Hit and Run Accident: What to Do if You're the Victim

A hit and run accident happens when a driver hits you or your vehicle and leaves the scene without stopping to identify themselves. Move to safety and call 911. Photograph the damage and the scene, and write down the fleeing vehicle's plate, make, model, and color and its direction of travel. Collect witness contact information, file a police report, then notify your insurer to open a claim.

What should you do immediately after a hit and run?

After a hit and run, your job at the scene is to stay safe and capture evidence, not to pursue the other driver. Move out of traffic, call 911, and record every detail about the vehicle that left: plate, make, model, color, and the direction it drove. Do not chase the fleeing driver.

Knowing what to do after a hit and run is mostly about documentation, because the other driver is gone and the record you build now is what your insurer and the police work from. Work through these steps in order:

1. Move to safety. Get yourself and your vehicle out of the travel lane if the car is drivable, and turn on your hazard lights so approaching drivers can see the scene.
2. Call 911. Report that a driver hit you and left. Ask for an officer to respond, and request medical help for any injury.
3. Write down the vehicle. Note the license plate, make, model, color, and direction of travel while the details are fresh. Even a partial plate helps the investigating agency.
4. Photograph everything. Capture the damage to your vehicle, the wider scene, any debris the other car left behind, and the surrounding road and signs.
5. Find witnesses. Ask anyone who saw the crash for their name and phone number, since an independent account can help identify the driver.
6. Do not follow the other car. Chasing a fleeing driver is dangerous and pulls you away from the scene and the evidence.

For the general version of these steps for any collision, see the full after-a-crash checklist. A hit and run adds one priority on top of it: describing the vehicle that left.

How do you file a police report for a hit and run, and how do you get a copy?

File a police report as soon as possible, in person or by phone, and give the officer every detail you captured about the vehicle that left. The report documents the collision and supports your insurance claim. Once the investigating agency completes it, you request a copy through that agency's report channel.

A police report matters more in a hit and run than in an ordinary crash, because it is often the only official account of a driver who did not stop. File it, then retrieve it:

1. Report promptly. Call the non-emergency line or visit the agency that covers where the crash happened, and give them your photos, the vehicle description, and any witness contacts.
2. Get your case number. The officer assigns a crash report or case number. That number is how you find the report later.
3. Request the report. Once it is completed, order it through the agency's channel, which may be LexisNexis BuyCrash, Carfax crashdocs.org, a state DOT or DMV portal, or the records division directly.

The report is written first, then posted; LexisNexis BuyCrash states that authorized parties can access a report within 24 to 48 hours of the report's completion, though the full timeline varies by agency and channel. Access to a crash report also varies by state. Some states restrict early release to the people involved and provide only a redacted copy to others: Florida makes a crash report confidential for 60 days under Florida Statute 316.066, and Texas limits release to interested parties under Transportation Code 550.065, where a non-qualifying requester "will receive a redacted copy of the crash report." To reach the exact office or portal for your crash, find the agency that has your crash report in the county directory.

Does insurance cover a hit and run?

Whether insurance covers a hit and run depends on the coverage you carry and your state. Uninsured motorist coverage can apply in many states, collision coverage pays for vehicle damage after your deductible, and Personal Injury Protection or MedPay can cover injuries. Coverage rules vary by state and policy.

There is no single national answer, because auto insurance is regulated state by state, a distinction the National Association of Insurance Commissioners tracks across jurisdictions. What matters is which of these coverages sits on your policy:

• Uninsured motorist (UM/UIM): In many states this coverage treats a hit-and-run driver as an uninsured driver, so it can pay for your injuries and, in some states, your vehicle damage. Some states require physical contact between the vehicles before UM will cover an unidentified driver. It is often the coverage that matters most after a hit and run, so it helps to understand how uninsured motorist coverage pays before you file.
• Collision: This pays to repair your own vehicle no matter who caused the crash, after you pay your collision deductible.
• PIP or MedPay: The Insurance Information Institute explains that in no-fault states, Personal Injury Protection pays a policyholder's own medical and economic losses regardless of who was at fault; MedPay does the same for medical costs where a policy includes it.

Coverage type	What it can cover after a hit and run	Deductible?	Depends on
Uninsured motorist (UM/UIM)	Your injuries, and in some states your vehicle damage, when the other driver is unidentified	Often none, or a small property-damage deductible in some states	Your state and policy; some states require physical contact
Collision	Damage to your own vehicle, regardless of who is found	Yes, your collision deductible	Whether you carry collision
PIP or MedPay	Medical costs for you and your passengers, regardless of fault	Usually none	Whether your state or policy includes it

Confirm which coverages are on your own policy before you assume a hit and run is covered, because the mix varies by state and by what you bought.

What if you didn't get the other driver's license plate?

You can still file a hit-and-run claim without the other driver's plate. Collision coverage can pay for your vehicle damage after your deductible, and Personal Injury Protection or MedPay can cover injuries, because these coverages do not depend on identifying the other driver. Uninsured motorist coverage may also apply.

You may not get a full plate, and your coverage is built for that situation. Collision and PIP or MedPay pay based on your own policy, so a missing plate does not stop those claims. Uninsured motorist coverage is where the plate matters more: because the other driver is unidentified, some states require physical contact between the vehicles before UM will treat the crash as a hit and run, and a few set a short deadline to report it. Those rules vary by state and by insurer, so verify with your own insurer and your state's department of insurance. File the police report either way. The report, your photos, and any witness statements give the claim an independent record even when the driver is never found, and they are what an adjuster reviews.

Will a hit-and-run claim raise your insurance rates?

A hit and run is generally treated as a not-at-fault claim rather than an at-fault accident. Whether it affects your premium varies by state and by insurer, and some states limit or prohibit surcharges for not-at-fault claims. Check your state's rule rather than assume.

You did not cause a hit and run, and insurers and regulators generally separate not-at-fault claims from at-fault ones. The effect on your premium is not uniform, though. Some states bar insurers from surcharging a policyholder for a not-at-fault claim, others leave more room for a rate change, and individual insurers weigh claims history differently. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is the neutral reference for how each state regulates rating, and your own state's department of insurance can tell you the local rule. Filing the claim is usually still the right move, because the coverage you pay for exists for exactly this situation, and an unrepaired car or an untreated injury costs more than a possible rate question. Ask your insurer directly how a not-at-fault hit-and-run claim is treated in your state before you decide.

How long do you have to report a hit and run?

Report a hit and run to the police promptly; some states set a specific window to report a crash. Notify your insurer within the time your policy requires. Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime in most states, and the penalties for the driver who left vary by state.

Two clocks run after a hit and run, and both favor acting quickly. The first is the police report: some states set a deadline to report a crash that involves injury or damage above a dollar threshold, and that threshold and window differ in every state, so confirm your state's rule with its DMV. The second is your insurance policy, which requires prompt notice and sets its own deadline for filing, so read your policy or call your agent. Reporting early also protects the evidence while witnesses and any camera footage still exist. Leaving the scene of a crash is itself a crime in most states, and the consequences for the driver who fled are decided by the courts, not by you or by the report. This is general information, not legal advice; for a deadline that applies to your situation, confirm with a licensed attorney in your state.

Once your report is filed and your insurer is notified, the last step is to get the report itself. When it is ready, use your case number to look up your state's accident-report directory, find the exact agency or portal that holds your crash report, and send a copy to your insurer. That single document ties your hit-and-run claim together.