Making a car insurance claim for a hit and run incident

If you have comprehensive car insurance, you will be covered.

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Peta Taylor

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Key takeaways

  • If someone hit your car and didn't stick around to deal with the damages, your comprehensive car insurance can cover you.
  • You'll have to pay your excess to make a claim.
  • Your insurance will likely go up afterwards.

Does car insurance cover a hit and run?

If you have comprehensive car insurance and someone has hit your car and left the scene, yes this can be covered. You will only be covered if you have comprehensive insurance, other types of car insurance don't cover this.

How does comprehensive insurance cover hit and runs?

Comprehensive car insurance includes coverage for accidental damage. This means that damage from a hit and run will fall under this category and you'll be covered.

Given comprehensive is the only type of cover to offer this benefit, you won't be covered if you only hold a third party policy. This includes, CTP, third party property damage or third party fire and theft.

Will I have to pay my excess for a hit and run?

Yes. Even though you're not technically at fault, most insurers have a caveat that you have to pay your excess if you can't list the at-fault driver. Given the at fault driver has fled the scene, that leaves you with the bill for the excess. You can try talking to your insurer about this but it's highly likely that you'll have to pay in order to make a claim.

What to do if someone hits your car and drives away

Whether your mirror has been sideswiped or your car has been dented in a carpark, any kind of damage to your car is a real pain, especially if you don't know who the culprit is. Luckily, this is where insurance comes into play. Here's what to do.

  1. Document as much as you can. Take note of where it happened, what time it was and the damage you're seeing. Taking photos of the damage can be a great way to support your claim.
  2. Understand your excess. Given you'll likely have to pay your excess, it can be good to check what it is before deciding if you want to make a claim. For example, if your excess is $2,000 but the damage to your car is just a small scratch and would cost you less to repair it yourself - you might decide it's not making a claim.
  3. File your claim as soon as possible. Once you've decided to file your claim, get on it quick. The sooner you file the claim, the sooner your insurer can sort the damage. Logon to their website and follow the prompts.

FAQs

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Peta Taylor is a publisher at Finder, working across all of insurance. She's been analysing product disclosure statements and publishing articles for over 2 years. Peta is passionate about demystifying complex insurance products to help users make well educated decisions with confidence. Peta is part of Finder's insurance awards team and works alongside editorial and insights experts to bring users the best insurance products every year. See full bio

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