It’s not unusual for a driver to hit a parked car in a lot. Whether you’re backing out and didn’t check your mirror fully or you turn into a spot too quickly, it’s estimated that more than 50,000 accidents a year involve a parked car. Unfortunately, just because the car wasn’t moving doesn’t mean the accident won’t hit your driving record or raise your insurance rates.
The most important thing to do after colliding with a parked car is to ensure you take responsibility. A fender bender can quickly turn into a crime if you decide to take off without searching for the owner or leaving a note.
Learn more about what you should do if you hit a parked car — or what should happen if someone hits your parked car.
- Distracted driving is a large contributing factor in parking lot accidents — 66% of drivers make phone calls and 56% text while driving.
- Leaving after hitting a parked car — without leaving a note with personal information or attempting to find the driver — could result in hit-and-run charges.
- It’s essential to document the event with photos, witness accounts and a police report to file with your insurance company and avoid unrelated damage charges.
Parking lot accidents are common
A parking lot may not be the first place you think of when you think of car accidents. However, the National Safety Council says tens of thousands of accidents happen in a parking lot each year. According to the NSC, more than 44,000 drivers died in car accidents in 2023.
Distracted driving may play a large role in parking lot accidents. It can be easy to think about sending a quick text while driving slowly in a parking lot, but taking your eyes off the road isn’t a good idea. According to a National Safety Council study, 66% of drivers make phone calls while driving through a parking lot and 56% text.
Leaving the scene of an accident is illegal and can result in a hit-and-run charge if you are later identified, via camera footage or witnesses. While a hit and run is a misdemeanor in most states, if you do significant damage to a car or injure someone it can result in a felony charge.
What to do when you hit a parked car?
It can be jarring to hit a parked vehicle. Your initial response could be to assess the damage and leave if it’s not too bad. However, of all the things you could do, fleeing the scene is never a good idea. Here is a rundown of what to do after you have hit a parked car:
Make sure no one is injured
Your first action should be to make sure everyone is unharmed. While most accidents involving parked cars are simple fender benders, it is possible there could be injuries if there are people in both vehicles.
It may be necessary to call 911 if anyone complains of pain or injury so they can be checked out. It is also a good idea to fill out a police report as this can be helpful with any insurance claims.
What to do if you hit an unattended vehicle
In many instances, parked cars in parking lots are unoccupied. If the vehicle you damaged is unattended, you must leave a note if you are unable to find the owner.
In most states, you must make a reasonable attempt to find and notify the car owner of the empty parked car. If the owner can’t be found, a note should be left. For example, say you’re outside a convenience store when you accidentally hit a parked car when turning into a parking spot. Your first reasonable action is to go inside and ask around for the car owner to exchange insurance information and possibly file a police report. However, what do you do if you hit a car in a large lot, such as one at a long-term parking lot? Since it’s unlikely you’ll be able to find the owner, it would be sufficient to get out a pen and paper and leave a note.
When writing a note, it’s best to keep it simple with your contact and insurance information.
“Don’t talk about what happened or apologize to the other driver. These statements can be used against you later,” says Joseph Hoelscher, with Hoelscher Gebbia Cepeda, a law firm in San Antonio, Texas
The majority of states require you to leave the following information in your note:
- Name
- Address
- Contact number
- Explanation of accident
Hoelscher recommends leaving a copy of your insurance card if you have it handy: “The fastest and easiest way to leave your info is just to leave the insurance card.”
If you were driving someone else’s car at the time of the accident, you are required to leave the name and address of the car’s owner as well.
Leave the note in a conspicuous place, under the windshield wiper is good, and then wait for them to call. If you didn’t leave your insurance information, be prepared to share that with the other party when they call.
Call the police to report the accident
While the police are unlikely to respond to a minor parking lot fender bender, it is always a good idea to file a report over the phone so there is a legal trail to follow. In some states, California and Florida are examples, drivers are legally required to report any accident to the police.
