What happens if someone scratches my car

Ask any witnesses to provide written statements for the accident report and include their name along with contact details. You will need to take your vehicle to a qualified auto body shop to have a written estimate prepared for the cost of fixing the scratches. If your car was parked in a parking garage or a pay parking lot, security personnel might be able to help, or it might have been caught on video camera, which will help police track down the driver.

If you return to your parked car to find its paint job damaged, you will be upset. There are many ways that someone could scratch your vehicle. They could hit it with a shopping cart, slam a car door against it, scrape it with a key, or hit it with something they were loading in their car.

As an example, at a home improvement store, it could be scraped with a piece of lumber or hit by a machine being loaded up next to your vehicle. You may have to take your vehicle in to a paint shop or auto body repair facility to have the scratch repaired.

These repairs could add up quickly depending on your vehicle make and model and the size of the scratch. While some scratches may cost a couple of hundred dollars to fix, larger and more severe scratches could cost much more.

If you will need to repair the damage because it is unattractive and because it can lead to more body issues with your vehicle later. You should start gathering evidence right away, and you will need to do an investigation into the incident yourself and try to gather supporting evidence and documentation for your claim. Here are some details regarding what you should do should you find yourself facing such a situation.

You may still be able to track down the culprit. John is able to maintain control of his vehicle, and they both pull over into the nearest gas station.

John gets the insurance information from the at-fault driver and is able to file a claim against the at-fault driver's insurance policy. Twelve states, including Michigan, have no-fault auto insurance laws. Not knowing how your vehicle was scratched could be a problem.

You can still file the claim and discuss the situation with the claim adjuster. Claim adjusters see so much damage that they may have a good idea of what caused the damage, just by looking at the scratches. Severe scratches are often caused by a collision. It will be up to the claim adjuster how to proceed. Considering doing the repair on your own? While it's ultimately a personal choice, seek the help of a licensed insurance agent who can guide you as to whether you are looking at a worthwhile claim for your given situation.

Scratches can range in severity and cost to repair. Get estimates from a body shop to determine how much repairs will cost. Keep your deductible in mind when deciding whether the scratch warrants a car insurance claim. Sometimes you are better off repairing the damage and not filing a claim at all.

State Farm. Insurance Information Institute. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Dents, scratches and other damages are the unfortunate side effects of parking in public places. Unfortunately, even a small dent or scratch can be expensive to repair. If you hit a parked vehicle, you should leave a note on the car with your information.

September 17, Mary Van Keuren. September 22, Lisa Melillo. June 5, Julian Dossett. May 5, Ashlee Tilford. Here are the steps you should take: Review the note Look at the note and check the information provided. Gather evidence Take photos of the damage and the note, if one was provided — your insurance company will need all the details possible to know how to proceed.

Contact the police to file a police report If the damage is more severe than a few scratches, contact the police to file an accident report. Notify your insurance company Gather your photos, police report and contact info for the person that left you a note and contact your insurance company. Scenario: I hit a parked car and left no damage If you hit another unattended vehicle, even if there is no damage, the right thing to do is to stop and leave a note with your contact information.

How to file a claim after someone hits your parked car The more information you can gather at the time the accident occurred, the better. Will insurance rates go up after someone hits your parked car?

This could be a good option especially for slight scratches and scuff marks. Sometimes, you can buff out these insignificant scratches as well. Though it may take a bit of time and hard work, this is one of the easiest ways to get rid of a small scratch on your car.

What if the scratches are not that small? There are some scratch repair kits on the market that may offer some help to you. You can learn how to remove scratches from car paint using these products. Your auto mechanic may also offer some insight into which product is best for your car based on the level of damage present.

When there is paint chipping, though, this may be less beneficial. These types of damages may require the help of a professional who can work to restore the paint coating. It is best to leave this to an expert. There are a few reasons to turn to a professional technician for deep scratch repair. For example, technicians can handle those areas where paint is missing.