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If the driver who hit you fled the scene, you may still be able to recover compensation for your injuries. Depending on the circumstances, you may have a claim through your own uninsured motorist coverage, and evidence from the crash may help authorities identify the responsible driver.
California law requires a driver involved in a crash causing injury or death to stop at the scene. When someone leaves instead, acting quickly can help protect both your health and your ability to pursue compensation.
What Should You Do After a Hit-and-Run Accident?
The aftermath of a car accident can be confusing, particularly when the other driver disappears before you can exchange information. If you are able, take steps to document what happened and preserve information that could help identify the vehicle.
After a hit-and-run accident:
- Report the crash to law enforcement. Provide any details you remember about the vehicle, driver, license plate, or direction of travel. Provide any details you remember about the vehicle, driver, license plate, or direction of travel. A prompt police report can document the accident and help authorities investigate the hit-and-run.
- Seek medical treatment. Some injuries may not be immediately apparent. Medical records can also document the connection between the crash and your injuries.
- Photograph the scene and your vehicle. Capture vehicle damage, debris, skid marks, and surrounding businesses or homes that may have cameras.
- Get witness information. Someone nearby may have seen details you missed or recorded part of the accident.
- Notify your insurance company promptly. Your policy may provide coverage even when the other driver cannot be located.
Avoid delaying these steps while waiting to see whether the driver is found.
Can You Recover Compensation if the Hit-and-Run Driver Is Never Found?
Yes. If the driver remains unidentified, uninsured motorist coverage may provide compensation for bodily injuries caused by the hit-and-run driver.
Under California law, auto insurers generally must offer uninsured motorist coverage, although an insured can reject it in writing. For a claim involving an unknown driver, California law also imposes specific requirements, including physical contact between the unknown vehicle and you or the vehicle you occupied. The accident generally must be reported to law enforcement within 24 hours, followed by a sworn statement to the insurer within 30 days.
Depending on your coverage and the facts of the accident, compensation may address medical expenses, lost income, and other losses resulting from your injuries.
If authorities later identify the driver, additional options may become available. The driver’s liability insurance, if applicable, could become another potential source of recovery.
How Is Liability Proven in a Hit-and-Run Case?
The driver’s decision to leave does not eliminate the need to establish how the collision happened. Evidence can help show that another motorist caused the crash even when that person is initially unknown.
Police reports and eyewitness accounts may provide descriptions of the vehicle or document what happened immediately before the collision. Nearby traffic cameras, security systems, and doorbell cameras may have captured the crash or the fleeing vehicle.
Vehicle debris can also provide useful information about the make, model, or color of the other vehicle. Damage to your own vehicle, photographs of the scene, and physical evidence from the roadway can help reconstruct the collision.
Because video may be overwritten and physical evidence may disappear, investigating promptly can make a significant difference.
How Can Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook Help After a Hit-and-Run?
A hit-and-run can leave you dealing with serious injuries without knowing who will be responsible for your losses. You do not have to determine your insurance options or investigate the crash on your own.
At Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook, we investigate how the accident occurred, work to identify the responsible parties, and examine available insurance coverage. We can also gather evidence, communicate with insurers, and pursue the compensation available under the circumstances of your case.
Take Action After a Hit-and-Run Accident
Time matters after a hit-and-run. If you were injured by a driver who fled the scene, contact us for a free case evaluation. Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook can assess your insurance coverage and help you pursue compensation for your injuries.