Whose insurance do I call after an accident?

Do you know what to do when someone hits your parked car? When you’re in a car accident, you can quickly become overwhelmed with questions and anxieties. Sometimes when people are hit by another driver in an accident they can make some basic mistakes. For example, if I have affordable auto insurance and someone hit my car, whose insurance do I call?

While you can certainly call your insurance representative to let them know that you were in an accident, in most states, you won’t need to call them to file a claim. That’s when the other driver’s insurance company steps in to help.

Now, if I was looking at auto insurance quotes, but someone hit my car, whose insurance do I call? Keep reading to learn what to do after a car accident, even if you are currently shopping for a new insurance company.

Enter your ZIP code to start comparing insurance quotes if you’ve ever wondered, “If someone hit my car whose insurance do I call?”

What should drivers do if someone hits their car?

While it’s incredibly important that you know how to operate your vehicle properly and follow the rules of the road, you also need to know what to do when someone hits your car. If you’ve been hit by another vehicle, try to remain calm and pull off the road.

Once you’ve checked yourself and your passengers for any injuries, you should:

• Call the police
• File a police report
• Exchange your insurance information with the other driver
• Take photos of the scene
• Take video of any damage
• Gather the contact information of any witnesses

Once you’ve taken these steps, alert your insurance company about the accident and file a claim with the other driver’s insurance. If you live in a no-fault state, you would need to file the claim with your insurance company.

Contact Your Insurance Company After an Accident

Even if you find yourself thinking, “I don’t like my current auto insurance company, but someone hit my car, whose insurance do I call?” you’ll still need to reach out to your insurance company.

However, if you were not at fault, you’ll need to stress that you are not calling to make a claim.

You should simply call in to get the event on record. Plus, if you need a tow and have roadside assistance, your insurance representative can help you get your car to a nearby mechanic.

Of course, if you caused the accident, you should call your insurance company to alert them that the other driver may be calling in to file a claim against you. When you contact your insurance company, share your side of the story and give all the information you have.

Filing a Claim with Another Driver’s Insurance Company

After being in an accident, if the other driver clearly caused the accident and admits to it, you can contact that driver’s insurance company to file what’s known as a third-party claim. You can use the payout for any repairs your car needs or medical bills you collected after the accident up to their liability limits in most states.

However, you may need to speak to an insurance adjuster and explain what happened before receiving a payout from the insurance company.

What should drivers do when they’ve been involved in a hit-and-run?

There’s nothing more frustrating than having to report “someone hit my parked car” to your insurance company, especially if the other driver didn’t leave behind any contact information. This is what is known as a hit-and-run.

Now, this may leave you wondering, “I don’t want higher auto insurance rates, but someone hit my car, whose insurance do I call?”

Unfortunately, while you can report a hit-and-run to the police when someone hits a parked car, you will still need to file a collision claim on your own insurance. But, if your collision deductible is more than the cost to fix your car, you can simply pay out of pocket and not worry about filing a claim at all.

How to Report a Hit-And-Run

If you’ve been the victim of a hit-and-run, you should take photos and look around the area to see if there are any witnesses who saw what happened. You will then need to call the police and file a report.

What to Do if You Hit a Parked Car?

If you hit a parked car and the driver isn’t around, you should leave your contact and insurance information tucked under the windshield wiper so that the other driver can file a claim with your insurance if need be.

Read more: Hitting a Parked Car, Auto Insurance Implications

Do accidents increase auto insurance rates?

If you didn’t cause the accident and didn’t file any kind of claim with your insurance company, you most likely won’t see your rates increase. Now, if you have caused an accident or filed any collision claims recently, you could see your rates rise because of the accident. Keep in mind, especially if you get a ticket, it could turn up should you forget to pay your insurance premiums or switch providers.

There are ways to keep your rates low. When your policy is up for renewal, review this list of discounts most major insurance companies offer:

Common Auto Insurance Discounts

This way, you’ll be able to ascertain if you are saving as much money as possible on your insurance policy without raising your deductibles. If you’re not pleased with the discounts that your current company offers, you can shop online and read free auto insurance company reviews to find the best company for you.

Someone Hit Your Car: What You Need to Know

The next time you’re in a situation that has you thinking, “I was about to buy auto insurance, but someone hit my car, whose insurance do I call?” remember to consider if you or the other driver caused the accident. Also, make sure you know if you live in an at fault or no fault state. 

If the other driver was clearly negligent and caused damage to your vehicle, you would call their insurance company to file a claim in most states.

Now, if you caused the accident, you should call your insurance company to let them know about the accident and to be aware that someone may be calling to file a claim. Bear in mind that, even if you didn’t cause the accident, you should let your insurance company know. Give them all the information you have if the other driver tries to contest it.

If the question, “Someone hit my car whose insurance do I call?” has you concerned because you aren’t happy with your current insurance company, enter your ZIP code below to compare free quotes from insurance companies near you.