You would want to document that the car was unoccupied at the time you hit it (if that is the case) so the owner cannot come back later claiming injuries. Give the police the details of both cars, including the license plate numbers, a description of the damage and how the accident happened.
Document the damage
Documentation can come in handy should you need to prove what damage occurred, especially if you have to file an insurance claim. To start, take photos of both cars and the damage. Be sure to take photos of both vehicles’ license plates and the damage to your own car for your insurance company. It’s also a good idea to take a photo of the note you put on the windshield as this proves that you followed the law.
If the car you hit already has damage that was not caused by you make sure to document that as well, so your insurer doesn’t end up paying for damage you didn’t cause.
Talk to witnesses
Look for witnesses and get their contact information or a video of them describing what happened. This could include people walking by when the accident occurred, those who saw it from a distance or from their business or the passenger in your vehicle.
It’s important to collect their personal information, including their first and last name, phone number and email address. You can ask them to fill out a witness statement on paper when talking to them or file their information on the police report. Witness testimonies can help support what they saw happen, which can come in handy if your insurance company needs statements for a claim.
Contact your insurer
Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to report the accident, even if you couldn’t find the owner. This way they have your side of the story when the person you hit calls in their claim. In addition, it gets your insurer started on your claim to repair the damage to your vehicle.
It will vary by insurer, but having this information on hand will make your claim go quicker:
- License plate number of the car you hit
- Location details of accident
- Contact information for the person whose car you hit (if you have it)
- Description of how the accident happened
- Contact information for any witnesses
- Photos of both vehicles’ damage
What insurance covers parked car accidents?
When it comes to parked car accidents, several types of insurance cover the damage done. Here is a brief overview of exactly which insurance coverages are used in these types of incidents:
- Property damage liability: This portion of your policy covers the damage you do to someone else’s property. In this case, it pays out to repair or replace the person’s car you hit up to your coverage limits.
Coverage limits can vary and you can set your limits when you purchase a policy. Almost every state in the country requires drivers to carry liability coverage but the required coverage limits can be quite low. As an example, in California, the required property damage coverage limit is a low $5,000.
However, keep in mind, if you have liability insurance and low coverage limits and do significant damage to a vehicle, you will be on the hook for the difference. Imagine you hit a newer car equating $7,500 worth of damage. If you are carrying the California minimum amount of coverage, you will be writing a check for $2,500 to repair their vehicle.
Most experts recommend upping property damage coverage to $50,000 and bodily injury even higher.
- Bodily injury liability: This portion of your policy covers the cost of injuries to a person if someone was in the parked car that you hit. Bodily injury insurance will pay medical bills, lost wages and even cover the cost of your defense if you are sued, up to your coverage limits. Just like property damage insurance, having the right coverage limits in place is important.
Hospital bills and legal bills can quickly spiral out of control and if you are not carrying enough coverage you will be on the hook for the difference.
- Collision: This coverage pays to repair your vehicle, minus your deductible. If the cost to repair your vehicle is $2,500 and you have a $500 deductible you will be responsible for the first $500 and your insurer will cover the rest. This is not a required coverage so you must be carrying collision insurance in order to get your car repaired by your insurance company.
Parking lot accident laws
You may be wondering what happens if you hit a parked car and don’t leave the required note. It’s against the law to leave the scene of an accident in every state. In most states, it’s considered a hit-and-run.
Penalties vary by state, but at the very least you could be hit with a misdemeanor charge (or felony if you do significant damage or injure someone), a hefty fine and dramatically higher insurance rates. It’s possible that you could end up doing a short jail stint, community service or even have your license suspended.
How long after a hit-and-run accident you can be charged varies by state but can be several years. For instance, in California, the statute of limitations on a hit-and-run is six years.
The bottom line is do not leave the scene if you hit another car without taking the right steps: Do a reasonable search for the owner. If you can’t find the owner leave a note and report the incident to the police.
Parked car accident and insurance rates
You probably want to know if your insurance rates will increase if you hit a parked car and if so, how much. There is no answer that applies in all situations and whether your rates are headed up will most likely hinge on a few factors.
