What to Do if Someone Scratches Your Parked Car

There’s nothing more frustrating than walking out of your favorite coffee shop to find that your car was sideswiped while you were inside. If you don’t know what to do when someone hits your parked car, Geico, State Farm, and other major carriers have coverage that can get you the repairs you need. However, you should always think twice about filing a claim for a hit-and-run accident as such a claim would only be covered by your collision insurance coverage.

Even if you have affordable auto insurance, knowing what to do if someone scratches your parked car can help you save money down the line and keep your claim history clean.

If you don’t know what to do if someone scratches your car while parked and leaves the scene, keep reading for more great tips. If your rates have risen after filing a collision claim and you don’t know what to do if someone scratches your car while parked, get auto insurance quotes to find a cheaper policy.

Enter your ZIP code to get free auto insurance quotes if you’re facing higher rates and don’t know what to do if someone scratches your car while parked.

Who should drivers call after a hit and run?

No matter where you are when you discover that you were the victim of a hit and run, you should call the police to file a report and tell them, “Someone scratched my car and didn’t leave a note.” This will at least get the incident down on paper and make filing your claim easier.

After you’ve called the police and let them know what happened, you should also look for any people in the area. Ask them if they witnessed what happened. If your car was scratched in a shopping center, you may be able to request some of the stores’ security camera footage.

Hit-and-run incidents can happen anywhere, but if you live in any of the cities listed below that have high crime rates, you may want to consider purchasing a car cover to give your vehicle just that much more protection:

