Test blog

Protect yourself before you worry about the claim

Get out of traffic if you can do so safely, then call 911. A police report is the document insurers ask for when no other driver is available to confirm what happened.

• Ask for medical care, even if the pain feels minor at the curb. Some injuries show up hours later, and the records tie those symptoms to this crash.
• Write down the vehicle description while it is fresh: color, make, damage, a partial plate, and the direction it left.
• Photograph your car, the roadway, debris, and any visible injuries. Note the time and the cross streets.
• Look for witnesses and cameras — storefronts, doorbells, and nearby traffic cameras often see more than the people in the cars.
• Do not chase the other driver. A plate number and a report are more useful than a second crash.

Who can still pay if the driver is never found

Uninsured motorist coverage on your own automobile policy is built for a hit-and-run. If you carry it, your insurer steps into the role the missing driver abandoned, subject to your limits and the proof the policy requires.

If investigators later identify the driver, the claim can shift to that person’s liability coverage. Med-Pay or health insurance may cover treatment in the meantime. Which source pays first depends on the policies in your household, not on a single rule of thumb.

Leaving the scene of an injury collision is a separate Vehicle Code offense. That criminal exposure does not, by itself, write a check — but it is another reason the report, photos, and witness names matter.