Parking in New York City alone can be a challenge, even more so when another driver hits your parked car. The first and most important thing to do when another vehicle hits your parked car is to call the police to investigate the incident and make proper reports. You also need to inform your insurance agent concerning the accident so he/she can start the process of your claim because there is every possibility that your damages would be covered by the insurance company only if your policy covers uninsured coverage or collision coverage.
What are the necessary steps to take when you get to the scene?
There are majorly three important steps that are needed for you to take whenever someone hits your parked car:
- Inform the police: the moment you call the police, it is their job to document an official incident report regarding the damage to your car. This report is fundamental when you are trying to file your insurance claim, which is stated by the Insurance Information Institute (III), also make sure you have some other information like the badge number and name of the officer that made the report.
- Document the incident: you would need to gather as much information as possible that would help your claim get processed easily. The information could include the date, time, and location of where the accident happened while your car was parked. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recommends that you take necessary pictures that can be helpful, such as tire marks or debris left behind.
- Inform your insurer: it is best to always inform your insurer as soon as possible, only then would the memories be fresh. Your agent would let you know the necessary things needed to file the claim. Some insurance companies could have an application that allows you to upload the file, this process would be easier on the clients.
And if the accident was done by mistake and the driver leaves a note, you would need to share this with your insurer, so that your insurer can meet with the driver’s insurer and they can come up with the best option in settling the claim.
Hit-and-run accidents
If in our case the driver who hit your vehicle doesn’t leave any note behind, the case would be classified as a hit-and-run accident. If your case is a hit-and-run accident then your insurance company would have to file the driver as an uninsured. The punishment is always different in different states, especially in Brooklyn whenever there is a hit-and-run case whereby it leads to a physical injury or damages your vehicle or both. Some state laws believe a hit-and-run is a felony if someone sustains any injuries while some state laws say that it is a felony if the car sustains any damages.
Will, my insurance company pays if someone hits my parked car?
It all depends on your policy coverage. If the conditions are met then your insurance company can pay for any damages. These are the coverage that would protect you if your car was hit while parked.
- Collision coverage: this covers you for any form of repair or part change to your car. This is also applicable regardless of who is at fault.
- Uninsured motorist coverage: this covers you from drivers who are not insured and decide to flee the scene of the accident. This is an optional coverage which makes it not applicable to all states.
With the payment of bother collision and uninsured coverage, you would need to pay some deductibles before your insurance company can assist you with any payment for the repair of your car. Your insurance company is not allowed to pass your policy limits, which is the maximum amount to pay for your accident claim.
Has your parked car been hit? If your vehicle has received body, frame or paint damage, call Auto Group Collision at (718) 449-4616 and see how we can help! Contact us now to for a FREE ESTIMATE!
Auto Group Collision is Brooklyn’s Body Shop Experts
Since 2004 Auto Group Collision has been providing the people of Brooklyn and surrounding areas with the highest quality of collision repair and auto body repair service. We established a trusted collision center that takes customer from the initial estimate to the completion of repair to getting you back into your car and in the driver’s seat while working closely with your insurance company.
Dealing with an automobile collision is traumatic enough without having to worry about filing insurance claims. We know that each insurance company has its own procedures, and we’re here to assist you with the insurance company transactions. We provide the information they require regarding the collision repairs, as we guide you through the entire process of dealing with all the paperwork.
We accept all insurance estimates and work with all insurance companies. Auto Body Collision wants you to be a satisfied policy holder, so we’ve established relationships with all the region’s major insurance companies. Working directly with your insurance company, we’re able to start repairs immediately while also often helping speed up the insurance adjuster’s inspection and approval.
As soon as the work is approved, the parts are ordered. To expedite the work, when parts are received they are put into a bin, which only holds parts for one particular job. This type of care and orderliness insures your vehicle is repaired using only authorized parts.
Auto Body Collision works with your insurance company, estimating damage, handling your claim, and negotiating with the insurance company to make sure your repairs are done properly and swiftly.
Has your car been in a collision or minor fender bender? If your vehicle has received body damage, frame or paint damage, call Auto Group Collision at (718) 449-4616 and see how we can help! Contact us now to for a FREE ESTIMATE!