Hit-and-Run Insurance Claims: How Do They Work? (2024)

A car insurance claim after a hit-and-run must be made with your own insurance company, unless you’re able to catch the fleeing vehicle’s license plate number. If the other driver is not identified, your injuries and property damage will only be covered if you have collision, uninsured motorist, PIP or MedPay coverage.

Specifically, you must have uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage, PIP or MedPay to cover your accident-related medical expenses. You must also have collision insurance or uninsured motorist property damage coverage to get damage to your vehicle paid for. It’s important to note that in California, Illinois, and Ohio, uninsured motorist property damage coverage will not pay for hit-and-run claims because the at-fault driver must be identified.

How Hit-and-Run Insurance Claims Work

1. You file a claim with your insurance company. Since you do not know the identity of the driver who hit your vehicle, you will file an insurance claim with your insurer instead of the at-fault driver’s insurance company. You can file a claim online, by phone, or in the company’s mobile app, depending on your insurance company.Give your insurer details about the incident, such as the location and time of the incident. Also provide any additional documentation that can help your insurer process the claim like medical bills, photos of the damage, and a police report if one was filed.
2. The insurance company investigates the claim. Your insurer will assign an adjuster who will look over all the information regarding the claim. They will assess the extent of the vehicle damage and injuries to determine whether the claim is valid and how much the insurer will pay out if the claim is approved.
3. You pay your deductible. The deductible is the amount you have to pay before your insurer will cover the rest, up to your policy limits. How much your deductible is depends on your policy and coverage type. Some types of insurance, such as MedPay and uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage, typically won’t have a deductible, while other types of insurance like collision coverage will most likely have a deductible.
4. Your insurance company pays out the claim. If your claim is approved, your insurance company will pay out your claim for your medical expenses and/or vehicle damage up to your policy limits.

What Insurance Covers a Hit and Run?

Personal injury protection (PIP): PIP pays for your accident-related medical expenses after a hit-and-run. It can also cover lost wages, childcare expenses, and household services, such as lawn care or cleaning. PIP is required in 12 states and optional in seven other states. You cannot get the coverage at all in 31 states.

Medical payments coverage (MedPay): MedPay covers your medical bills after a hit-and-run. It is similar to PIP but does not offer as much coverage. It’s required in Maine and New Hampshire, and optional in most other states. You can’t get MedPay in Minnesota, North Dakota or Oregon.

Collision: Collision insurance pays to repair or replace your car if it is hit by another vehicle. You can file a collision claim with your own policy even if the driver who struck you is never identified.

Uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI): UMBI typically covers hit-and-runs accidents since drivers who flee the scene of an accident are seen as uninsured drivers in most states. UMBI will help pay for your medical bills and lost wages up to your policy limits.

Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD): UMPD pays for your vehicle damage after a hit-and-run in most states that offer the coverage, including Texas and North Carolina. In other states, UMPD won’t apply to hit-and-run claims since those states require the at-fault driver to be identified for the coverage to apply. UMPD is not available in all states.

If the driver who struck your vehicle is identified later while your insurance company is still investigating your claim, your insurer can file a third-party claim with the other driver’s insurance company for your vehicle damage and accident-related medical expenses.

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guides on insurance claims and what to do after an accident.