City	Rank	Theft Rate	Total Thefts	Theft 3yr Change	Violent Crime Rate	Poverty Rate	Unemployment Rate	Unemployment 3yr Change
Albuquerque, NM	1	1,181	6,616	27.7%	1,365	15.2%	4.8%	-3.4%
Oakland, CA	2	1,179	5,071	-20.6%	1,274	15.3%	6.8%	-0.8%
Portland, OR	3	1,055	6,932		520	14.7%	4.5%	-2.7%
San Bernardino, CA	4	1,006	2,194	-27.3%	1,333	22.7%	11.5%	-4.0%
Anchorage, AK	5	967	2,823	144.6%	1,310	9.9%	5.7%	0.1%
Detroit, MI	6	961	6,454	23.7%	2,008	34.5%	15.8%	-5.7%
St. Louis, MO	7	896	2,750	-12.6%	1,800	20.3%	7.0%	-5.0%
Springfield, MO	8	872	1,470	17.4%	1,316	22.3%	5.0%	-1.1%
Tacoma, WA	9	870	1,877	-7.1%	867	14.9%	4.9%	-2.8%
Hayward, CA	10	845	1,376	-0.9%	411	6.0%	3.3%	-3.7%
Tulsa, OK	11	808	3,259	22.9%	1,065	19.5%	6.8%	1.2%
Chattanooga, TN	12	789	1,424	62.2%	1,048	16.7%	4.0%	-3.7%
Salinas, CA	13	774	1,227	-36.5%	619	13.6%	4.6%	-2.0%
Des Moines, IA	14	772	243	33.5%	353	14.6%	4.4%	-2.5%
Cleveland, OH	15	772	2,970		1,450	33.1%	12.5%	-6.0%
Milwaukee, WI	16	770	4,589	-37.8%	1,413	25.0%	6.3%	-4.3%
Spokane, WA	17	769	1,678	-3.9%	798	18.0%	4.3%	-2.2%
New Orleans, LA	18	755	2,994	19.0%	1,163	26.2%	7.0%	-3.3%
St. Paul, MN	19	741	2,296	31.4%	627	18.7%	4.7%	-2.8%
Salt Lake City, UT	20	737	1,493	-32.1%	730	17.4%	4.0%	-1.9%
San Jose, CA	21	736	7,704	10.0%	424	8.4%	4.5%	-2.2%
Denver, CO	22	732	5,275	20.8%	730	12.2%	3.2%	-1.4%
Baltimore, MD	23	723	4,375	-20.8%	1,833	22.2%	7.6%	-4.2%
Bakersfield, CA	24	720	2,777	16.0%	491	17.8%	8.7%	0.0%
Newark, NJ	25	714	2,015		733	27.8%	11.7%	-3.6%
Dallas, TX	26	709	9,660	27.2%	765	18.5%	5.2%	-1.4%
Wichita, KS	27	708	2,773	35.6%	1,180	16.6%	6.7%	-0.2%
Memphis, TN	28	682	4,450	63.2%	1,943	24.6%	8.5%	-1.4%
Pomona, CA	29	671	1,030	-18.0%	571	20.2%	6.0%	-5.9%
Atlanta, GA	30	667	3,308	-22.7%	769	19.3%	6.6%	-3.6%
Omaha, NE	31	665	3,123	22.8%	560	13.0%	4.4%	-1.5%
Stockton, CA	32	656	2,054	3.3%	1,400	19.3%	6.6%	-7.3%
Jackson, MS	33	636	1,056	5.2%		23.8%	12.6%	1.2%
Vancouver, WA	34	606	1,076	23.5%	461	13.2%	6.0%	-3.2%
Aurora, CO	35	593	2,210	75.3%	728	10.7%	4.6%	-1.9%
Moreno Valley, CA	36	577	1,206	3.9%	371	14.5%	9.0%	-5.8%
Mesquite, TX	37	570	824	-4.2%	396	11.0%	3.8%	-2.4%
Knoxville, TN	38	569	1,074	42.1%	799	23.8%	4.3%	-2.8%
Sacramento, CA	39	569	2,883	-1.4%	657	15.6%	8.2%	-1.9%
Dayton, OH	40	567	795	16.4%	922	30.7%	11.4%	-4.7%
Ontario, CA	41	565	1,003	-5.9%	377	13.1%	7.1%	-1.7%
Indianapolis, IN	42	564	4,947	-0.9%	1,273	17.5%	6.3%	-2.6%
Little Rock, AR	43	562	1,120	22.3%	1,446	14.7%	2.9%	-3.2%
Riverside, CA	44	557	1,845	5.2%	509	12.8%	7.3%	-4.9%
Oklahoma City, OK	45	556	3,630	25.3%	867	15.8%	4.6%	-1.5%
Modesto, CA	46	555	1,198	-31.0%	882	12.6%	8.2%	-6.5%
Seattle, WA	47	544	4,042	4.2%	680	11.1%	3.8%	-0.4%
Salem, OR	48	522	898	26.3%	418	16.3%	4.9%	-4.1%
Thornton, CO	49	520	726	18.0%	271	8.2%	3.7%	-1.5%
Minneapolis, MN	50	511	2,190	27.5%	793	18.3%	4.1%	-2.2%
Houston, TX	51	510	11,949	-11.9%	1,026	20.6%	6.2%	-0.3%
Colorado Springs, CO	52	509	2,399	38.9%	555	12.8%	6.0%	-1.1%
Montgomery, AL	53	489	972	31.2%	612	23.4%	5.0%	-5.5%
North Las Vegas, NV	54	486	1,199	23.7%	966	15.3%	7.1%	-1.9%
Long Beach, CA	55	484	2,279	-19.5%	698	16.6%	6.4%	-3.5%
Las Vegas, NV	56	483	7,949	0.6%	605	14.5%	5.8%	-4.4%
Tucson, AZ	57	478	2,568	33.1%	737	22.1%	8.3%	-1.5%
