Hit-and-run accidents: how to file a claim

After a hit-and-run, call the police right away and report the claim to your own insurer promptly, because the driver who fled cannot be billed. Damage to your car is usually paid by your collision coverage or, in some states, uninsured motorist property damage coverage; injuries are usually paid by uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage plus any PIP or MedPay. Many policies and state laws attach strict conditions to these claims, such as a police report within 24 hours or proof that the other car actually hit you.

First steps after a hit-and-run

1. Stay safe and get medical help. Do not chase the other driver. Call 911 if anyone is hurt.
2. Call the police from the scene, or as soon as possible. A prompt police report is the single most important document in a hit and run claim, and some coverages require one within a short deadline.
3. Write down everything you remember about the other vehicle: make, model, color, partial plate, direction of travel, damage it might have.
4. Find witnesses and cameras. Ask bystanders for contact details. Note businesses, homes or traffic cameras that may have recorded the crash, and ask quickly before footage is overwritten. Check your own dashcam.
5. Photograph your car and the scene, including paint transfer and debris from the other vehicle.
6. Report to your insurer promptly. Ask specifically which coverages apply and what deadlines you must meet. The after-accident checklist and information form keeps all of this in one place.

Which coverage pays

The coverage details are in uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explained. If the driver is later identified and turns out to be uninsured, the situation is similar; see what to do after an accident with an uninsured driver.

Conditions that can sink the claim

Because hit-and-run claims cannot be checked against another driver's account, states and insurers add conditions. California's are a clear example of how specific they can be:

• Injury claims under UM. California's uninsured motorist statute covers an unknown driver only if the bodily injury arose from physical contact with your car or you, the accident was reported within 24 hours to the police (or sheriff or CHP, depending on location), and you filed a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days (Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2).
• Car damage under UMPD. California's UMPD pays only when there was actual physical contact and the uninsured driver or vehicle is identified, including by license plate number, with the accident reported to your insurer within 10 business days. For drivers without collision coverage, this UMPD pays up to the car's actual cash value or $3,500, whichever is less (Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.26). In practice, a truly unidentified hit-and-run in California falls to your collision coverage.

Other states use their own versions. Physical-contact requirements are common, which means a "miss-and-run," where a driver forces you off the road without touching your car, may not qualify for UM coverage unless your state allows corroborating evidence such as an independent witness. Reporting deadlines are also common. Ask your insurer for the exact conditions in your policy on the first call, and check do you need a police report after a car accident? for state reporting rules.

Will a hit-and-run raise your rate?

It should not count as an at-fault accident if you were not at fault, but how insurers treat it depends on state rules and company practice. California's rating rules, for example, presume a driver is not principally at fault when their car was damaged by contact with a "hit and run" driver (10 CCR 2632.13). Your collision deductible is the bigger immediate cost; if the driver is later found, your insurer may recover it for you. For help weighing a small claim, see should you file a claim or pay out of pocket?.

If the driver is found later

If police identify the driver, the claim can shift to that driver's liability insurer, if they had one. Your insurer may pay you first under collision or UM and then pursue the other driver or their insurer to recover what it paid, including your deductible. Leaving the scene is a crime in every state, so a criminal case may run alongside the insurance claim, and a court may order restitution.

A worked example

Say your parked car is sideswiped overnight, causing $3,200 in damage, and nobody leaves a note. You carry collision with a $500 deductible and live in a state where UMPD does not cover unidentified drivers.

• You file a police report the next morning and a collision claim the same day.
• Your insurer pays $2,700 ($3,200 minus the $500 deductible).
• A neighbor's doorbell camera captures the plate. Police identify the driver, whose insurer accepts liability.
• Your insurer recovers the $3,200 and refunds your $500 deductible.

Without the camera footage, you would have been out the $500. The figures are hypothetical.

Key takeaways

• Report a hit-and-run to police immediately and to your insurer promptly; deadlines can be as short as 24 hours.
• Collision coverage is the most reliable way to repair your car after a hit-and-run; UMPD often requires the other driver or vehicle to be identified.
• Uninsured motorist coverage usually pays for injuries caused by an unknown driver, often only if there was physical contact.
• California requires physical contact, a police report within 24 hours and a sworn statement within 30 days for UM injury claims involving an unknown driver.
• Hunt for witnesses and camera footage quickly; identifying the driver can get your deductible back.