Hit-and-Run Crash: What to Do and How Your Coverage May Help

What should I do right after a hit-and-run?

Stop, and move only if it is safe. Call 911 if someone is hurt, and call the police to report the driver who left. Write down what you saw, such as the other car’s make, model and plate number.

Get the names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Note the time, date and place of the crash, and take photos of the scene and the damage.

Get the officer’s name and badge number so you can follow up. It usually takes a few days for the police report to be ready.

If you went to a doctor, keep your medical records and bills.

Who should I tell about the crash?

Tell the police and your insurer. In Texas, uninsured motorist coverage will not pay for a hit-and-run if no one told the police. California’s insurance office says most policies set a time to tell them.

Tell your insurer as soon as you can. Texas’s insurance department says most companies have deadlines for claims. Send your insurer a copy of the police report.

Florida’s motor vehicle agency says a hit-and-run crash must be reported to police. It says to stay at the scene and call 911.

Which coverage may pay after a hit-and-run?

Your own policy may pay if it has the right coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage, or UM, can pay when a hit-and-run driver hits you. Your collision or medical payments coverage may pay too.

Collision coverage pays to fix your car after a crash with another vehicle or an object. Medical payments coverage pays some medical bills, whether or not you were at fault.

Your policy may not include every coverage. Read your policy or ask your agent which ones you have.

What does Texas require after a hit-and-run?

The Texas Department of Insurance, or TDI, says UM also pays for a hit-and-run when the other driver can’t be found. The law says the unknown driver’s car must have touched you or your property. TDI says UM will not pay if no one told the police.

TDI says UM can pay for car repairs, a rental car, and pain and suffering.

For your car, the UM deductible is $250. TDI says a collision deductible is likely much higher.

Source: Texas Department of Insurance: Uninsured motorist coverage · as of Oct 5, 2026

The Texas UM law we read sets no time limit for the police report. Your policy may set one, so read it.

Questions? Call the Texas Department of Insurance at 800-252-3439.

What does California require after a hit-and-run?

California UM can pay for injuries from a hit-and-run. When the driver is unknown, the law sets three conditions. The car must have touched you or the car you were in. You, or someone for you, report it to police within 24 hours. You give your insurer a sworn statement within 30 days.

The report goes to the city police where the crash happened. Outside a city, it goes to the county sheriff or the California Highway Patrol.

California’s insurance department says uninsured motorist property damage coverage pays only if the uninsured driver is identified. It says you may not need it if you have collision coverage.

For a UM claim, you must show proof of your loss, such as injuries, medical bills and lost pay.

Questions? Call the California Department of Insurance at 1-800-927-4357.

What does Florida require after a hit-and-run?

If your Florida policy has UM, it pays for your injuries when the driver at fault has no coverage for injuries to others, or too little. We found no Florida law or state page on how UM works for a hit-and-run. Ask your insurer what your policy says.

Your own PIP pays no matter who caused the crash. It covers 80 percent of needed medical costs, up to $10,000.

Source: FLHSMV: Florida insurance requirements · as of Oct 5, 2026

To use PIP for medical care, you must first get care within 14 days of the crash. If a listed provider finds you had no emergency medical condition, the limit is $2,500.

Source: Florida Statutes § 627.736 (2026) · as of Oct 5, 2026

Medical payments and collision coverage also pay no matter who was at fault, if your policy has them.

Your insurer may add an extra charge to your premium after a crash, or not renew your policy. Florida law says it must refund the charge or renew if you show the driver of your car was hit by a hit-and-run driver. The crash must have been reported within 24 hours after it was found.

Questions? Call the Florida Department of Financial Services at 1-877-693-5236.

What does New York require after a hit-and-run?

If a hit-and-run driver injures someone in your car, file a claim with your own insurer under your UM coverage. In New York, the required coverage pays for injuries in crashes in New York State. It does not pay for damage to your car.

For a UM claim, New York law requires that the hit-and-run car actually touched you or the car you were in.

Some people have no car insurance of their own or in their household. If they are hurt in a crash in New York, they may be able to claim through the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation, or MVAIC.

For a hit-and-run, MVAIC needs a police report within 24 hours. It also needs a Notice of Intention within 90 days of the crash. The law excuses a late report if it was not reasonably possible to make it in time.

The state’s insurance department lists being struck by a hit-and-run vehicle among the cases where an insurer may not add a surcharge for a crash.

You can call MVAIC at (646) 205-7800. To complain about an insurer, file online with the Department of Financial Services.

What if I want to talk with a law firm about a hit-and-run?

You can report the crash and file a claim with your own insurer on your own. The steps above show where to start.

Some people also want to ask a law firm about an injury from a hit-and-run. People’s Justice is not a law firm. We do not review your crash or recommend a lawyer. If you want, you can use the form on this page to ask to be connected with a law firm that pays us to advertise.