Your first step after an accident should always be to pay attention to your surroundings at the scene.
Move away: If you’re in a dangerous location, move yourself—and the car, if possible—to a safe area on the side of the road or away from oncoming traffic. If there is any sign of fire near gasoline, evacuate to a safe spot that’s further away.
Tend to injuries: If someone is injured, call for help as soon as possible. While an ambulance is en route, try to provide first aid.
After you ensure that everyone involved is safe and uninjured, record as many details as you can about the accident. Getting the other car’s license plate is great, but every extra detail can help track down the driver.
Share as much of the following information as you can with police:
Date, time, and location of the accident
Driver’s appearance
Car make
Car model
Car color
Any distinct characteristics on the car (bumper stickers, trims, etc.)
Any fallen debris
It’s also a good idea to check for witnesses. Having their phone numbers will be helpful in any police or personal injury insurance claim investigation, even if you don’t have the driver’s license number of the hit-and-run driver.
What if I didn’t see the hit and run happen?
If a hit and run occurred when you weren’t in your vehicle (like in a parking lot or on the street), it may be harder to gather information about the owner of the car.
Document and report: Look around the scene of the accident and your car for any paint scrapes or broken car pieces. Take pictures to document’ any details and call the non-emergency line to make an accident report with law enforcement so there’s something on record.
Look for cameras: In addition, be on the lookout for any nearby shop surveillance cameras. The police may be able to acquire that video footage and see the at-fault driver who collided with your car.
Report to police: If you haven’t already, the next step is to call the police.
In most states, the police will travel to the scene to take statements from you and other witnesses. This is the time to hand over any and all information for the police report, including the license plate number and any other information about the motor vehicles. Provide your insurance information as well, so the police can corroborate the run in with your auto insurance company.
At this point, you should leave the investigation to the police. Make sure law enforcement has your current contact information so they can communicate about how your auto accident case is progressing.
While the police conduct their investigation, you’ll also want to inform your own insurance company that you were involved in a hit and run. Let them know that you’ve filed a police report, as it can lend legitimacy to your claim.
Pay the deductible: In most cases, you will be required to pay the collision deductible laid out in your insurance policy, although some insurers offer collision deductible waivers. Once the deductible is paid, your insurance covers the remaining costs to recover from a hit and run incident.
, your policy won’t cover the damage and you’ll need to pay for repairs out of pocket.
If the license plate number and other details you provide enable the police to find the driver, your insurance company can file a claim against the driver responsible for the collision. Even if the driver is underinsured or completely uninsured, your
Legal help as a victim of a hit and run: You can always contact a car accident attorney for legal advice. If you feel you have been unfairly denied insurance coverage or if you disagree with how the insurance adjuster handled your claim, bring your hit and run case to a personal injury lawyer.
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