If someone hits my car, whose insurance do I call?

Being involved in a car accident is a dreadful experience. It’s horrifying while the collision is happening, and the process of resolving it can be incredibly frustrating.

More than that, it can be confusing, especially if you’ve never dealt with someone hitting you before. You’ll find yourself asking, “Whose insurance do I call after an accident?” and wondering what you’re supposed to do after the smoke clears.

Trying to guess which steps to take and who to call can lead you into trouble, if you choose incorrectly.

Luckily, responding to an accident isn’t as hard as you might think. There are easy steps you can take to notify the proper parties.

Before you find yourself asking, “If someone hit my car, whose insurance do I call?” there’s a step you should have already taken: securing coverage on your car. If you need car insurance and want to see what rates might look like for you, enter your ZIP code into our free tool.

What should you do immediately after an accident?

The first step after a collision is to ensure that everyone is safely removed from harm’s way. Then, you should remove every vehicle involved in the accident from the path of other drivers.

Afterward, you should call the police and file a report. It doesn’t matter if someone hit you while you were driving or ran into your parked car — you’ll still need a police report.

Next, exchange information with the person or people involved in the accident. You should get information from any driver who came into contact with your vehicle. Obtain as much information as possible, but make sure to collect the following facts:

• Other drivers’ names, addresses, and other contact information
• Driver’s licenses and plate numbers
• The name of the insurance company for each driver

You can take pictures of damage your vehicle sustained, but ensure that you do it in a safe spot. If witnesses were present who weren’t involved in the accident, obtain their contact information.

Finally, you should call your insurance agent (or use a website or mobile app) to inform them that your car was hit.

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Do you need to contact your insurance for an accident that wasn’t your fault?

You should always contact your insurance company after an accident if there is even a remote chance that you’ll want to make a claim.

When you contact your company, you create a record of the incident and begin the claims process. If you have policy add-ons like roadside assistance, your agent can assist you.

It’s essential to contact your insurance agent if the other person was not clearly at fault or if they are insisting that they weren’t. Your company will review your report and the police report and then contact the other insurance company.

From there, both companies will work together to determine who was responsible for the collision.

Should you call the other person’s insurance company?

If the other driver admits fault, you might be wondering, “Should I call the other person’s insurance company?” You can file a third-party claim with the other insurance company. In this case, the at-fault driver’s liability coverage will pay for damages.

While you don’t necessarily have to, you should still consider telling your insurance provider that you were in an accident and that you’re filing a third-party claim.

Whose insurance pays for the damage?

The person on the hook for damages (and therefore the one facing a hike in their insurance price) is the at-fault driver.

Nearly every state requires a minimum level of liability coverage for these situations. If the other driver is at fault, their liability should pay for the damage to your vehicle.

However, just because it’s the law doesn’t mean everyone has insurance. What happens if a driver hits you without insurance?

Underinsured and Uninsured Motorist Insurance

If the at-fault driver has inadequate insurance, you’ll be left with a banged-up car and a hefty repair bill. There are options for personal insurance that can eliminate (or at least lessen) the dangers of uninsured motorists.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is one of those options. Most states don’t require this add-on; therefore, not everyone has it. However, purchasing this coverage can potentially save you thousands of dollars.

Collision Coverage

Another type of insurance that can protect you from uninsured motorists is collision coverage. As part of a full-coverage suite, collision protects your car from damage caused by an accident. The best part is that it doesn’t matter who is at fault.

Collision will also cover damage to your car if no other vehicles were involved, for instance if you smashed into a tree during a stormy night.

While not legally required by most states, you probably need to have collision if you don’t outright own your car.

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What happens if someone hits your car and you don’t have insurance?

Are you wondering, “If someone hits my car and I don’t have insurance, what should I do?”  If so, you should first consider getting insurance. Cars are legally required to have insurance (except in New Hamshire) to be able to drive on public roads.

It’s imperative that you get insurance for your vehicle if you plan on driving it. You can’t even park your car on a public street without insurance; it has to be stored in a garage or other structure.

You can find inexpensive insurance by obtaining the minimum coverage required by your state. If you’re interested in more coverage, consider getting comprehensive and collision.

In America, traffic incidents rose over ten percent in 2020, meaning that the road is a dangerous place.

If the other driver is at fault, their insurance will still cover your damages; however, you may see a limit on the amount that they’ll pay since you shouldn’t have been driving at all.

If you’re at fault, your license might be suspended, fined, and even jailed. Plus, the person you hit might decide to sue you.

While it might be tempting to drive without insurance, you shouldn’t even go around the block without it. If someone hits you, you might be the driver in trouble if you don’t have insurance.

Find the Best Car Insurance Today

You can avoid driving without insurance by signing up for a policy today. You can also protect yourself from the dangers of uninsured motorists by adding collision or underinsured motorist protection to your plan.

If you want to protect your vehicle in all situations, stop wondering, “If someone hits my car, whose insurance do I call?” and start shopping for insurance quotes. Enter your ZIP code into our free tool to see what rates might look like for you.

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