If I am in a car accident, do I call their insurance or mine?

Being in an accident  — or when your car is hit — is a stressful experience.

Whether you are at fault or not, it’s difficult to know what to do first. You are probably asking yourself, “What should I do right now?”

Insurance is another big worry. You may want the answer to several questions. Such as, “If my car was hit, whose insurance do I call? Should I file a claim with my auto insurance or theirs?” Or, “If someone hit my parked car, can I get reimbursed for the repairs?”

Knowing what to do, what your insurance covers, and who’s at fault are all part of understanding your car insurance policy. This guide is here to help. Keep reading to find out what to do if you’re in an accident and whose insurance you should call.

You can also get quotes from top car insurance companies in your area before you do anything else. Buy car insurance by entering your ZIP code in our free tool to find a top car insurance company near you.

What to Do if Your Car Is Hit

What do you do when someone hits your car?

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Assess the Scene

If you can get out of your car safely, do so. If you are in the middle of an intersection or there is traffic passing you, do not get out. Call the police, switch on your hazard lights and wait until help arrives.

Determine if anyone in your car has been injured. If you can, find out if there are any injuries to anyone in your car, the other vehicle, or anyone who may have been nearby the accident.

Do not attempt to move anyone who appears to have serious injuries. Wait for an ambulance to arrive.

If you can safely do so, move your car out of the roadway so you don’t disrupt traffic. Any other drivers involved in the accident should do the same.

Make sure everyone knows that you’re just moving out of the way of traffic so they don’t think you’re leaving the scene.

Don’t do this if there is significant damage to your car. If you cannot move out of the way of traffic, call the police.

If the accident has caused significant damage to property, including the vehicles and any surrounding property like fences, trees, buildings and so forth, call the police.

If you are not sure whether you should call the police or not, call. The dispatcher can help you determine if help is needed.

If you can, take pictures of the accident scene. Make notes about what happened. Your memory will begin to fade almost immediately, so write down as much as you can at the scene.

Exchange Contact Information

Give the other driver(s) your name, phone number and the name of your insurance company.

You do not need to give them your address, your driver’s license number or your registration, and doing so could put you at risk for identity theft.

Collect the name, phone number and insurance company name from each other driver involved in the accident.

When talking to the other driver(s), stay calm and reasonable. Do not blame anyone else, but don’t admit that you were responsible, either. The insurance companies will determine who is at fault.

If there were witnesses to the accident, get their names and phone numbers as well. Encourage them to stay at the scene until the police arrive so they can give statements.

Call Your Insurance Company

You will need to provide as much detail about the accident as you can. Do not try to determine whose fault the accident was. Simply give your insurance company the facts and any supporting documentation you have, like pictures or the police report.

Even if the other driver was clearly at fault, do not contact their insurance company. Your insurance company will do that.

The other driver’s insurance company may call you and interview you about what happened. Give them the facts of the accident, but don’t accept or place blame.

If the other driver is uninsured, let your insurance company know this.

While most insurance policies cover damage to the other person’s vehicle if you don’t live in a no-fault state, your policy may provide coverage for damage caused by uninsured drivers.

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Special Circumstances

If you are driving someone else’s car, notify the car’s owner. Their insurance should cover the damage since insurance is placed on the car, not the driver.

If another party is involved in the accident and they leave the scene before you can get their information, call the police.

Write down as much information as you can about their vehicle, like the make, model, and color of the car. If you can remember all or part of the license plate number, write that down as well.

If the police are not called, you may want to file an incident report with the local police department anyway. This may help your insurance company to evaluate your claim.

What about insurance after my car gets hit?

Most people are afraid to contact their insurance company after an accident because they think the insurance company may raise their rates or if the accident was their fault. No matter what, and no matter how minor you think the hit might be, always contact your insurance company.

If the other driver admits they were at fault, you can file a claim with their insurance company, called a third-party claim. The other driver’s liability policy will cover the cost of repairs to your car. You can also inform your insurance company that you filed a third-party claim.

What should I do if someone hit my car and drove off?

Most times you can identify the other person in a collision since they should stay to exchange information. Unfortunately, sometimes the other driver leaves the scene or you get to your parked car and see it’s been hit.

You can look to see if any witnesses saw the accident. If anyone saw what happened, write their contact information down so you have a chance of finding the driver. You may also check nearby businesses for any security camera footage.

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What type of insurance will protect me if my car is damaged?

The best type of insurance to have if you get hit is collision coverage. So what is collision coverage on car insurance?

The clue is in its name. Collision car insurance covers your car if it is damaged in an accident. If you have this kind of coverage, the insurance company will pay for the repairs in a covered accident.

Collision coverage can even help you if the other driver is at fault. If that driver’s insurance only goes up to the state’s minimum liability, your collision coverage kicks in. Your insurance company pays the balance for your car’s repairs.

You may be curious as to how much collision coverage will cost. Here is an average of what you could expect to pay annually for collision car insurance.

Average Annual Collision Car Insurance Rates by State

As you can see, it can be pretty affordable, especially if you shop around and compare quotes online.

After Your Claim is Settled

If you have an accident, and particularly if the accident is determined to be your fault, your insurance premium may go up.

If that happens, it may be a good idea to compare policies before your next renewal to make sure you are getting the best possible price for your insurance.

Any insurance company you purchase coverage from will know that you had the accident, but shopping around for the best price will help keep your costs as low as possible.

Need full coverage car insurance quotes? Enter your zip below and you’ll receive multiple quotes today for free!

Case Studies: Car Accidents and Insurance Claims

Case Study 1: John’s Car Accident

John was involved in a car accident where another driver rear-ended his vehicle at a red light. Despite the other driver being at fault, John knew he should call his own car insurance company. He contacted his insurance provider and provided all the necessary details about the accident, including photos and the police report.

Case Study 2: Sarah’s Hit-and-Run Incident

Sarah was a victim of a hit-and-run accident. The other driver fled the scene before she could gather their information. She immediately contacted the police to report the incident and filed an incident report with the local police department. Sarah then called her insurance company to inform them about the situation. They guided her through the claims process and helped her understand the options available to her.

Case Study 3: David’s Car Damage by an Uninsured Driver

David’s car was damaged by an uninsured driver. He promptly contacted his insurance company to report the incident and notified them about the uninsured status of the at-fault driver. His insurance policy included coverage for damage caused by uninsured drivers, so David’s insurance company took care of the repairs to his vehicle.

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Whose Insurance Do I Call? The Bottom Line

Hopefully, this guide has given you all the tools you need to know what to do when your car is hit.

Now that you have an idea of the steps to take after an accident, you can find affordable insurance. Our free tool makes it easy to check car insurance rates from top companies near you. Just enter your ZIP code now.

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