Checklist · the driver leftHit and run evidenceWhat to write down before you lose it.
Say the plate out loud, then type it. Memory of a fleeing car degrades in minutes, so do not chase, and call 911 while the details are still in your head. A claim on your own uninsured motorist coverage for an unidentified driver requires a police report within 24 hours and a sworn statement within 30 days.
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Written and reviewed by Josh Kohanim, Esq., California Bar No. 328609 · Published · Reviewed
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In the first sixty seconds
Before you leave the scene
Two clocks start today
A police report within 24 hours. A sworn statement to your own insurer within 30 days. Miss either and the uninsured motorist claim can be denied on the calendar, not the facts.
This page is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship is formed only by a signed written fee agreement.
Questions about hit and run evidence
Who pays for my injuries if the driver who hit me is never found?
Your own uninsured motorist coverage, if your policy has it. Insurance Code 11580.2 treats an unidentified hit and run driver as uninsured, provided the crash was reported to police within 24 hours, you gave your insurer a sworn statement within 30 days, and there was physical contact between the vehicles.
Does a hit and run claim raise my own insurance rates?
Under the rating rules that followed Proposition 103, an insurer may count only accidents in which you were principally at fault when it sets your rate. A hit and run in which you were the victim is not one of those, so the claim on your own coverage should not raise your premium.
What if I only got part of the plate?
Give police whatever you have, with the make, color, and any damage you saw. Partial plates plus a vehicle description are matched against registration records more often than people expect, and nearby cameras fill the gaps.
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Written and reviewed by Josh Kohanim, Esq., California Bar No. 328609 · Published · Reviewed