A hit-and-run adds insult to injury: you’re hurt, your car is wrecked, and the person responsible didn’t even stop. People often assume that if the driver is never found, there’s no case. That assumption costs Missouri families real money, because in most hit-and-run cases there is a source of recovery — it’s just not the one people expect.
First: Report It Immediately
Call 911 from the scene. A prompt police report does three things: it starts the hunt for the fleeing driver (plate fragments, paint transfer, nearby cameras, witnesses), it documents that a hit-and-run actually occurred, and it protects your insurance claim — insurers scrutinize unreported “phantom driver” claims hard. The longer the gap between the crash and the report, the more room they have to doubt you.
Your Own Policy Is Usually the Answer
Missouri law requires uninsured motorist coverage on every auto policy issued in the state. A hit-and-run driver who is never identified is treated like an uninsured driver — which means your own UM coverage steps into their shoes and pays what they should have paid: medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering. If you have multiple vehicles on your policy, or multiple policies in the household, there may be more coverage available than you think.
The Part Nobody Warns You About
Here’s what surprises people: once you make a UM claim, your own insurance company sits on the other side of the table. The adjuster you’ve paid premiums to for years now has a financial incentive to minimize your injuries, just like the other driver’s insurer would. You’ve been a loyal customer; they’re still an insurance company. Treat a UM claim with the same care — and the same representation — as any other injury claim.
If the Driver Is Found
Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime in Missouri, and drivers who flee often flee for a reason — no insurance, no license, or something worse. If they’re caught, you may have claims against their liability coverage plus your own underinsured motorist coverage if their limits are too low. The criminal case against them proceeds separately from — and often helps — your civil claim.
So — Worth Pursuing?
If you were injured: almost always yes. The recovery path runs through your own policy, the deadlines are real, and the evidence (cameras, witnesses, vehicle debris) decays fast. Bring me the police report and your policy declarations page and I’ll tell you in one free consultation exactly what’s available. When you’re hurt, call Kurt. (417) 553-4898.