What to Do After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Los Angeles County

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If you were injured in a hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles County, the driver who fled broke the law, but you generally still have options for pursuing compensation, most commonly through the uninsured motorist coverage on your own auto insurance policy. California law imposes strict requirements on hit-and-run uninsured motorist claims, including reporting the accident to police within 24 hours and showing physical contact with the fleeing vehicle, which makes acting quickly essential. Here is what to do after a hit-and-run and how California law treats these cases.

California’s Duty to Stop After an Accident

California law requires every driver involved in an accident to stop and fulfill certain duties, regardless of who caused the crash. Under California Vehicle Code Section 20001, a driver involved in an accident causing injury or death to another person must immediately stop, provide reasonable assistance, and exchange identifying information. A violation is a wobbler, meaning prosecutors can charge it as a misdemeanor or felony depending on the severity of the injury and the circumstances of the case. When an accident causes only property damage, California Vehicle Code Section 20002 applies instead, generally charged as a misdemeanor. Notably, these laws focus on the driver’s conduct after the crash rather than who caused it, meaning a driver who was not at fault can still face hit-and-run charges for fleeing rather than exchanging information.

Steps to Take Immediately After a Hit-and-Run

What you do in the moments and days following a hit-and-run can significantly affect your ability to recover compensation later. Important steps include:

  • Call 911 to report the accident and request medical attention if needed
  • Try to note details about the fleeing vehicle, such as make, color, partial license plate, or direction of travel
  • Look for witnesses and ask for their contact information before they leave the scene
  • Photograph the accident scene, vehicle damage, and any visible injuries
  • Check for nearby surveillance or traffic camera footage that may have captured the crash
  • File a police report as soon as possible, since this creates an official record of the incident
  • Seek medical attention promptly, even if injuries seem minor at first

Why a Prompt Police Report Matters So Much

Beyond helping identify the fleeing driver, a timely police report is often a legal requirement for pursuing compensation. Under California Insurance Code Section 11580.2, a hit-and-run driver is treated as an uninsured motorist for purposes of an injured person’s own uninsured motorist coverage, but recovering under this provision generally requires reporting the accident to police within 24 hours and filing a claim with the insurer within 30 days. Missing either of these windows can jeopardize an otherwise valid claim, even when the injuries and damages are clear.

Important: California generally requires physical contact between your vehicle and the unidentified vehicle, or an independent witness who can corroborate that another vehicle was involved, before an uninsured motorist claim for a hit-and-run can proceed. A phantom vehicle that cuts you off or forces you off the road without any contact, and with no witness, can create significant challenges in recovering compensation, which makes documenting the scene and locating witnesses especially important.

Pursuing Compensation Through Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Since the driver who caused the crash cannot be identified in many hit-and-run cases, the injured person’s own uninsured motorist coverage often becomes the primary path to compensation. California requires insurers to offer this coverage, and a policyholder must reject it in writing for it to be excluded, which means many drivers have this protection without necessarily realizing it. A successful uninsured motorist claim can generally cover medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering up to the policy’s coverage limits, similar to what could otherwise be recovered from an identified at-fault driver’s insurance.

If the Driver Is Later Identified

Law enforcement investigations, witness leads, or surveillance footage sometimes result in identifying the fleeing driver after the fact. If this happens, a claim can generally be pursued directly against that driver and their insurance policy instead of, or alongside, an uninsured motorist claim. This is another reason why documenting as many details as possible immediately after the crash, and cooperating with the police investigation, can meaningfully affect the options available later in the process.

Deadlines That Can Affect Your Claim

Beyond the 24-hour police report and 30-day insurer notice requirements specific to hit-and-run uninsured motorist claims, California’s general statute of limitations for personal injury claims still applies, generally two years from the date of the accident under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1. Because hit-and-run cases involve additional, much shorter deadlines layered on top of this general rule, treating the immediate aftermath of the crash with urgency is especially important in these cases.

Talk to a Los Angeles County Hit-and-Run Attorney

Hit-and-run cases involve strict deadlines and technical insurance requirements, so experienced legal guidance can make a meaningful difference in whether your claim succeeds. KP Law represents injured clients throughout Los Angeles County in a full range of personal injury claims, including hit-and-run accidents. Our attorneys can help identify the fleeing driver where possible, pursue your uninsured motorist coverage, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us or call (866) 973-5691 today for a free consultation, available 24/7.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For legal guidance tailored to your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney.