depends on what happened and what you bought. Insurers typically treat a parked-car hit-and-run like an accident with an unknown driver, which is why the right first-party coverage matters. For more detail, see how hit-and-run accidents work with insurance.

Coverage Type	When It Typically Pays	Common Deductible Rules
Collision	Your car was hit by another vehicle (even if the driver is unknown).	Usually applies. You pick the amount when you buy the policy.
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD)	Your policy/state includes property damage coverage for uninsured or unknown drivers. In Texas, uninsured motorist coverage pays for hit-and-runs. In California, UMPD pays only if the driver is identified, so it won’t pay for a hit-and-run unless the driver is found.	Varies by state and insurer; some policies have a deductible, others don’t. The standard Texas policy form has a $250 deductible for property damage.
Comprehensive	Damage is not from a collision (for example vandalism, hail, falling objects, animal damage).	Usually applies and is selected by you; often separate from collision.
Liability Only	Pays for injuries/damage you cause to others—not your own vehicle.	No deductible for your liability payments, but it won’t fix your car.

If you have a minimum policy built around bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage, that protection generally won’t pay to repair your own car after a hit-and-run. In that situation, you’re usually paying out of pocket unless the at-fault driver is identified and their insurer accepts responsibility.

Parked Car Hit?

Select your situation to see which coverage usually applies and what to do first.

They Left a Note

Start a claim with the other driver’s insurer. Their property damage liability may pay for the repair, up to their limits, if they accept responsibility.
Take photos of the note and the damage to your car.
A claim on their insurer means no deductible from you. You can also claim on your own collision and let your insurer try to recover from them.
If the driver turns out to be uninsured, uninsured motorist property damage may pay if you carry it. In California its limit is $3,500.

Claim Cost Estimator

Estimated repair bill ($)

Your collision deductible ($)

Do you carry collision?

Repair bill minus your deductible —

Enter the repair estimate and your deductible.

If your insurer pays and later recovers money from the driver who hit you, you may get all or part of your deductible back, depending on how much it recovers and whether you share any fault.

Do You Have to Pay a Deductible?

Often, yes. A deductible is the portion you pay before the insurer covers the remaining approved repair costs. If you haven’t reviewed yours recently, this guide explains how car insurance deductibles work.

In most policies:

Collision claims usually require a deductible.
UMPD claims may have a deductible depending on state rules and how the endorsement is written.
Comprehensive claims usually require a separate comprehensive deductible (if you carry that coverage).

What If the Driver Didn’t Leave a Note?

If there’s no note and no clear at-fault party identified, insurers typically handle it as a hit-and-run. That means your claim is commonly routed through collision or UMPD (if available), and you’ll follow the same steps: report the incident, document damage, and cooperate with the investigation.

The other driver may also have broken the law. In California, a driver who hits a parked car must leave a note with their name and address and notify the local police or the CHP without unnecessary delay. Some police departments take hit-and-run reports online. San Diego does for hit-and-runs with no injuries and no suspect information. Houston’s online form can’t be used for crashes, so check what your local department allows.

If you can identify the vehicle—especially with a license plate number from a hit-and-run—share that information with the police and your insurer. It can move the claim from “unknown driver” to a standard at-fault liability claim against the other driver.

What If the Driver Is Found Later?

If the other driver is identified and they have insurance, their property damage liability coverage may pay for repairs. If your insurer already paid under collision or UMPD, they may pursue reimbursement from the at-fault driver (a process called subrogation). If they recover money, you may get all or part of your deductible back, depending on how much they recover and whether you share any fault. State Farm, for example, says recovery can take up to a year or longer.

How Much Will Insurance Pay?

Payment depends on your coverage type, your limits, your deductible, and the vehicle’s value. If the repair cost is high enough, the insurer may declare a total loss and settle based on the vehicle’s actual cash value (ACV) minus your deductible.

Review your auto insurance limits, especially if you rely on UMPD. In some states or policies, UMPD can have lower limits than collision. California’s UMPD limit, for example, is $3,500, meaning a large repair bill could leave you paying some costs out of pocket.

Will Filing a Claim Raise Your Rates?

It depends on your insurer, state rules, your claims history, and how the loss is coded. A hit-and-run may still be treated as a claim on your policy even if you weren’t driving, so it’s worth understanding potential premium impacts before proceeding—especially with smaller repairs. Some states limit this. In California, for example, your insurer can’t charge you more for an accident that wasn’t your fault. Learn more about rate changes after a collision claim and whether uninsured motorist claims can raise your rates.

Final Word on a Parked Car Getting Hit When You’re Not There

When you discover your parked car has been hit, treat it like a hit-and-run: report it, document it, and notify your insurer. Most drivers are covered through collision coverage (and sometimes UMPD), but deductibles and limits still apply—so it’s smart to compare the expected payout to your out-of-pocket cost before filing.

My advice: if nobody left a note, file the police report the same day, even for a small dent, and keep the report number with your claim.

FAQs on What Happens If Your Car Gets Hit When You’re Not There

Is a parked-car hit with no note always considered a hit-and-run?

In most cases, yes. If the driver leaves the scene without providing contact and insurance information, insurers typically treat it as a hit-and-run (an unknown at-fault driver).

What coverage fixes my car after a hit-and-run while parked?

Collision coverage is the most common coverage that pays for damage to your car from a parked-car hit-and-run. Some policies may also pay under uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) if it’s available in your state and included on your policy. In California, UMPD pays for a hit-and-run only if the driver is later identified.

Do I have to call the police if my car is hit while parked?

Many insurers strongly prefer (or require) a police report for hit-and-run claims. The standard Texas policy, for example, requires you to promptly notify the police if a hit-and-run driver is involved in an uninsured motorist claim. When in doubt, call the non-emergency line and get an incident or report number.

Will I have to pay a deductible on a parked-car hit-and-run claim?

Often, yes—especially if the claim is handled under collision coverage. UMPD deductibles vary by insurer and state rules (the standard Texas policy has a $250 property damage deductible). Your declarations page will show the applicable deductible for each coverage.

What if the other driver is found after I file a claim?

If the at-fault driver is identified and insured, their liability coverage may reimburse the loss. If your insurer already paid, they may pursue recovery through subrogation, and you may get all or part of your deductible back if money is recovered.

Can my rates go up if my parked car is hit?

It depends on the insurer, your state, and your claims history. Even if you weren’t driving, a claim can still affect your policy in some situations (California doesn’t allow a rate increase for an accident that wasn’t your fault), so consider getting an estimate and comparing it to your deductible before filing.

What if the damage wasn’t caused by another car?

If the damage is from something other than a collision—like vandalism, hail, or a falling object—comprehensive coverage (not collision) is typically the coverage that applies, assuming you carry it.

Sources

Checked September 30, 2026