At least 60% of Americans say they’ve arrived back at their parked vehicle only to realize it had been damaged by an unknown party. Unfortunately, those who have experienced a parked hit-and-run aren’t given the other driver’s information. What’s more? Those who say their vehicle was damaged were split on whether they should file a claim.
According to a recent survey by ValuePenguin of nearly 900 vehicle owners, 43% of Americans who said their car was damaged by another person never found out who did it.
Highlights:
- Nearly 60% of American vehicle owners say their vehicle has been damaged by another person while parked, most commonly by another car (44%) while parked in a garage or lot (66%).
- Of those whose parked vehicle was damaged, most (70%) say the other person didn’t leave a note with contact information. Additionally, 43% never found out who did it.
- Most (44%) say a moderate amount of damage — such as a large scrape or dent — was done, but those with damaged vehicles were split when it came to getting it fixed.
- Why not involve insurance? Those who didn’t file a claim cited two main reasons.They say there wasn’t enough damage to surpass the deductible (47%) and didn’t want their insurance rates to increase (42%).
- Consumers are more willing to involve insurance when they have the other driver’s information. 72% would file a claim to repair the damage if someone else damaged their vehicle and left a note, while only 43% would file a claim if they didn’t have the other driver’s information.
ValuePenguin’s Auto Insurance Expert, Divya Sangameshwar, had this to say:
“Not notifying the authorities and your insurer after a parked hit-and-run accident is a bad idea,” Sangameshwar says. “Your insurance company does more than just pay for the cost of damages — they’ll also provide you with legal protection if the other driver decides to sue. But they can only do so if you notify them of the incident and file a claim in a timely manner with the right documentation, including a police report.”