Parked car got hit while I was at work — no insurance yet. Am I just screwed?

Ugh, this happened to me in a grocery store lot — brand new-to-me car, someone clipped the door panel and vanished. The camera angle that could've helped was pointed literally two feet the wrong direction. It's infuriating. Definitely push harder on the facilities manager, don't let one dismissive conversation be the end of it. Ask in writing so there's a paper trail.

On the insurance question — be really careful here. If you hadn't officially bound a policy at the time of the incident, most carriers will deny any claim tied to it outright. Don't let anyone talk you into vague timelines or fudging when you 'started' coverage. Document everything about when you finalized the policy so it's crystal clear, because insurers will absolutely look for any reason to wriggle out.

Former claims person here. The hard truth is that unbound policies mean zero coverage for that loss — there's no gray area on that internally. What you can do is check whether your state has an uninsured motorist fund for hit-and-runs, because some do cover parked vehicle damage under certain conditions. It's not a sure thing but worth a phone call to your state's DMR or insurance commissioner's office. Also file a police report TODAY if you haven't — without one, almost every avenue closes faster.

Seconding the police report immediately. I know it feels pointless when you have no suspect, but that report number is what unlocks basically every next step — state funds, any future insurance claim, even small claims court if something turns up later. Also, formally request the security footage in writing (email is fine) and mention you're preserving it for a potential legal matter. That word alone sometimes gets facilities managers moving a lot faster. Footage gets overwritten on short cycles, so urgency matters here.

Not a legal angle but — are you okay? Stress like this, especially coming off an overnight shift with no sleep, can really mess with your judgment and health. Make sure you're not making big decisions exhausted. Write everything down while it's fresh, rest, then tackle the calls.

Not legal advice, but the police report and written footage preservation request are genuinely your two most time-sensitive moves right now. Beyond that, some states have specific hit-and-run statutes that allow civil recovery even without identifying the driver — worth at least a free consultation with a PI attorney to understand your state's rules. Most won't charge anything just to tell you if you have options.

I'm so sorry this happened to you right after you finally got the truck. That's just awful timing and it's completely unfair. Please don't just quietly absorb this — at least go through the motions of documenting everything so future-you has options. You deserve to at least try.

Quick question — when you say you 'hadn't finalized' the insurance, do you mean you had a quote in progress and just hadn't paid yet, or you genuinely had nothing at all? Because those are pretty different situations. Some carriers will backdate a policy by a day or two in certain circumstances (not saying they will, just asking). Also — is the damage actually cosmetic or could there be structural stuff underneath? That changes the math on whether it's worth pursuing.