What to do if your Car is Damaged while Parked

When you park your car, the assumption is that it has been left in a secure place within the parking space lines. But what happens when your car has been damaged while parked?

In a society of increasingly large vehicles and the vast number of parking attempts away from the home – the RAC average this at 39 million parking acts at the end of a trip every day – it is perhaps not surprising that damage to a parked vehicle is becoming more frequent.

The Express, quoting an RAC survey in 2016, found over a third of drivers had their car pranged at least once, with the supermarket car park the most common location. The general consensus is that the driver affects sighs, and just gets on with it. But that doesn’t need to be the case.

At Winns, through our sister company On Hire, we can help limit the disruption to your day-to-day life, and work on your behalf to recover the costs of repairs from the third-party insurer, ensuring that you are not adversely affected if your car is hit while parked on the street or in another public location. Click here to find out more. 

Will my insurance go up if my car was damaged while parked?

If you were to make a car insurance repair claim after your parked car was hit, then you may well see a rise in your premium. An alternative option to going through your provider which could protect your no-claims discount, is to contact Winns, where we, through our sister company On Hire, will seek to recover any costs incurred for repair and the use of a credit hire vehicle from the third-party insurer. As long it is a non-fault claim – meaning you weren’t at fault for the accident – then we can provide a like-for-like replacement vehicle, organise repairs and get you back on the road, all without costing you anything, providing liability is accepted.

How do you make a claim for a car damaged while parked?

If your car is damaged while parked due to the negligence of the other driver, we can help you to make a claim; call Winns, before your insurer, now. To do this, simply call 0800 988 6288 or chat to an advisor using our Live Chat facility. Alternatively, you can request a call back for a time that suits you. Our expert team will guide you through the process and take the stress out of a difficult time post-accident.

What benefits are there to using Winns compared to using your insurance company?

Once you take the first step, Winns can get your non-fault vehicle repair claim up and running, making our service the better option in comparison to going with your insurer:

• Our team will sort a like-for-like replacement credit hire vehicle within four working hours of instruction
• We will ensure repairers use only genuine manufacturer parts in any repairs, protecting your warranty in the process 
• Our multi-discipline team will arrange all aspects of your claim, with legal support, repair logistics and any medical treatment required all provided with just one call

We will even notify your insurer for you so there's no hassle on your part, just the reassurance that a dedicated, expert team is handling all aspects of your claim.

Great service when contacting them to report initial claim. The gentleman was very helpful on the phone and answered any questions. Car was collected swiftly and hire car arranged for the next day…

Millie

If your car has been damaged while parked and it was not your fault, click here to make a claim.

FAQs about the claims process

Will claiming car hire affect my insurance?

After your car has been damaged while parked, and liability is accepted, then Winns can help avoid the disruption of being off-road by sorting you out with a credit hire vehicle. This won’t affect your insurance in any way as you are not making a claim through it. Opting to go with Winns will protect your no claims discount, providing it is a non-fault claim and that liability is accepted by the third party.

Do I need to have been in the car to make a claim?

In short, no. If your vehicle has been damaged as a result of the negligence of another driver, then you will be able to make a claim, providing liability is accepted by the third party.

What do you do if your car is damaged whilst parked?

If you're thinking "someone damaged my car while parked" then you should call Winns first to get the help and support you need. Once you make that call, our team will ask the relevant and pertinent questions with regards to starting your claim - this will include details of the scenario, damage caused and the circumstances - while swiftly seeking to arrange vehicle repair and to get you back on the road as quickly as possible.

Take photos of the damage and the layout of the accident scene as these will be helpful when progressing your claim. Then, let Winns take the strain and organise everything for you.

If you want more information, there is also a dedicated page on the Citizen Advice page if your vehicle has been involved in a non-fault accident.