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No, your liability insurance does not cover your car if someone hits you. Liability insurance only pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. If another driver hits your car and is at fault, their liability insurance pays for your repairs, up to their policy limits. You file a third party claim with their insurer. If that driver has no insurance, or not enough, your own collision coverage or uninsured motorist property damage coverage is what pays instead. About one in seven US drivers has no insurance at all, about 15 percent as of 2025 according to the Insurance Research Council, so the uninsured scenario is common enough to plan for.
The confusion is understandable. You pay for liability insurance every month, so it feels like it should protect your car. It does not. Liability protects the other driver from you. Your own car is protected by collision and comprehensive coverage, which are optional in every state. This guide walks through who pays in each scenario, what to do at the scene, and which coverages fill the gaps.
Does liability insurance cover my car if someone hits me?
Liability insurance does not cover your car if someone hits you, because liability coverage is third party coverage: it pays the people you harm, not you. When another driver hits your car, the claim runs against their property damage liability coverage, which pays to repair or replace your vehicle up to their policy limits. You open the claim with their insurance company, using photos, repair estimates, and a police report if one exists. LegalClarity’s guide to this exact question puts it the same way: your liability exists to protect other people from you, and it does nothing for your own car.
Liability insurance is a policy with two parts. Bodily injury liability pays for another person’s medical bills, lost wages, and related costs when you cause an accident. Property damage liability pays to repair the other driver’s vehicle or anything else you damage, such as a fence or a mailbox. Both are written as dollar limits, for example 25/50/25, which means $25,000 per person for injuries, $50,000 total per accident for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage. California’s minimums are higher, 30/60/15 since January 1, 2025.
The mirror image is also true. If you hit someone, your liability insurance pays for their car and their injuries, and it does nothing for your own car. The only coverage that pays to fix your vehicle after a crash you caused is collision coverage. Our guide to liability only car insurance explains what a liability only policy covers and who should buy one.
Who pays for my car in each scenario?
Who pays for your car depends on who was at fault, whether the other driver has insurance, and what coverage you carry. The table below covers the scenarios drivers actually run into.
| Scenario | Who pays for your car | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Other driver at fault, insured | Their property damage liability, through a third party claim | Nothing, if their limits cover the repair |
| Other driver at fault, uninsured | Your collision coverage, or your uninsured motorist property damage coverage where available | Your deductible, usually $250 to $1,000 |
| Other driver at fault, underinsured | Their liability up to its limit, then your underinsured motorist or collision coverage for the rest | Your deductible on your own coverage |
| Hit and run, driver never found | Your collision coverage, or uninsured motorist property damage in states that allow it for hit and run | Your deductible |
| Shared fault | Each driver’s insurer pays in proportion to fault, under your state’s comparative negligence rule | Your share of the repair, reduced by the other driver’s fault percentage |
| You are at fault | Your collision coverage only, if you carry it | Your deductible, plus the rest if you have no collision coverage |
| No fault state, injuries only | Your own personal injury protection pays your medical bills; property damage still goes through the at fault driver’s liability or your collision coverage | Your deductible on the property claim |
The third party claim is the path most drivers take when the other driver is insured. Their insurer investigates, reviews the accident report, assesses the damage, and decides whether their policyholder was responsible. If they accept liability, they pay based on repair estimates, or the actual cash value of your vehicle if it is totaled. You are not required to use only their process. Filing through your own collision coverage, if you have it, often gets your car repaired faster, and your insurer recovers what it paid from the other driver’s insurer through subrogation. You get your deductible back once that recovery lands.
What if the driver who hit me has no insurance?
If the driver who hit you has no insurance, your own policy has to carry the claim. About 15 percent of US drivers were uninsured as of 2025, according to the Insurance Research Council, so this is not a rare edge case. Mississippi, Tennessee, Michigan, and Florida have the highest concentrations of uninsured drivers. Your two options are collision coverage and uninsured motorist property damage coverage, known as UMPD.
Collision coverage pays to repair or replace your car after a crash whatever caused it, minus your deductible, up to your car’s actual cash value. It works whether the other driver is uninsured, underinsured, or unknown. UMPD is a cheaper add on that pays specifically for damage caused by an uninsured driver, and in some states it carries a lower deductible than collision, or no deductible at all. Our guide to uninsured motorist coverage explains how UMPD and uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage work, and our guide to whether you need uninsured motorist coverage runs the cost against the risk.
One warning: UMPD is not available in every state, and some states only allow it for hit and run crashes, not for crashes with an identified uninsured driver. Check your policy before you assume you have it. If you carry liability only and the driver who hit you is uninsured, you have no coverage for your car at all, and your options are paying out of pocket or suing the other driver, who often has no money to pay a judgment.
How does fault affect what I recover?
Fault decides how much you recover, and the rules vary by state. Most states use comparative negligence, which reduces your payout by your percentage of fault. If you are found 30 percent responsible for a crash, you recover 70 percent of your damages from the other driver’s insurer. The driver who broke a traffic law is usually the one assigned fault, and police reports, photos, and witness statements are the evidence insurers use.
