So what happens if you are visiting friends, you park outside their house and when you go out to warm up your car the next morning, you have a flat tire and the back corner of your car is totally crunched? Unfortunately, contrary to the commercials on TV, there is no magic jingle that will make your local insurance agent appear and instantly repair the damage to your car.
This means that after you take a few deep breaths, the best thing to do is make some very important calls.
- Since you are not stranded on the side of the road somewhere (and assuming no one was hurt) it is not necessary to call 9-1-1, but it doesn’t hurt to still call the local police department to file an accident report.
- It is a good idea to check with neighbors to see if anyone saw the accident happen, any information that they can contribute will be good to include in the report and insurance claim. Hit-and-Run accidents are a serious offense!
- Call your Insurance Agent to report the accident! At this point, if you do not have collision coverage on your vehicle (and especially because the other vehicle is unknown), you will be unable to receive financial reimbursement for the repairs. If you do have collision coverage, you will likely be able to receive some financial compensation after an adjuster has been sent out to assess the damage and after your deductible.
- Call a tow truck or AAA. Depending on how bad the damage is, you may want to call a tow truck (check with your insurance agent to see if you have towing and labor on your policy to know whether the charges will be reimbursed) or call AAA to see if they can provide assistance in changing your tire or towing.
As frustrating as it can be, being a victim of a Hit-and-Run is just one of those things that you have to deal with (and maybe make something to eat while you wait for the appropriate parties to arrive – perhaps a cheese omelet with toast?). Having an agent on your side that is looking out for you, can make all the difference when it comes to dealing with these situations, especially when the damages totally weren’t even your fault to begin with! Call us today, 888-865-1244, to make sure that you have the appropriate coverage with your MA Car Insurance, before you have to utilize your policy!
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