You hear the impact. You look around. The other car is already moving away. Maybe you caught part of the license plate. Maybe you remember the color and type of vehicle. Maybe you saw almost nothing at all. A hit-and-run accident creates a different kind of problem. You cannot simply walk over to the other […]
You hear the impact.
You look around.
The other car is already moving away.
Maybe you caught part of the license plate. Maybe you remember the color and type of vehicle. Maybe you saw almost nothing at all.
A hit-and-run accident creates a different kind of problem. You cannot simply walk over to the other driver, exchange insurance information, and ask what happened.
The driver is gone.
That does not mean you have no options.
If you have just been involved in a crash, our guide on What to Do After a Car Accident: 15 Steps to Take covers the immediate steps to take after an accident. This article deals with the situation when the other driver leaves before you can identify them.
A hit-and-run generally involves a driver leaving the scene of a crash without staying to meet the obligations required by law.
The crash does not have to involve two moving cars.
A driver can leave after hitting a parked vehicle, a pedestrian, property, or another vehicle.
The exact legal requirements depend on the state where the accident happened. In some situations, leaving the scene can carry serious criminal consequences, especially when someone has been injured or killed.
For the person who was left behind, the first concern is different.
You need to get safe and start figuring out what happened.
Do not chase the other driver.
It can be tempting, especially when you are angry, and the other vehicle is still visible.
Don’t do it.
Following a fleeing driver can put you into another collision or create a dangerous confrontation.
If you are injured, stay where you are if it is safe and call 911. If your vehicle is blocking traffic and can be moved safely, move it out of the way.
The fact that the other driver left does not change the basic rule: deal with immediate safety first.
A hit-and-run should be reported to law enforcement.
Tell the responding officer that the other driver left the scene.
Give them every detail you remember, even if it seems incomplete.
For example:
Do not worry about getting every detail right.
If you remember only the first three characters of a plate, give those three characters.
If you are unsure whether the vehicle was a Honda or Toyota, say that you are unsure.
A partial description can still be useful.
NAIC specifically advises consumers to promptly contact police when a vehicle is damaged by a hit-and-run driver.
If you saw the license plate, write it down as soon as possible.
Do not trust your memory.
You may think, “I’ll remember those numbers.”
Maybe you will.
Maybe ten minutes later they will be gone.
Write down whatever you remember, even if the plate is incomplete.
A passenger may remember characters you missed. A witness standing nearby may have seen the entire plate.
If someone has a phone, ask them to write down their own recollection rather than simply telling them what you think the plate said.
Different memories can sometimes be compared later.
People tend to remember the great details first.
“The car was black.”
That’s a start.
Try to go further.
Was it a sedan, SUV, pickup truck, van, or something else? Did it have noticeable damage? Was one headlight broken? Did it have a roof rack? Was there a business logo on the side?
Think about the direction it went.
Did it turn at the next intersection? Did it enter a highway? Did it stop at a light?
Write down what you remember before you start discussing the accident with other people.
The first version of your memory may contain details that disappear later.
A hit-and-run often leaves witnesses behind.
Someone walking nearby may have seen the vehicle.
A driver waiting at a traffic light may have noticed the plate.
A passenger in another car may have captured the vehicle on a phone.
Ask witnesses for their names and contact information.
Do not try to tell them what they saw.
If one person says, “I think it was a blue Ford SUV,” and another says, “I saw a dark pickup,” keep both accounts. The police can sort through the information.
Witnesses can be especially useful when you have only a partial description of the vehicle.
This can be one of the most useful things to do after a hit-and-run.
Look around the accident location.
There may be a camera outside a store. A gas station could have one facing the road. An apartment building may have a security system. A nearby house might have a doorbell camera.
You are looking for anything that may have captured the vehicle before or after the collision.
Write down the location of the camera.
If a business appears to have relevant footage, ask whether someone can preserve it.
Do not assume that the footage will stay there indefinitely.
Security systems can overwrite older recordings.
This is one reason a hit-and-run should not be treated as something you will investigate weeks later.
Your own dashcam may have recorded the other vehicle.
So might a passenger’s phone.
And a driver who was behind you may have captured the crash without realizing how useful the footage could become.
Ask people at the scene whether they have video.
If you have a dashcam recording, preserve the original file.
Do not rely on a short clip sent through a messaging app if the original recording is still available.
If you have not read our guide on What Evidence Should You Collect After a Car Accident?, it goes into more detail about preserving photographs, video, vehicle records, medical documents, and other evidence after a crash.
You may not know who hit you.
Your vehicle still tells part of the story.
Take photographs before repairs if possible.
Get wide shots showing the whole vehicle. Then photograph the damaged areas closely.
Look for paint transfer, broken plastic, scratches, dents, glass, and other marks that may help identify how the collision occurred.
Photograph the location where the vehicle was struck.
If pieces of the other vehicle were left behind, tell the police about them.
Do not throw anything away simply because it looks like debris.
Small pieces can sometimes help investigators understand what type of vehicle was involved.
You can still report the crash.
Give the police the best description you have.
For example:
Dark-colored SUV, possibly a Ford or Chevrolet, four-door, missing part of the rear bumper, headed east after the collision.
That is more useful than saying:
A car hit me and drove away.
Do not turn guesses into facts.
If you think the vehicle was a Ford, say that it may have been a Ford.
If you are certain about the direction but not the make, separate those two things in your notes.
You should notify your insurer about the hit-and-run according to the requirements of your policy.
Tell the company that the other driver left the scene.
