Motorcycle hit-and-run
accident lawyers.
The driver who hit you fled. Your own uninsured motorist coverage steps in — and we make sure your insurer treats that claim as seriously as they would any other.
Hit-and-run motorcycle crashes
They fled. Your own insurer becomes your case.
Motorcyclists are struck and abandoned by fleeing drivers at disproportionately high rates — riders are simply harder to see in a mirror, and a driver who clips a motorcycle may not even register that a collision occurred. When the at-fault driver cannot be identified or located, your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage becomes your primary path to recovery. California requires insurers to offer UM coverage on every policy, and if you carry it, your insurer steps in and pays your damages up to your policy limit.
This is where many riders are caught off guard: even though you're filing against your own policy, your insurer's financial incentive is still to pay as little as possible. UM claims can involve disputes over whether the hit-and-run happened as described, the severity of your injuries, and how much your claim is actually worth — the same adversarial dynamic as any third-party claim, just filed under a different name.
If you don't carry UM coverage, California's Victim Compensation Board may offer limited financial assistance, though typically far less than a full personal injury recovery would provide. This gap is exactly why we strongly recommend every rider carry UM/UIM coverage — motorcyclists face a measurably higher risk of being hit by an uninsured or unidentified driver.
If the driver is later identified — through a witness's partial plate report, traffic camera footage, or a subsequent arrest — a direct civil claim against them becomes available on top of your UM claim. Contact us today — early notice to your insurer and prompt evidence preservation both matter.
Step-by-step
What to do after a hit-and-run.
Even a partial description of the fleeing vehicle can matter. And your own insurer's timeline for notice can be stricter than you think.
Free case review →Color, make, model, approximate year, partial plate number, direction of travel — even a fragment of information can help law enforcement identify the driver later.
A same-day police report is essential for both your UM claim and any future identification of the driver. Get the report number before you leave the scene if possible.
Photograph skid marks, debris, and any paint transfer on your motorcycle from the other vehicle — this evidence can help confirm the mechanism of the crash and, occasionally, help identify the vehicle involved.
A same-day medical visit creates the causation record your UM claim depends on. Adrenaline can mask serious injury after a sudden, unexpected crash.
Report the crash to your own carrier quickly to preserve your UM claim, but limit your statement to the basic facts — date, location, and that the driver fled — until you've spoken with an attorney.
Your own insurer may request a recorded statement early — treat this with the same caution you would a third-party insurer. We handle UM claims regularly and know exactly how these adjusters operate.
Common injuries
No driver to answer for
what they caused.
Hit-and-run crashes span every mechanism — a sideswipe, a left-turn, a rear impact — but share the added burden of an unidentified or fled defendant.
Your own insurer is still an insurer.
Riders are often surprised that their own carrier resists a UM claim the same way a third-party insurer would. Here's what to expect.
Questions & answers
Hit-and-run FAQ.
Your policy's deadline may be shorter than you think.
UM claims are governed by your insurance policy's own terms, which often require prompt notice of the incident — sometimes on a stricter timeline than the standard two-year statute of limitations under CCP § 335.1 that applies to a direct claim against an identified driver. Notify your insurer immediately after any hit-and-run and involve an attorney early to make sure your claim is preserved under both tracks.