What Happens If You’re Injured in a Hit-and-Run Accident?
Key Takeaways
Report the hit-and-run immediately and document as much of the scene as possible.
Seek medical attention and keep records of your injuries, expenses, and missed work.
You may still have options for compensation even if the other driver is never found.
A car accident is stressful enough when both drivers stay at the scene and exchange information.
When the other driver takes off, the situation can become much more confusing. You may be left with a damaged vehicle, injuries that need medical attention, and no insurance information from the person who caused the crash.
A hit-and-run can make the process of recovering compensation more complicated, but the fact that the other driver left does not necessarily mean you are out of options.
The steps you take immediately after the accident can help protect your health, preserve important evidence, and give law enforcement and your insurance company more information to work with.
If you have been injured in a hit-and-run accident in Ohio, here is what you should know about what happens next and the options that may be available to you.
What Is Considered a Hit-and-Run in Ohio?
A hit-and-run generally occurs when a driver involved in an accident leaves the scene without stopping and providing the information required by law.
Under Ohio law, a driver who knows they were involved in an accident on a public road or highway must stop and remain at the scene while providing required identifying and vehicle information.
Leaving the scene can carry serious consequences, particularly when someone has been injured. However, knowing the other driver broke the law doesn't answer the questions an injured person is likely facing in the moments after the accident.
You may still need medical care, your vehicle may need repairs, and you may have no idea who was behind the wheel.
That's why the actions you take after a hit-and-run can be especially important. Even without the other driver's information, there are still ways to document what happened and begin figuring out what options may be available.
Start by Calling the Police
After a hit-and-run accident, one of the first things you should do is contact law enforcement. Even if the damage initially appears minor, having the accident documented creates an official record of what occurred and gives police an opportunity to investigate.
Give officers as much information as you can remember about the other vehicle. The make, model, color, approximate year, license plate number, or even a few characters from the plate could be useful.
Details about the direction the vehicle traveled, visible damage, distinguishing features, and what the driver looked like may also help.
Try to write down those details as soon as possible. The moments after an accident can be chaotic, and something that feels impossible to forget while you're standing at the scene may become much harder to recall several hours later.
Most importantly, don't put yourself or anyone else in additional danger by trying to chase the other driver. Stay somewhere safe, contact police, and provide investigators with whatever information you have.
Document as Much as You Can at the Scene
Evidence matters after virtually any car accident, but it can be particularly important after a hit-and-run because one of the primary sources of information, the other driver, is gone.
If you are physically able to do so safely, take photographs and videos of your vehicle, the surrounding roadway, debris, skid marks, traffic signs, damage to nearby property, and the overall accident scene.
If there is visible paint transfer or damage that may have come from the other vehicle, document that as well.
Look around for potential witnesses. Another driver, someone walking nearby, a homeowner, or an employee at a nearby business may have seen something you missed.
Ask for their contact information so they can be reached later if necessary. It is also worth looking for nearby businesses, homes, intersections, parking lots, or doorbell cameras that may have captured the accident or the vehicle leaving the area.
We've previously discussed why documentation matters in What Evidence Can Help Strengthen a Personal Injury Claim?.
Photographs, witness information, medical records, and other documentation can help create a clearer picture of what happened and how the accident affected you.
Evidence can become especially important if the other driver is never identified.
Ohio's uninsured motorist law includes provisions involving unidentified drivers and the evidence needed to establish that an unidentified driver's actions caused an injury.
Get Medical Attention After the Accident
When another driver has just fled the scene, your attention may immediately turn toward finding them or figuring out what to do about your vehicle. Don't let those concerns cause you to overlook your health.
Some accident injuries are obvious immediately, while others may become more noticeable after the initial shock of the collision begins to wear off.
Pain, dizziness, numbness, confusion, limited movement, headaches, or other symptoms following an accident shouldn't simply be brushed aside.
Seeking appropriate medical attention gives healthcare professionals an opportunity to evaluate your condition and recommend treatment.
It also creates documentation of your symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Those records can become important if you later pursue compensation related to your injuries.
Avoid assuming an injury isn't serious simply because you were able to walk away from the scene. If something doesn't feel right after an accident, take your symptoms seriously.
Burnside Brankamp Law represents people dealing with a variety of personal injuries, including injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents.
What Happens If Police Find the Driver?
Leaving the scene does not necessarily mean the other driver will remain unidentified. Witness statements, surveillance footage, license plate information, vehicle debris, and other evidence may help investigators determine who was involved.
