Each day, we use our vehicles to go to and from work, the store, visit friends and family, or go out for a meal. During this time, your vehicle is usually unattended when you are not driving it. Just imagine, leaving your vehicle and coming back to a bumper that has been hit by another vehicle. You look around you, and there is no vehicle that appears to have any damage to it.
Unfortunately, hit-and-run accidents are a common occurrence, and it can be frustrating when there is no concrete evidence of who might have caused the damage to your vehicle. The first thing you should do is some minor scene investigating. Central Insurance details a good response if you are to find your vehicle with damage from a hit-and-run accident. They say, “If you have a smart phone, get pictures of the damages to your vehicle at the scene. Look around the parking lot for surveillance cameras. Businesses often have them for safety reasons and generally have a video back up. If a surveillance camera recorded your accident, the video could assist the local authorities in identifying the at-fault party. Check with the business and see if you can get a copy of the video.”
The next step is to contact the police about the accident. For many insurance coverages to cover a hit-and-run accident, there needs to be a police report on file. Doing this as soon as possible will help speed up the claims process, and they also might be able to help find the at fault party as well. If there is a private security company that is monitoring the area, contacting them as well could help provide you with information about the accident.
Finally, give your insurance agent a call to discuss the hit-and-run, as they can help advise you on the next steps to get your vehicle repaired through your insurance coverage. In most states, collision coverage is required in order for a hit-and-run accident to be covered on your insurance. Talk to your independent insurance agent today to make sure you are covered in the event of a hit-and-run.