What Happens If the At-Fault Driver Leaves the Scene and Is Never Found?

July 31, 20255 min read

Hit-and-run crashes are among the most frustrating and stressful experiences a driver can face. One moment you’re driving through Tempe traffic, and the next, your car is damaged, or worse, you’re injured—and the other driver has disappeared.

But what if that driver is never found? Can you still recover compensation? The answer is yes, but the process works differently than a standard claim. Here’s what you need to know, based on insights from the Tempe car accident attorney team.


Why Drivers Flee the Scene

Drivers leave accident scenes for many reasons: they may not have insurance, they might be impaired, or they’re driving without a valid license. Unfortunately, these decisions create even more challenges for crash victims.

Arizona law considers leaving the scene of an accident a crime, especially when injuries are involved. But even when police actively search, not every hit-and-run driver is caught. When that happens, you need a plan for moving forward without them.


Your Insurance Still Matters

Even if the other driver is never identified, you may still have options through your own insurance policy. Many Arizona policies include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, which applies to situations where the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance—or, in the case of a hit-and-run, can’t be found at all.

If you carry underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage as well, it can also help in cases where a driver is found but doesn’t have enough coverage to pay your damages. These types of policies are especially important in cities like Tempe, where uninsured driver accidents are more common than many people realize.


What You Should Do Immediately After the Crash

If the at-fault driver flees, what you do next is critical for your safety and your claim:

First, call the police and report the incident. Even if the driver is never found, having an official hit-and-run report is crucial for insurance purposes.

Second, gather as much evidence as possible at the scene. This includes taking photos of your vehicle damage, your injuries, and the surrounding area. If there are tire marks, debris, or car parts left behind by the fleeing vehicle, document them too.

Third, look for witnesses or nearby cameras. Areas like Downtown Tempe and commercial zones often have surveillance systems, which might capture the driver’s license plate or provide details about the vehicle.


Medical Documentation Is Key

One of the challenges in hit-and-run claims is proving that your injuries resulted from the crash. This is especially important in cases where you don’t have the other driver’s admission of fault.

Prompt medical evaluation helps connect your injuries—whether it’s whiplash, spinal cord trauma, or traumatic brain injuries—directly to the incident. Keep all your records and receipts, as they’ll support your UM claim.


How Uninsured Motorist Claims Work for Hit-and-Run Collisions

When you file a UM claim for a hit-and-run, your own insurer essentially takes the place of the at-fault driver’s insurer. That means they’ll investigate the crash and your injuries, just as if you were filing against another driver.

This also means your insurer may challenge parts of your claim, including the severity of injuries or whether the accident happened as reported. It can feel like you’re fighting your own company for compensation, which is why careful documentation and consistency in your account of the accident are so important.


Property Damage Coverage May Vary

Uninsured motorist coverage in Arizona often focuses on bodily injury, not property damage. That means while your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering may be covered, your car repairs might fall under a different portion of your policy, such as collision coverage.

If you don’t carry collision coverage, you may have to pay for your vehicle damage out of pocket, unless your UM policy specifically includes property damage. Always review your policy details before filing.


What If You Don’t Have UM Coverage?

If you opted out of uninsured motorist coverage when purchasing your policy, recovering compensation becomes more challenging. You may have to rely solely on your collision coverage (for vehicle repairs) and medical payments coverage (if applicable).

Unfortunately, without UM coverage, your ability to seek payment for non-economic damages like pain and suffering may be limited unless the driver is eventually located.


Why Hit-and-Run Claims Can Take Longer

Even though you’re working with your own insurer, hit-and-run claims sometimes move slower than typical crash claims. This is because insurers often wait to see if law enforcement can identify the at-fault driver before finalizing payouts.

Additionally, if your injuries are serious—such as paralysis or permanent mobility issues—your insurer may want full medical documentation before calculating settlement amounts. In these cases, claims may take months instead of weeks.


How to Protect Yourself Moving Forward

You can’t control whether someone else flees the scene of a crash, but you can take steps to reduce your risk:

  • Review your policy and ensure you have adequate uninsured/underinsured coverage.

  • Consider adding collision and medical payments coverage if you don’t already have it.

  • Install a dashcam, which can help capture key details of fleeing vehicles and support your claim.

These steps are especially valuable for drivers who commute through high-traffic areas like South Tempe or along busy freeways, where hit-and-run crashes are more common.


Final Thoughts

Being hit by a driver who disappears can feel like an impossible situation, but you’re not without options. Even if the at-fault driver is never found, you can still pursue compensation through your own insurance policy—especially if you have uninsured motorist coverage.

The key is to act quickly: report the accident, gather evidence, seek medical treatment, and document every detail. While the process may feel overwhelming, it is possible to recover financial support even when the person responsible can’t be identified.

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