If the driver is identified, a personal injury claim may potentially proceed against the responsible party and applicable insurance coverage, depending on the circumstances.
The driver may also face separate consequences for leaving the scene. Any criminal case involving the driver's actions is separate from an injured person's potential claim for compensation.
Finding the driver can answer one of the biggest unknowns following a hit-and-run, but it doesn't automatically resolve everything.
There may still be disagreements about how the collision happened, who was responsible, what injuries resulted from it, and what damages may be recoverable.
If the driver is identified but turns out to be uninsured, Ohio has a process allowing a person involved in an accident to submit a report alleging that another driver or vehicle owner was uninsured. Ohio Revised Code Section 4509.06 outlines the state's requirements and deadlines for these reports.
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles also provides information about insurance-related noncompliance and Ohio's financial responsibility requirements.
What If the Hit-and-Run Driver Is Never Found?
This is often the biggest concern after a hit-and-run. If nobody knows who hit you, who is responsible for your medical expenses and other losses?
The answer depends on the circumstances of the accident and the insurance coverage available to you.
In Ohio, auto insurance policies may include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, but insurers are not currently required to include it in every policy. If your policy does include uninsured motorist coverage, it may become particularly important when the person who caused an accident cannot be identified.
Because insurance policies vary, review your own coverage rather than assuming you either are or aren't protected after a hit-and-run.
Your policy may contain specific requirements concerning notice, documentation, deadlines, and how a hit-and-run claim must be handled.
Property damage can involve separate coverage considerations as well. Ohio law addresses uninsured motorist property damage coverage and when insurers must make that coverage available.
Whether that or another portion of your policy applies will depend on the coverage you purchased and the circumstances surrounding the accident.
If you're unsure what your policy covers or how to proceed with a claim, speaking with a personal injury attorney can help you better understand the options available based on your specific situation.
Keep Track of What the Accident Is Costing You
The effects of a hit-and-run don't necessarily end when your vehicle leaves the scene. Medical appointments, missed work, prescriptions, transportation expenses, vehicle repairs, and other costs can begin adding up quickly.
Keep copies of bills, receipts, medical records, repair estimates, insurance correspondence, and anything else connected to the accident.
If your injuries prevent you from working or cause you to miss shifts for appointments, keep records of that time as well.
It can also be helpful to keep track of how your recovery progresses. An injury can affect more than the balance on a medical bill.
Pain, physical limitations, difficulty completing normal activities, and other changes to your daily life may help show the broader impact the accident has had.
Keeping these records organized from the beginning is generally much easier than trying to recreate weeks or months of information later.
Be Careful About What You Say and Post After the Accident
After a hit-and-run, you may speak with police officers, medical providers, your insurance company, repair shops, witnesses, and eventually attorneys or investigators. Provide accurate information, but avoid guessing about details you genuinely don't know.
You should also be careful about discussing the accident publicly. Posting a photo of your damaged vehicle or updating friends about your recovery might feel harmless, but social media can create unnecessary complications while a personal injury claim is being evaluated.
We covered this issue more thoroughly in Why You Should Never Post About an Accident on Social Media.
Photos, comments, check-ins, and even seemingly unrelated posts can potentially be viewed in a different context when an insurance claim or legal dispute is underway.
You don't need to provide a running public account of your recovery. Keep important documentation organized privately and be thoughtful about what information you share while your claim is unresolved.
A Hit-and-Run Doesn't Mean You're Out of Options
One of the hardest parts of a hit-and-run accident is the uncertainty. In a typical collision, you at least know who the other driver is and usually have their insurance information.
After a hit-and-run, you may not know whether that person will ever be found or where compensation for your injuries may come from.
That uncertainty is exactly why documenting the accident, reporting it promptly, getting appropriate medical care, and reviewing your insurance coverage are so important.
Depending on the circumstances, there may still be options available even when the at-fault driver cannot immediately be identified.
A personal injury attorney can review the accident, available evidence, insurance coverage, medical documentation, and other information to help determine what avenues may be available.
If the other driver is eventually identified, an attorney can also help address the personal injury side of the case while law enforcement handles its investigation.
Burnside Brankamp Law represents people who have been injured in auto accidents and other incidents throughout Ohio and Kentucky.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a hit-and-run accident, contact Burnside Brankamp Law to request a free case review and learn more about your options.
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