Fort Lauderdale, FL	58	478	870	8.3%	552	18.8%	7.7%	-2.2%
San Francisco, CA	59	474	4,217	-39.0%	691	10.0%	3.6%	-2.5%
Phoenix, AZ	60	473	7,815	6.0%	733	16.8%	5.5%	-2.7%
Santa Ana, CA	61	462	1,549	-17.0%	468	15.4%	4.7%	-2.7%
Lancaster, CA	62	454	730	47.8%	742	17.2%	4.9%	-5.1%
Amarillo, TX	63	453	910	16.2%	807	13.7%	3.5%	-0.1%
Nashville, TN	64	449	3,082		1,113	14.6%	3.9%	-2.4%
Fresno, CA	65	445	2,365	-21.0%	555	23.7%	9.2%	-2.5%
Mobile, AL	66	442	1,084	78.0%	657	20.8%	4.0%	-4.2%
Columbus, OH	67	439	3,918	25.9%	495	19.8%	5.0%	-1.1%
Cincinnati, OH	68	434	1,310	12.9%	840	27.7%	5.7%	-7.6%
Los Angeles, CA	69	430	17,316	7.2%	748	17.4%	6.2%	-2.8%
Honolulu, HI	70	427	4,191	8.3%	250	10.3%	3.2%	-0.9%
Orlando, FL	71	425	1,219	3.3%	796	18.2%	5.5%	-1.4%
Shreveport, LA	72	425	811	41.0%	832	29.3%	8.5%	1.0%
Baton Rouge, LA	73	423	950	92.3%	920	27.0%	9.2%	2.0%
Fontana, CA	74	422	903	-12.4%	331	13.4%	7.3%	-2.0%
Glendale, AZ	75	422	1,054	0.5%	467	16.7%	5.8%	-1.2%
Reno, NV	76	416	1,050	2.8%	648	12.7%	5.2%	-2.6%
Bridgeport, CT	77	407	598	-4.5%	644	20.4%	12.0%	-2.5%
Tallahassee, FL	78	399	767	-20.8%	730	23.6%	7.5%	-4.8%
San Antonio, TX	79	396	6,089	-1.4%	627	17.3%	5.0%	-2.1%
Anaheim, CA	80	387	1,373	-17.7%	336	15.9%	4.8%	-1.5%
Chicago, IL	81	373	10,132	-0.9%	1,006	18.6%	8.3%	-2.6%
Hollywood, FL	82	367	570	7.5%	233	11.5%	6.3%	-0.7%
Akron, OH	83	363	718	19.9%	862	22.5%	7.7%	-1.1%
Washington, DC	84	363	2,549	-20.2%	941	16.6%	6.4%	-2.5%
San Diego, CA	85	361	5,182	1.7%	373	13.1%	5.8%	-1.5%
Philadelphia, PA	86	358	5,680	12.8%	909	25.7%	9.2%	-3.6%
Syracuse, NY	87	354	506	60.1%	703	32.4%	11.5%	1.0%
Garden Grove, CA	88	350	612	-5.7%	290	15.3%	2.8%	-5.1%
Corona, CA	89	348	591	26.8%	155	9.7%	4.3%	-2.9%
Miami, FL	90	348	1,644	-28.5%	630	22.7%	7.3%	-1.3%
Garland, TX	91	345	827	9.7%	275	15.2%	5.7%	-3.6%
Buffalo, NY	92	338	874	-10.6%	1,043	29.6%	8.2%	-0.3%
Fullerton, CA	93	337	475	1.7%	235	14.3%	6.8%	-1.0%
Fort Worth, TX	94	333	2,972	31.6%	501	12.9%	5.0%	-1.4%
Jacksonville, FL	95	326	2,941	27.0%	596	15.1%	6.4%	-2.1%
Charlotte, NC	96	325	3,025	35.7%		12.4%	4.5%	-4.7%
Lexington, KY	97	323	1,051	5.2%	302	16.6%	4.8%	-1.7%
Norfolk, VA	98	322	788	103.6%	464	20.0%	7.1%	-2.1%
Escondido, CA	99	319	488	-19.5%	350	12.0%	3.4%	-2.6%
Palmdale, CA	100	318	503	10.5%	374	17.6%	7.5%	-3.9%
Eugene, OR	101	317	542	-0.9%	387	19.0%	5.3%	-0.6%
Arlington, TX	102	309	1,238	41.0%	445	15.7%	4.2%	-2.5%
Providence, RI	103	306	552	1.1%	455	22.3%	7.6%	-3.5%
Rockford, IL	104	306	447	-8.4%	1,386	19.6%	12.0%	-1.5%
Durham, NC	105	303	829	35.9%		17.1%	4.8%	-1.1%
Sioux Falls, SD	106	302	544	29.8%	437	8.5%	3.3%	-1.6%
Paterson, NJ	107	300	441		733	25.8%	4.6%	-2.0%
Irving, TX	108	295	720	19.6%	209	11.6%	4.4%	-1.5%
Hialeah, FL	109	293	709	-1.5%	220	22.5%	3.9%	-3.8%
Fremont, CA	110	287	683	-2.8%	211	4.4%	4.2%	-1.2%
Tempe, AZ	111	285	538	49.9%	484	22.1%	5.1%	-0.6%
St. Petersburg, FL	112	281	746	-51.0%	624	13.9%	5.1%	-1.3%
Corpus Christi, TX	113	279	916	78.6%	757	14.5%	5.3%	-0.4%
Newport News, VA	114	276	494	22.6%	527	17.6%	6.6%	-1.5%
Rochester, NY	115	276	573	-21.9%	778	32.3%	9.5%	-4.7%
Springfield, MA	116	275	427	-29.3%	989	27.9%	9.4%	-4.7%
Savannah, GA	117	271	656	-41.6%	405	21.0%	6.0%	-7.3%
