If your vehicle was hit while it was parked and the responsible party did not leave their information for you to place a claim with their insurer then yes, you should be able to make a claim through your own collision coverage.

Whether the claim for the damage your car sustained from the hit and run accident will cause a surcharge or your rates to rise in any way would depend upon your state's insurance laws as well as your insurance company's rating system. Some states do not allow a surcharge or premiums to rise due to a claim such as this however other states do allow insurer to raise rates. If your state is the latter then it would up to the individual insurance companies and their rating systems to determine if your rates would rise.

For example New York's Insurance Department states that surcharges are specifically not permitted for a variety of reasons including if:

• your vehicle was struck in the rear, without a moving violation conviction against you;
• your vehicle was struck while it was legally parked

And in Massachusetts you can receive surcharge points if you are more than 50% at-fault for a motor vehicle accident that results in damage to property or bodily injury of more than $500. Insurers are required to determine if a driver is more than 50% at fault for an accident by applying the Standards of Fault (211 C.M.R. 74.00).

So in these two states you would not get surcharged for making a claim for your parked vehicle being hit by an unknown person however other states may allow an insurer to raise your rates either due to this claim or if you have a history of claims this latest one may affect your rates. To find out about your insurance company and their rating system contact your provider for details.