Key takeaways
- Photograph the damage and the surroundings before touching or moving the car.
- Look for a note from the driver, and for witnesses and cameras nearby.
- File a police report: insurers usually require one for vandalism.
- Check whether your policy covers vandalism, glass or damage by an unidentified third party.
You come back to your car and find a smashed window, a long scratch along the door, a dent with no note, or four flat tyres. It’s infuriating and often expensive. Whether it’s vandalism or a driver who hit your car and left, the steps are similar.
1. Check it’s safe, then record
If the window is broken, be careful with glass and check whether anything is missing from inside (if so, see also /blog/car-stolen-what-to-do/ for stolen items and documents). Then, before touching anything:
- Photograph every damage, up close and from a distance, with the plate visible in some shots.
- Photograph the surroundings: the street, the parking space, nearby cars, signs.
- Look for paint traces of another car’s colour, debris, or a stone or tool used to break the window.
- Film a short walk around the car.
See /blog/how-to-photograph-a-car-accident-scene/ for a full checklist.
2. Look for a note, witnesses and footage
Check under the wipers for a note. Ask nearby shops, residents and parking attendants if they saw anything, and whether there are cameras. CCTV footage is often deleted within days, so ask quickly or tell the police where cameras are. If you have a dashcam with parking mode, save the recording (see /blog/dashcam-footage-as-evidence/).
3. File a police report
Report vandalism or a hit-and-run on a parked car to the police and keep the reference. Insurers usually require it, and it records the date and place. If the person who damaged your car is identified later, the report connects the cases. See /blog/how-to-file-a-police-report/.
4. Claim on your insurance
- Glass cover often handles broken windows and windscreens, sometimes with no or a low deductible.
- Vandalism or comprehensive cover handles bodywork damage by unknown people.
- Liability-only insurance generally doesn’t cover damage when the responsible person is unknown.
- If the other driver left a note or is identified, their insurer should pay.
Declare within the deadline in your contract and send your photos and the police reference. See /blog/how-to-file-a-car-insurance-claim/.
5. Secure the car
Cover a broken window with plastic to keep the rain out, and park in a safer place until it’s repaired. Keep receipts for emergency costs.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth reporting a small scratch?
Reporting creates a record, which helps if it happens again or if the damage turns out to be worse. Whether to claim depends on the repair cost compared to your deductible and possible premium increase.
Someone hit my parked car and left a note. What now?
Contact them, ask for their insurance details, and fill in an accident report together if your country uses one. Keep the note and photograph it.
My tyres were slashed. Is that covered?
Sometimes under vandalism cover; often not under basic policies. Check your contract and file a police report either way.
General information to help you get organised, not legal advice. Procedures and numbers can change: confirm them with the office concerned, and in danger call your local emergency number first.