Oceanside, CA	118	262	465	-0.4%	377	10.5%	5.8%	0.5%
Austin, TX	119	261	2,538	8.9%	382	13.1%	3.5%	-0.9%
Bellevue, WA	120	259	380	71.9%	132	6.5%	3.5%	-2.4%
Toledo, OH	121	257	708	-21.3%	848	24.5%	9.3%	-1.3%
Chula Vista, CA	122	251	688	-15.7%	304	11.5%	10.5%	0.6%
Grand Prairie, TX	123	246	484	-1.6%	252	9.8%	4.1%	-1.3%
Pittsburgh, PA	124	241	729	21.3%	579	20.2%	5.4%	-2.6%
Alexandria, VA	125	238	387	51.8%	160	11.7%	3.3%	-0.5%
Waco, TX	126	238	328	110.3%	636	24.3%	6.5%	0.1%
Charleston, SC	127	237	325	14.4%	303	11.7%	2.5%	-3.7%
Greensboro, NC	128	232	679	26.0%		16.8%	6.6%	-0.1%
Sunnyvale, CA	129	227	353	19.3%	164	6.3%	4.1%	-0.9%
Pasadena, TX	130	224	345	-37.8%	441	18.6%	10.5%	3.1%
Jersey City, NJ	131	223	603		456	14.5%	5.3%	-4.0%
Santa Rosa, CA	132	222	392	-12.7%	467	10.0%	4.2%	-1.9%
Rancho Cucamonga, CA	133	222	398	-8.9%	162	6.6%	5.0%	-2.1%
Clarksville, TN	134	220	344	109.8%	666	14.2%	5.8%	-1.7%
Henderson, NV	135	220	681	28.5%	188	8.3%	4.5%	-3.4%
Pasadena, CA	136	213	306	-5.3%	381	13.2%	3.2%	-2.0%
Orange, CA	137	213	300	-15.7%	113	14.4%	3.1%	-5.3%
Madison, WI	138	206	532	113.7%	404	18.7%	2.8%	-1.7%
Fort Wayne, IN	139	205	548	65.1%	383	15.8%	6.0%	-1.9%
Miramar, FL	140	193	276	20.0%	235	10.4%	4.7%	-4.1%
Torrance, CA	141	193	283	-10.7%	182	8.3%	5.0%	-0.8%
Worcester, MA	142	183	340	-14.1%	683	22.4%	4.5%	-4.9%
Overland Park, KS	143	177	343	-34.0%	227	5.1%	3.0%	-1.4%
Mesa, AZ	144	171	863	4.6%	364	15.0%	4.6%	-1.9%
Killeen, TX	145	168	249	43.1%	390	15.5%	8.6%	0.7%
Boston, MA	146	166	1,154	-9.8%	622	18.7%	5.9%	-2.1%
Huntington Beach, CA	147	152	310	-16.9%	211	9.2%	4.0%	-0.7%
Pembroke Pines, FL	148	139	240	12.7%	181	8.3%	4.8%	-2.4%
Santa Clarita, CA	149	136	295	-1.0%	135	9.7%	4.9%	-2.2%
Grand Rapids, MI	150	135	270	-7.2%	655	15.8%	6.0%	-1.9%
Glendale, CA	151	130	266	-24.6%	99	16.5%	5.4%	-3.5%
Plano, TX	152	129	373	37.1%	139	5.1%	2.7%	-3.0%
Virginia Beach, VA	153	128	577	32.6%	117	8.0%	4.0%	-1.3%
Chesapeake, VA	154	128	310	-4.9%	404	9.5%	4.8%	-2.4%
Peoria, AZ	155	128	217	5.9%	228	6.6%	4.4%	-1.7%
Chandler, AZ	156	124	317	23.8%	237	8.1%	4.2%	-0.9%
Olathe, KS	157	123	171	-14.1%	219	4.1%	3.0%	-1.5%
El Paso, TX	158	119	817	2.4%	371	19.3%	6.6%	-1.3%
Tampa, FL	159	117	460	-22.8%	407	18.6%	5.5%	-3.3%
Boise, ID	160	115	264	-1.5%	277	13.5%	3.9%	-1.3%
Fort Collins, CO	161	108	181	-23.9%	233	17.0%	5.9%	0.1%
Scottsdale, AZ	162	107	272	41.7%	166	7.8%	3.1%	-1.4%
Elk Grove, CA	163	102	179	-24.5%	237	7.7%	5.5%	-2.9%
Cape Coral, FL	164	95	178	27.1%	142	10.3%	7.9%	1.5%
Joliet, IL	165	92	137	15.1%	327	9.0%	5.2%	-1.4%
McKinney, TX	166	82	156	-1.9%	152	7.9%	3.0%	-2.3%
Yonkers, NY	167	77	157	-42.5%	348	15.4%	5.6%	-3.6%
Brownsville, TX	168	75	139	-2.8%	376	28.1%	5.2%	-1.9%
Frisco, TX	169	73	138	155.6%	87	4.8%	3.2%	-0.8%
Irvine, CA	170	69	198	-1.5%	56	12.7%	3.7%	-2.0%
New York, NY	171	65	5,534	-25.1%	541	18.0%	6.4%	-1.8%
Laredo, TX	172	64	169	-45.7%	337	27.2%	3.6%	-2.6%
Gilbert, AZ	173	61	152	10.9%	95	5.6%	3.0%	-2.5%
Aurora, IL	174	61	122	-23.7%	267	10.5%	5.1%	-2.2%
McAllen, TX	175	38	55	-50.5%	85	21.4%	5.7%	-3.6%
Port St. Lucie, FL	176	37	72	-15.3%	113	6.7%	3.9%	-4.1%
Cary, NC	177	36	62	12.7%		5.6%	2.5%	-1.7%
Naperville, IL	178	26	39	18.2%	69	2.9%	3.8%	-1.3%

