It's one of the worst situations a crash can leave you in. You got hit, and the driver took off. Or they stopped, and it turns out they have no insurance.
Your first thought is usually the scary one: there's nobody to pay for this. The bills are coming, your car is wrecked, you're missing work, and the person who caused it all is a license plate you half-remember or a driver with empty pockets. A lot of people stop right there. They eat the costs, or they take whatever tiny amount their own insurer first mentions, because they think a claim needs a defendant with deep pockets.
That's usually wrong. New York builds in backstops for exactly this. But every backstop has its own rules and its own clock, and the clocks are short.
Where the money can come from
Your own no-fault coverage
New York's no-fault system generally pays your basic medical bills and part of your lost wages through your own policy, regardless of fault, generally up to $50,000 in basic coverage. This works even when the other driver is unknown or uninsured. The application is generally due within 30 days of the crash, so move fast.
Uninsured motorist coverage
Every New York auto policy generally includes uninsured motorist protection. If the at-fault driver had no insurance, or fled and was never found, this coverage can stand in for pain and suffering claims. Many people carry it without knowing.
Coverage you didn't know you had
Supplemental coverage on your own policy, a policy in your household, or coverage tied to the vehicle you were in. Finding every applicable policy is detective work, and it's where experienced help matters most.
If you had no policy at all
Pedestrians and others hit by unknown or uninsured drivers may have a claim through MVAIC, a New York fund built for victims with no other coverage. It has strict notice deadlines, some measured in months.
Do these three things now
1. Report it to the police immediately
For a hit-and-run, a prompt police report is close to mandatory. Backstop claims generally require you to report the crash to police within about 24 hours, so do not wait.
2. Write down everything you remember
Plate fragments, car color and make, direction they fled, time and place, witnesses. Small details find drivers more often than you'd think.
3. Tell your own insurer, in writing, fast
Your no-fault application generally has a 30-day clock. Uninsured motorist and MVAIC claims have their own notice rules. These are general timelines, not advice about your case. Your deadline may be different. That is exactly why you should get advice now, not later.
Don't assume there's no case. Ask first.
Hit-and-run and uninsured claims are the ones people wrongly give up on. Call us before you do. For free, we'll go through what coverage may exist, which clocks you're on, and whether an independent New York attorney should take a look. The attorneys we work with charge no fee unless they win for you. You've been through enough. Don't lose your claim over paperwork.
Questions New Yorkers ask us
What is MVAIC?
A New York fund built for crash victims who have no other coverage, like pedestrians hit by unknown or uninsured drivers. It has strict notice deadlines, some measured in months, so ask about it early.
How fast do I have to report a hit-and-run to police?
Backstop claims generally require you to report the crash to police within about 24 hours. Your deadline may be different. That is exactly why you should get advice now, not later. Then work through the after-a-crash steps you still can.
Does uninsured motorist coverage apply to a hit-and-run?
Generally yes. If the driver fled and was never found, uninsured motorist protection on a New York auto policy can stand in for pain and suffering claims. Whether your injury clears the serious injury threshold is the other half of that question.
Think there's nobody to pay? Ask first. Get your free case review or call (347) 526-1246. A real person answers, 24/7.
