Car accidents can happen anytime, including when a vehicle is not in motion.

If you hit a parked car while you are driving, you’ll most likely be held legally responsible for the resulting damages. You have certain responsibilities in this situation, so it’s important to know what to do after striking another vehicle parked in a lot or on the road.

This guide will explain the steps you need to take to protect your rights, comply with the law and minimize the potential damage to your finances after you’ve hit a parked car.

What Steps To Take If You Hit a Parked Car

Hitting a parked car can be a frightening experience. If it happens to you, here’s what you need to do.

Stop and Assess the Situation

You must stop your vehicle when you strike another car. If you don’t, that’s considered a hit-and-run and it has legal consequences. In fact, you could even be charged with a crime in many situations if you don’t stick around after a crash.

After you’ve hit the other car:

  • Pull over to the closest safe location.
  • Take a moment to determine if you have injured yourself.
  • Get out of your vehicle and check to see if there is any obvious damage.
  • Check the other car to see if anyone was in the vehicle and was hurt or to see if there is any visible damage to the car.

Even if it doesn’t appear the other car was damaged, you still can’t just leave. There could be problems you missed, such as knocking a rearview camera out of place on the other vehicle or damaging a tire. But, doing a visual inspection of the vehicle to try to determine the extent of the harm is a good first step.

Locate the Owner

Once you’ve made sure no one was hurt and given the cars a look, it’s time to find the owner of the other vehicle. Since you potentially damaged their property, you must locate them so they can investigate the incident themselves and so you can exchange contact details.

Often, the owner of the car you hit won’t be present at the scene. You can and should consider waiting until they return.

Depending on your location, you might also have opportunities to proactively locate them. For example, if you struck a car on the street outside a house, you could ring the home’s doorbell. If the incident occurred in a parking lot of a restaurant, you could go into the restaurant and ask the other patrons if they were driving the car you hit.

Leave a Note If You Cannot Locate the Owner

If you’ve made a good faith attempt to find the owner and failed, you don’t necessarily have to just sit near the damaged car and wait for them to come back. Instead, you can leave a note for the owner of the other vehicle.

Be sure your note provides all the details they need to contact you. This can include your name and telephone number, as well as the date, and potentially even a short description of the incident if you aren’t sure they’ll immediately be able to spot the damage.

Document the Scene

Chances are good that you’re going to have some financial responsibility for damages you caused after getting into a crash with a parked car. So you want to make sure that you have documentation showing what happened and the extent of the harm.

You should take pictures of your own vehicle, the vehicle you hit and the surrounding area. This is important so you have evidence of the extent of the damage and any environmental factors that might have played a part in the incident.

You don’t want the owner of the other vehicle to exaggerate their losses, so focus on showing exactly what parts of their car were and were not impacted by the crash. You should also take photos of any damage to your own vehicle, as your collision insurance should cover any repairs you may need.

The insurance company will typically have questions about how the crash occurred, so it’s helpful to document the scene, including where the car was parked and how that area intersects with the road or parts of the parking lot where your vehicle was located.

If the car you hit was parked illegally, this could impact the extent of your responsibility for the accident and resulting damage. If this is the case, be sure to take detailed photos showing the violation. For example, if the vehicle was in a no-parking zone or crosswalk, your pictures should make this clear.

It’s also important to note the time and specific location of the accident. This can help the insurance company piece together a timeline of what occurred and establish who was at fault for the incident.

Look for Witnesses To Obtain Witness Statements

Having witnesses to a car accident is essential in case there are questions about how the crash happened, the extent of the loss and whether or not anyone was hurt.

Witnesses can back up your version of events, giving solid evidence in case there is a dispute over whether the owner of the parked car should bear any responsibility. They can also provide insight into whether anyone may have been hurt by the crash.

Contact Authorities

In many states, you are required to report car accidents to law enforcement officials if a certain amount of damage occurs. For example, it’s common to be required to file a report if an incident did over $500 in damage. You should comply with any such requirements to avoid being charged with a hit-and-run or other legal violations.