A handful of states still use contributory negligence: Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington DC. In those states, if you are even 1 percent at fault, you may be barred from recovering anything at all. That makes the fault determination far more important in those states, and it is one reason drivers there should think twice before admitting any fault at the scene.
Twelve states use a no fault system for injuries: Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Utah. In a no fault state, each driver’s own personal injury protection coverage pays their medical bills regardless of who caused the crash. Property damage to your car is still handled through the at fault driver’s liability insurance or your own collision coverage. No fault rules change who pays for injuries, not who pays for your car.
What should I do at the scene if someone hits my car?
What you do at the scene decides how smoothly the claim goes. First, check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Then exchange information: names, phone numbers, insurance company and policy number, license plate, and driver’s license number. Take photos of both cars, the damage, the license plates, the road, and any traffic signs or signals. If there are witnesses, get their names and numbers. Call the police and get a report number, even for a minor crash, because the report is the strongest evidence of fault.
Do not admit fault at the scene, even casually. A polite apology can be read as an admission by an insurer later. Stick to facts when you talk to the other driver and to the police. Notify your own insurer promptly, even if you plan to claim against the other driver’s policy, because your policy requires prompt notice and your insurer can advise you on the process. Keep every receipt, from the tow truck to the rental car, since those costs are part of the claim.
When the other driver’s insurer calls, you do not have to give a recorded statement right away. You can give the basic facts and say you will follow up after you have the police report and repair estimates. If their insurer disputes fault, delays, or offers less than the repair costs, your own insurer can step in under your collision coverage, or a lawyer can take the claim for a serious injury case.
Which coverages actually protect my car?
Three coverages protect your car when someone else hits it, and they work differently. Liability coverage, which is yours, protects the other driver, never your car. Collision coverage protects your car after any crash, whatever caused it, minus your deductible. Uninsured and underinsured motorist property damage coverage protects your car when the at fault driver has no insurance or too little, often with a lower deductible than collision.
| Coverage | Pays for your car when | Required by law? |
|---|---|---|
| Your liability | Never. It pays the other driver. | Yes, in nearly every state |
| Collision | Any crash, whatever the cause | No, but lenders require it |
| Uninsured motorist property damage | An uninsured or underinsured driver hits you | Required in some states, optional in others |
| Comprehensive | Theft, vandalism, hail, fire, hitting an animal | No, but lenders require it |
The practical setup for most drivers is liability limits above the state minimum, plus collision and comprehensive with a deductible you can afford, plus uninsured motorist coverage. That combination covers your car in every row of the scenario table above. Our guide to comprehensive and collision insurance explains the two coverages in detail, and our guide to choosing a collision vs comprehensive deductible shows how to pick a deductible you can actually pay.
Key takeaways
Your liability insurance never covers your car. When someone hits you, their liability insurance pays for your repairs through a third party claim, up to their policy limits. If the other driver is uninsured, underinsured, or never found, your own collision coverage or uninsured motorist property damage coverage is what pays, minus your deductible. About one in seven US drivers has no insurance, so carrying collision and uninsured motorist coverage is the only way to be sure your car is protected. At the scene, exchange information, photograph everything, get a police report, and do not admit fault.
Frequently asked questions
Does liability insurance cover my car if someone hits me?
No. Your liability insurance only pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. If someone hits your car, their liability insurance pays for your repairs through a third party claim. Your own collision coverage or uninsured motorist property damage coverage pays if the other driver is uninsured.
Will the other driver’s insurance pay for my car repairs?
Yes, if the other driver is at fault and insured, their property damage liability coverage pays for your repairs up to their policy limits. You file a third party claim with their insurer, using photos, repair estimates, and a police report. If the repair costs more than their limits, your own underinsured motorist or collision coverage covers the rest.
What happens if an uninsured driver hits my car?
If an uninsured driver hits your car, your own collision coverage or uninsured motorist property damage coverage pays for the repair, minus your deductible. About 15 percent of US drivers are uninsured as of 2025, according to the Insurance Research Council. If you carry liability only, you have no coverage for your car and must pay out of pocket or sue the other driver.
Should I file through my own insurance or theirs?
Filing through your own collision coverage is usually faster, and your insurer recovers the money from the other driver’s insurer through subrogation, returning your deductible. Filing a third party claim with their insurer costs you no deductible, but their insurer may investigate longer and dispute fault. Either path works; your own coverage is the faster one.
Does liability insurance cover my car in a no fault state?
No. In a no fault state, your own personal injury protection pays your medical bills regardless of fault, but property damage to your car is still handled through the at fault driver’s liability insurance or your own collision coverage. No fault rules change who pays for injuries, not who pays for your car.
What if I am partly at fault for the crash?
In most states, comparative negligence reduces your payout by your percentage of fault, so 30 percent fault means you recover 70 percent of your damages. In Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington DC, contributory negligence can bar any recovery if you are even 1 percent at fault. Police reports, photos, and witnesses are the evidence that decides the split.
