If someone hits your car while you are driving, what should you do?
It’s hard to know the right moves to protect yourself and your property.
Here’s quick checklist of what to do if some hits your car while you are driving.
Pull over and find safety
After checking yourself and any passengers for injuries, you should turn on your hazard lights or flares to alert other motorists to your presence.
Dial 911
An officer can inspect all parties involved for injuries, as well as prepare a police report that will be necessary for the filing of your claim
Gather information
Information such as names, license plate numbers, insurance policy information, the date and time of the accident, and the contact information of any witnesses should be provided.
Keep a record of the accident
You should take photographs of the cars, their location, license plates, and any other details.
Put in a claim
Now we get to the insurance part of things. Your insurance company should still be notified even if you believe the other party was to blame for the accident.
If your parked vehicle is hit by another vehicle, what should you do?
Call the police
When something happens, even if nobody is hurt, you should call 911 immediately. Police officers will document the accident and write up a police report, which may be required for making an insurance claim
Gather as much information as possible
In the event that the motorist who struck your parked car remains on the scene, gather their insurance information, including their provider and policy number. You should also record their license plate number, as well as the make and model of their car
Photograph the damage to your car
It would be a good idea to ask around and see if there are any eyewitnesses and make sure you get their contact information too.
Get started with the claims process
You should contact your insurance company right away if you haven’t already done so. Give them all the necessary information and tell them that you are planning to file a claim with the other party’s insurance company. Next, you should notify the other party’s insurance company that you are filing a claim against one of their policyholders.
If another driver hits you and they do not have any insurance coverage, or even if they have insurance, it may not be able to cover the full extent of the damage they caused, so the damage they caused may be covered by your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