Since you hit a parked car, there is no doubt that you are at fault in the accident so your insurer will consider this an at-fault accident. The only exceptions might be if the accident was beyond your control. For example, if a pedestrian jumped out in front of your car and caused you to swerve into a vehicle or the car you hit was parked illegally. While you would typically be found at fault in these situations, it’s not always the case. A few other factors the insurer will consider:
- Cost of damage: The amount of damage you caused will impact your premium increase. The more money your insurer pays out, the more likely your rates will increase.
- Tickets: If you were given a ticket, it’s more likely your rates are going up, especially if you already have other infractions on your driving record.
- Previous claims: If you already have several claims on your record, you’re nearly guaranteed to see a rate increase.
- You have accident forgiveness: If you have accident forgiveness on your policy, you shouldn’t see a rate increase as long as your record is clean otherwise. And a bonus is you also don’t lose your good driver discount.
If your rates are headed up, it’s more than likely going to fall in the 20% to 40% range for a minor accident.
Hitting a parked car will almost always result in a smaller increase than if you managed to do bodily damage to someone.
“A rate increase will be far less for property damage compared to an accident involving personal injury, says Peter M. Goldberg with Goldberg & Weigand, a law firm in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Should you offer to pay out of pocket?
Most parked car fender benders don’t involve huge, expensive damage (unless you hit a Ferrari or crash going at a high speed) so it may make sense to cover the damage out of pocket.
Paying out of pocket keeps your insurance record clean and avoids a premium increase. But remember, the other party has to agree to you paying out of pocket and not making a claim.
FAQs: Parking lot accidents
I hit a car and left no damage, what’s next?
Even if you do not see damage, the right and legal thing to do is look for the owner and leave a note if the owner can’t be found. It’s wise to take photos of the parked car, the whole car and then where you hit it, so that way you can document what you claim is “no damage.” If the car owner agrees with you, they may let it go. If the owner sees damage, they will contact you to discuss the next steps, such as making a claim.
What if someone hit my parked car?
If you are in the vehicle, get their information — most importantly, their car insurance information. If they left a note, contact the party to get their insurance information if it was not left for you. Next, it is wise to document the damage. You then can make a claim against the person’s property damage liability coverage. You could also make a claim against your own collision coverage, but many advise against this. You have to pay a deductible with your own insurer and also the claim will go on your record. It’s generally better to make the claim through the at-fault party’s insurance so that driver gets the claim on his or her record and no deductible is required. From there the insurance company will guide you through the claims process so your car can be repaired.
Will my car insurance go up if I file a claim for my parked car getting hit?
Yes, there is the possibility that your rates will go up since you are making a claim. However, some state laws don’t allow your rates to rise if the incident causing the claim was not your fault. Also, some insurers on their own will not raise your rates if the claim costs are under a certain amount, such as $2,500 and you were not at fault. However, if you are making a claim this is a good question to ask and also see if you’ll lose any discounts, such a good driver discount.
Does car insurance cover if my parked car is the victim of a hit-and-run?
Being the owner of a hit-and-run parked car isn’t a grand situation to be in as you have to first make a police report. Next, you can claim your collision coverage, which means you’ll have to pay a deductible. If the damage is minimal, under your deductible amount, you’ll have to pay for the damage yourself unless the at-fault party is found and held responsible. If you the at-fault party is not found and you don’t have collision coverage, you’re unfortunately left holding the bag and paying personally for the damage to your vehicle.
— Katrina Raenell contributed to this story
Source
National Safety Council. “NSC estimates traffic crashes took more than 44,000 lives in 2023.” Accessed August 2024.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura Longero is an insurance expert and Executive Editor at CarInsurance.com, where she specializes in helping consumers navigate the complexities of the financial and insurance industries. She has 15 years of experience educating people about finance and car insurance. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network. Her expertise provides readers with practical guidance, helping them make informed choices about their financial and insurance needs.
Ask the Insurance Expert
John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Leslie Kasperowicz
Executive Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.