Hit and Run Accident in Arizona: Three Steps to Protect Your Claim

A driver hit your car and fled. Your immediate decisions in the next hour will determine whether you can recover compensation at all. Arizona law gives you a path to payment even when the at-fault driver disappears, but that path depends on actions you take at the scene and within days of the crash.

Step One: Call 911 and Make Sure There Is a Police Report

Call 911 immediately and wait for officers to arrive. A police report is the foundation of your uninsured motorist (UM) claim. Arizona law (A.R.S. § 28-661) requires any driver involved in an accident resulting in injury or death to stop at the scene. A driver who flees has violated that duty, and A.R.S. § 28-663 adds separate requirements to provide identification and render reasonable aid. Hit-and-run involving injury or death is classified as a felony [VERIFY exact class]; hit-and-run involving property damage only is a class 2 misdemeanor [VERIFY].

When officers arrive, be thorough and accurate. Describe the vehicle color, make, model, direction of travel, and any partial plate you noted. Officers will document the scene and open an investigation. Without a formal report tied to your claim number, your own insurer has grounds to dispute whether a hit-and-run actually occurred, which makes payment far slower and sometimes impossible.

Step Two: Document Everything Before You Leave the Scene

Use your phone to record what the police report alone cannot capture. Photograph all damage to your vehicle from multiple angles. If you have visible injuries, photograph those as well. Record a short video panning the intersection or roadway so the geometry of the crash is preserved. Note the exact time, street names, and direction each vehicle was traveling.

Witnesses matter significantly. Ask anyone who stopped or was standing nearby for their name and phone number. A neighbor across the street, a pedestrian on the sidewalk, or a driver stopped at the same light may have caught more detail than you did. Check for surveillance cameras on nearby businesses, ATMs, or traffic signal poles. Note their locations and ask a lawyer to subpoena the footage quickly since many systems overwrite after 48 to 72 hours.

Do not move your vehicle until officers clear you to do so. The physical position of your car tells investigators the direction of impact and corroborates your account.

Step Three: File a Claim Under Your Own Uninsured Motorist Coverage

When the at-fault driver flees and is never identified, your recovery comes from your own uninsured motorist (UM) policy. Under A.R.S. § 20-259.01, Arizona insurers are required to offer UM coverage to every policyholder. You could have waived it in writing. If you kept it, that policy is now your primary compensation source for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Contact your insurer promptly but do not give a recorded statement without legal counsel present. Adjusters may use your words to narrow your claim or suggest shared fault. Cooperate with your own insurer as required by your policy; just do it on terms that protect you.

What Happens If the Driver Is Found Later

Police investigations sometimes identify the fleeing driver days or weeks after the crash. If that happens, your claim shifts. You now have a direct negligence claim against that person in addition to any UM claim already filed. Arizona follows pure comparative negligence (A.R.S. § 12-2505), meaning any fault attributed to you reduces your recovery proportionally, but you can still recover even if you bear some share of responsibility.

The 2-year statute of limitations applies under A.R.S. § 12-542. That clock starts running on the date of the crash. Missing it means losing the right to sue regardless of how strong your case is. Do not wait to consult an attorney while hoping police will close the investigation on their own timeline.