Quick answer (40–60 words)

If someone hits your parked car in the UK, take photos, look for a note or witnesses, and report the incident to the police as soon as possible if you can’t get the driver’s details. Then notify your insurer or consider a non-fault coordinator to arrange recovery and like-for-like replacement if you need one quickly.

1. First 10 minutes — the evidence checklist (what to do immediately)

When someone hits your parked car, your actions in the first few minutes strongly affect the success of any later claim. Follow this checklist in order:

• Photograph everything — close-ups of the damage, the whole car, the location (bay lines, signs), the registration plate of any other vehicle, and the surrounding scene. Time-stamp if your phone allows it.
• Look for a note — check windscreens, under wipers and nearby. If there’s a note, photograph it and copy the details (name, number, insurer, reg).
• Find witnesses — ask people nearby; get names and phone numbers and a short note of what they saw. Witnesses are powerful evidence.
• Check for CCTV or dashcams — nearby businesses, estate cameras or other drivers’ dashcams may have recorded the event. Make a note of where to request footage.
• Don’t admit fault or promise cash on the spot. Avoid agreeing to pay without getting details — it can complicate later insurance action.
• If it’s clear the driver left details, exchange information calmly and take photos of their note. If you can’t find anyone or there is no note, report it to the police as soon as possible. Police guidance is clear: if you can’t exchange details at the scene you must report the collision — see official Police advice. (See guidance from Police.uk.)

Remember: someone hit my parked car uk — quick evidence collection is the first line of defence.

2. If the driver left a note — practical steps

If there’s a note with contact/insurer details, do these:

• Photograph the note and the other vehicle (if still present).
• Exchange names, addresses, registration numbers and insurer details. Confirm a phone number you can call.
• Tell the other party you will report to your insurer. Keep the interaction calm and factual — no apologies or admissions.
• Even if a note is left, keep your photos and any witnesses. Your insurer or the other driver’s insurer will ask for evidence. Citizens Advice explains how to make a claim if the accident wasn’t your fault and what credit-hire options exist. (See Citizens Advice.)

Key line to remember: if someone hit my parked car uk, a written note plus photos and witness details often makes a non-fault claim straightforward — but always record everything.

3. Hit-and-run: reporting to police and getting a crime reference

When there’s no note and no driver, you’re in a hit-and-run situation. In this case:

• Report to the police immediately — use 101 or your local online reporting tool for damage-only incidents. Keep the crime reference number for your insurer. Police guidance explains when to report and how to do it. (See Police.uk: Road collisions and incidents.)
• Ask for CCTV/ANPR recovery — tell the police where you parked and any nearby cameras. They can log requests to retrieve footage.
• Preserve evidence — don’t wash the car; keep all photos and notes safe.

Making the report helps your insurance claim and creates an official record. In many hit-and-run cases the police can retrieve CCTV that identifies the vehicle — it’s a crucial step when someone hit my parked car uk and drove off.

4. Insurance choices — how to claim and what to expect

Once you’ve secured evidence and a police reference (if needed), you’ll face choices:

• Option A — Claim via the at-fault driver’s insurer
  If you have the other driver’s details, you (or your insurer) can claim directly against their insurer. This avoids using your no-claims discount, if accepted.
• Option B — Claim via your own insurer
  Faster in some cases for repairs or replacement, but your premium may be affected depending on your policy and circumstances. Always check policy terms.
• Option C — Credit hire / replacement vehicle via third-party coordinator
  When the crash is non-fault and you need a replacement (especially crucial for taxi/PHV drivers), a credit-hire company or coordinator can supply a like-for-like vehicle and recover costs from the at-fault insurer. Citizens Advice explains credit hire vs other options. (See Citizens Advice on credit hire.)

Decide based on evidence strength, urgency and the likely effect on premiums. If you need help arranging recovery or a like-for-like replacement, a coordinator can help manage the process while you focus on work and life.

Useful note: increasing fraud in staged collisions (so-called “crash for cash”) has changed insurers’ behaviour — they often request stronger proof. The Insurance Fraud Bureau and insurers like Allianz have warned about these scams and recommend dashcams and CCTV when possible. (See Insurance Fraud Bureau and Allianz insight.)

5. Special guidance for taxi, PHV and delivery drivers

If your vehicle is your livelihood, time off road costs money. Steps to prioritise:

• Document everything fast — taxi plates or PHV licences can require immediate notification to TfL or local licensing — keep copies ready.
• Ask about like-for-like hire — for taxi drivers a replacement must be licenced and meet local emissions rules (ULEZ etc.). Replacement options matter more for professional drivers.
• Keep an earnings record — if you lose days of work, keep a log and receipts; this helps later loss-of-earnings enquiries.

If someone hit my parked car uk while it was licensed for hire, prioritise recovery and replacement so income disruption is minimised. A coordinator with a fleet network can shorten downtime.

6. Fraud, safety and how to protect yourself

Scammers sometimes stage incidents or use mopeds to engineer collisions. Protect yourself by:

• Using a dashcam — solid, time-stamped footage deters fraud and supports claims.
• Avoiding confrontation — if someone seems aggressive or the scene is suspicious, move to a safe place and call the police.
• Securing CCTV quickly — contact nearby businesses to request footage and log the request with police.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau and parliamentary research briefings have highlighted the rise in staged scams; keeping strong evidence reduces the risk of being wrongly accused or dragged into fraud disputes. (See IFB: Annual Report 2024 and Parliament research).

What happens next — timeline and expectations

After you report and claim:

• Short term (0–7 days): police reference issued (if hit-and-run), recovery or tow arranged if needed, initial insurer contact.
• Medium term (1–4 weeks): repair quotes, insurer liability decision, replacement vehicle arranged if needed.
• Longer term: repair completion or total-loss settlement; if the at-fault insurer disputes the claim, it may take longer — keep records of all communication.

If things stall, you may need to escalate with your insurer or ask a coordinator to help chase third parties and obtain quotes. It’s normal for varying timelines — keep calm and follow the documentation steps above to protect your position.

Illustrative vignette (short, anonymised)

A lone commuter returned to a supermarket car park to find a scrape across their rear bumper and no note. They photographed the scene, asked the shop manager for CCTV, and reported the incident to police within an hour. The CCTV identified the other vehicle; the insurer accepted the claim and recovery was arranged. Small steps mattered: photos, CCTV request, and the police reference made the claim smoother.

Final checklist — what to do right now if someone hit your parked car uk

• Take photos (close and wide).
• Look for a note; write down any details.
• Get witness names and numbers.
• Ask nearby shops for CCTV and record camera locations.
• Report to police if no details were exchanged — keep the crime reference.
• Notify your insurer and keep copies of everything.
• Consider a coordinator for urgent recovery or like-for-like hire.

Conclusion — you can handle this, and you don’t have to go it alone

Finding damage to your parked car is upsetting. But small, clear steps — photographing damage, reporting to police when needed, preserving CCTV and making careful insurance choices — protect you from mistaken blame and speed the path back on the road. If you need help arranging recovery, storage or a replacement vehicle, we can coordinate these services across England. Call: 020 4577 1120 · WhatsApp: 07585 300 600.

FAQs (snippet-ready answers for AEO)