Your insurer may ask for the police report, photographs, witness information, repair estimates, or other documentation.
This is where your insurance coverage becomes important.
Uninsured motorist coverage may provide protection when you are injured by a hit-and-run driver. The exact coverage available depends on the policy and state law. NAIC identifies uninsured motorist coverage as protection that can apply when an insured person is injured by a hit-and-run driver.
Some policies may also provide uninsured motorist property damage coverage.
Others may cover vehicle damage through collision coverage.
The details matter.
Read your policy.
Uninsured motorist coverage, often shortened to UM, is designed to protect an insured person when the at-fault driver has no applicable liability insurance.
A hit-and-run driver creates a similar problem because you may never identify the driver or find an insurer to pursue.
Depending on the policy and state, UM coverage can apply to bodily injury. Some policies or states also provide uninsured motorist property damage coverage.
Do not assume that having UM automatically means every loss will be paid.
Coverage limits, deductibles, exclusions, state rules, and policy terms can all affect the claim.
Ask your insurer what coverage applies to your situation.
That can be a major lead.
Give the information to the police and your insurance company.
Do not try to confront the registered owner yourself.
A license plate identifies a vehicle, not necessarily the person who was driving it at the time of the crash.
Police and insurers have procedures for investigating that information.
Let them handle the identification process.
Finding the driver changes the situation.
You may now have an identified person and potentially an insurance company to contact.
The fact that the driver was identified does not automatically settle who caused the collision or what compensation may be available.
The investigation may still involve photographs, witnesses, video, vehicle damage, police records, and other information.
If the driver is insured, the claim may proceed through that driver’s liability coverage.
If the driver has no insurance, your own uninsured motorist coverage may become relevant.
If the driver is found but does not have enough insurance, underinsured motorist coverage may be relevant in situations where that coverage applies.
This is where your own insurance policy can become especially important.
If the driver remains unidentified, there may be no opposing insurance company to pursue.
Your options can depend heavily on your coverage.
For example, a person with uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage may have a route to compensation for qualifying injuries. Someone with collision coverage may have a way to seek payment for vehicle damage, subject to the policy terms and deductible.
The rules are not identical across the country.
Some states also impose specific requirements before an uninsured motorist or hit-and-run claim can be made.
That is one reason it is worth reporting the accident promptly and checking your policy rather than assuming you are uninsured simply because the other driver disappeared.
Treat the injury first.
If you need emergency care, get it.
If symptoms appear later, seek medical attention and tell the provider that the symptoms followed a vehicle collision.
Keep the medical records and bills.
A hit-and-run can make an injury claim more complicated because there may be no other driver’s insurer immediately available to investigate the claim.
That does not make the injury less real.
It just changes where the claim may need to be made.
A driver does not get a free pass because the other vehicle was parked when it was hit.
If someone hits your parked car and leaves, document the damage and contact the police when appropriate.
Look for nearby witnesses and cameras.
Check whether your vehicle was parked near a business, apartment building, garage, hotel, school, or other property with surveillance equipment.
If you have no idea when the damage occurred, ask yourself where the car was parked during the relevant period.
That can help narrow down where to look for video.
This happens.
Maybe you were sitting in your car when another vehicle struck you from behind and disappeared before you could react. Maybe your parked vehicle was damaged overnight.
Start with what you do know.
When was the vehicle last undamaged?
Where was it parked?
What type of damage does it have?
Are there pieces of another vehicle nearby?
Are there cameras?
Did anyone hear a crash?
Did another person see the vehicle leave?
You may not be able to answer every question.
That’s okay.
Build the record from the information you do have.
No.
Even if you think you know where the driver went, following the vehicle can create another dangerous situation.
Give the police the direction of travel and any information you have.
If you can safely identify the vehicle from a distance, remember what you can without putting yourself or anyone else at risk.
Your job is not to make the arrest.
Your job is to report what happened.
The same rule that applies to other accident claims applies here too: do not guess.
If you say the vehicle was definitely a black Ford and later discover it was a dark Chevrolet, that inconsistency can create unnecessary confusion.
Say what you actually remember.
“I believe it was a Ford” is different from “It was definitely a Ford.”
The distinction matters when you are trying to reconstruct an event that lasted only a few seconds.
A lawyer may be worth considering if you suffered a significant injury, your insurance company disputes your coverage, the circumstances of the hit-and-run are unclear, or the financial losses are substantial.
The same may apply if the driver is later identified and the facts about responsibility become disputed.
Before speaking with a lawyer, gather your police report, photographs, medical records, insurance documents, witness information, and any video you have.
Our guide on Talking to Insurance After a Car Accident: What to Know explains more about dealing with adjusters, recorded statements, settlement offers, and claim disputes.
You do not need to wait until an insurer denies the claim before asking for advice.
If the other driver has left, focus on the things that can still be done.
The sooner you start, the more information you are likely to have.
Get somewhere safe, call the police when appropriate, and write down everything you remember about the vehicle. Look for witnesses and cameras, then report the accident to your insurance company.
Possibly. Uninsured motorist coverage may apply to certain hit-and-run claims, while collision coverage may help with vehicle damage if you have that coverage. The answer depends on your policy and state law.
Give the police everything you remember. Even a partial plate, combined with the vehicle’s color, make, model, damage, and direction of travel, may provide a useful lead.
Your own insurance coverage may become especially important. Depending on the policy, uninsured motorist or collision coverage may help with certain losses.
It depends on the circumstances. A lawyer may be useful when there are serious injuries, a significant financial loss, a coverage dispute, or questions about who was responsible for the crash.
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