If anyone has been hurt in the accident, you should call 911 for help. If no one was harmed and the crash involved only property damage, you can contact your local police department using their nonemergency number. You should be able to find it on their website.

Depending on where you live and the extent of the damage, police may or may not come to the crash scene. If you are instructed to wait when you call the police, be sure to remain at the site until and after a law enforcement official arrives.

State laws vary, but typically you must file a report of an accident within a certain time period, such as 10 days. Often, this can be done online. For example, in Florida, you can report a traffic crash on the website of Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

If police come to the crash scene, they will usually create a report on the spot, so you may not need to take further action. If they do, be sure to obtain a copy as you may need to provide it to your insurance company.

Contact Your Insurance Company

As soon as possible after the incident, you should report it to your insurer.

While it may be tempting not to alert your insurer if you don’t want an accident on your record, this may not be a good idea. If it turns out the damage was more severe than you thought or repairs are more expensive than anticipated, it could be a problem if you didn’t report the crash right away.

Discuss Your Car Accident With an Attorney

In some cases, hitting a parked car can do serious damage to both vehicles. Or the crash could even cause injury to you, passengers within your vehicle or someone who was in or near the parked car. In these situations, it’s always best to talk with a car accident attorney about your options. Your attorney can guide you through the accident claims process, protecting your rights at every step along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Hitting a Parked Car

Is it necessary to contact the police if I hit a parked car?

In many states, it’s necessary to report all car accidents that cause damage over a certain threshold. The price for repairs adds up quickly, even for relatively minor accidents, so it’s a good idea to err on the side of caution and contact the police after any incident with a parked car. Doing so can help ensure you aren’t charged for a hit-and-run for leaving the scene of the crash.

What information should I include in the note for the owner?

If you hit a parked car, always try to find the owner before leaving the scene. If you can’t, you should leave a note on the vehicle you hit. Include your name and contact details such as your email, phone number and address. You don’t want to include detailed insurance information in a note that anyone can see, but you must make sure the other driver can find you. Be sure to tuck the note under the windshield wipers so it doesn’t blow away.

Can I move my car after hitting a parked car?

You should try to stop your vehicle as close to the scene of the accident as possible, as leaving the scene of a crash is considered a hit-and-run. However, you don’t want to stop the flow of traffic or remain in an unsafe location, so move your car to the closest spot out of the way of other vehicles.

What if I can't find the owner of the parked car?

If you can’t find the owner of a parked car you hit, you can leave a note on their windshield and provide your contact details. This should include your name and address, phone number and/or email address so the owner can easily reach out to you. In many cases, you also have a responsibility to report the accident to the police. Consider calling from the scene to find out if you should wait for an officer.

Should I admit fault in the note?

Fault is a legal question that should be determined by insurance companies and other professionals with advanced knowledge. You don’t have to admit or deny fault, just provide your contact details when you leave a note after hitting a parked car. The insurance companies involved will determine who is to blame and whether the other driver might share responsibility (for example, if they were parked illegally).

Do I need to involve my insurance company?

It’s often a good idea to involve an insurance company after an accident, even if you’ve only hit a parked car and the damage initially seems minor. Even a small amount of damage to a car could be very expensive to repair. And, even a minor crash at slow speeds can sometimes lead to injuries such as whiplash. It’s important your insurer knows about the incident in case it turns out you do need help covering costs associated with the crash.

Can I be held legally responsible for hitting a parked car?

Yes, you can be held legally responsible for hitting a parked car. A driver who hit a parked vehicle is generally presumed to be at fault for the accident, since this type of incident doesn’t usually occur without some type of negligent behavior.

However, fault could be shared in certain cases, such as when the other vehicle was parked illegally. It’s best to consult with an experienced attorney after hitting a parked car to better understand your rights and obligations.