What to Do After a Hit and Run
Stay at the scene if you can, write down what you saw, and report it to the police and your insurer before you do anything else.
Report it, document it, then call your insurer
If you're the one who was hit, stay where you are and call the police. Write down the other car's plate number, color, and direction if you caught any of it, and ask anyone nearby if they saw it too. Take photos of the damage and the scene before you move your car.
Once you've done that, call your insurer and tell them what happened. The police report and your own notes are what your claim will lean on, since there's no other driver to point to. The sooner you report both, the fewer questions you'll get later about why you waited.
Whether the other driver is found changes everything
If the police identify the other driver, this becomes a normal claim against their insurance, and your rate shouldn't be affected the way it would if you'd caused the accident yourself. That's why the police report matters so much. It's the record that the damage wasn't your fault, even without a driver to name at the scene.
If the other driver is never found, you're filing against your own policy instead, usually under uninsured motorist coverage or collision coverage if you have it. Whether that raises your premium at renewal depends on your insurer and your state, since not-at-fault claims are treated differently from one company to the next.
Ask your insurer directly whether an unresolved hit and run claim counts against you the same way an at-fault accident would. Some insurers have a specific answer for this. Others will tell you it depends on the claim itself.
If you have a dash cam, send the footage to the police and to your insurer right away. It can be the difference between an open case and one that gets closed quickly.
What coverage you have decides what gets paid
If you have uninsured motorist property damage coverage, that's usually what pays for your car when the other driver can't be found or doesn't have insurance. Not every state requires this coverage, and not every policy includes it, so check your declarations page or ask your agent whether you have it.
If you don't have that coverage but you do have collision coverage, that can also pay for the damage, though you'll likely have a deductible to cover first. Without either one, you may be paying for the repair yourself.
This is worth checking before anything happens, not just after. If you're not sure what your policy includes, call your insurer and ask them to walk through what would be covered in a hit and run specifically.
If you were a pedestrian or cyclist rather than in a car, the coverage that applies is different, and your insurer can tell you what applies to your situation.
Questions people ask about this
How long do I have to report a hit and run to the police?
This is set by your state and sometimes by your city as well, so check with your local police department or their website for the exact window. In general, reporting as soon as possible gives investigators the best chance of finding the other driver and strengthens your insurance claim.
Will my insurance rate go up after a hit and run that wasn't my fault?
It depends on your insurer and whether the other driver is ever identified. Some companies treat an unresolved hit and run as a not-at-fault claim that doesn't affect your rate, while others may weigh it differently. Ask your insurer directly how they classify it.
What if I hit a parked car and the owner isn't there?
Leave a note with your name and contact information, and still report it to the police and your insurer. Leaving the scene without doing this can be treated as a hit and run even if no one was around, and the consequences can be more serious than the original accident.
Can I still file a claim if I didn't get the other driver's information?
Yes, as long as you have a police report and whatever details you were able to gather, like a partial plate or a description of the car. Your insurer uses this along with any uninsured motorist coverage you carry to process the claim.
Does a hit and run show up on my driving record if I was the victim?
Being the victim of a hit and run generally shouldn't appear on your driving record as a fault-based incident. Records track violations and at-fault accidents, not accidents where you were the one hit. If you're concerned, you can request a copy of your driving record from your state's DMV to check.
If this has you rethinking what your policy actually covers, it's worth seeing what other insurers offer.
Get a copy of the police report once it's filed, since your insurer will ask for it. Pull up your policy's declarations page or call your agent to confirm whether you have uninsured motorist property damage or collision coverage, since that decides who pays for your car. Keep your own notes and any photos from the scene somewhere you can find them. When you call your insurer, ask them directly whether this claim will affect your rate at renewal, rather than assuming either way. If the other driver is identified later, let your insurer know, since it may change how the claim is handled.