Again, property damage can happen at any time and any place, but knowing how to protect yourself and your vehicle can help you reduce the chances of it happening to you.

Of course, if it does happen to you, gathering all the evidence will make the call to your insurance company that much easier.

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

 Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Should drivers contact their insurance company after a hit and run?

There’s nothing more frustrating than having to ask your auto insurance company about what to do if someone scratches your car while parked because the answer is hardly ever satisfactory to most drivers.

If you want your insurance company to help you get your car fixed after experiencing a hit and run, you’ll need to file a collision claim.

Of course, if, after taking your car to a mechanic, you are told that the cost to fix your car is more than your deductible, you could choose to file a claim with your insurance company. If your collision deductible is more than the cost to get your car fixed, you can simply pay out of pocket and not file a claim at all.

My car was hit while parked, will my insurance go up?

Unfortunately, filing a claim does increase the odds of your insurance rates rising — even if you were the victim of a hit and run. Take a look at how high rates can increase if you just have one accident on your record:

Average Annual Auto Insurance Rate Increase After One Accident

Companies	Average Annual Rates with a Clean Record	Average Annual Rates With One Accident
Allstate	$3,819.90	$4,987.68
American Family	$2,693.61	$3,722.75
Farmers	$3,460.60	$4,518.73
Geico	$2,145.96	$3,192.77
Liberty Mutual	$4,774.30	$6,204.78
Nationwide	$2,746.18	$3,396.95
Progressive	$3,393.09	$4,777.04
State Farm	$2,821.18	$3,396.01
Travelers	$3,447.69	$4,289.74
USAA	$1,933.68	$2,516.24

If you’re concerned about your auto insurance rates, knowing what to do if someone scratches your car while parked can keep your finances in a secure position. Of course, if the damage to your vehicle needs to be repaired and the cost of the repairs is higher than your deductible, you should review your policy to make sure that every discount you are eligible for has been applied to it.

You can refer back to this list of common discounts to make sure that you aren’t missing out on any money-saving opportunities:

• Multi-car
• Multi-policy
• Low annual mileage
• Good student
• Defensive driving course
• Customer loyalty
• Anti-theft device
• Daytime running lights
• Paid-in-full
• E-billing

Most insurance companies offer discounts like these so you can find easy ways to save money. Of course, you can also raise your deductible to lower your rates, but it would be wise to keep your deductibles at a level that is affordable to you in case you ever do need to file a comprehensive or collision claim.

Someone Scratched Your Parked Car: What You Need to Know

With all this information in hand, you’ll know exactly what to do the next time someone scratches your car and drives off.

Utilizing the discounts offered by your insurance company and refraining from filing claims that are less than your deductible can keep your bank account very happy.

If you don’t want to have to find a cheaper company to buy auto insurance, knowing what to do if someone scratches your car while parked can help you stay with the company you like and keep your rates low.

Now that you know what to do if someone scratches your car while parked, enter your ZIP code below to get free auto insurance quotes from insurance companies near your city.

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

 Secured with SHA-256 Encryption