Hit and Run Accidents in San Diego

While any car accident in San Diego, California, can be stressful, few are more trying than hit-and-run collisions. When the driver leaves the scene of an accident, it can make it more challenging for you to recover the compensation you need to pay for costly medical care, offset a sudden loss of income while you’re out of work, and help you cope with the trauma you’ve experienced.

Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate the aftermath of a San Diego hit-and-run accident on your own. Call Singleton Schreiber, and trust our award-winning San Diego car accident lawyers to help you get the monetary justice you need and deserve.

Singleton Schreiber is a nationally acclaimed personal injury law firm recognized as a fearless advocate for California injury victims by the San Diego Business Journal, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and other respected organizations. Backed by decades of combined experience, our top-rated trial attorneys have helped clients win billions in financial awards.

Put our experienced legal team in your corner and trust us to help you maximize your recovery after a hit and run. Call our San Diego, CA, law office to schedule a free consultation now.

What is a Hit and Run?

Broadly speaking, a hit-and-run occurs when a driver involved in a traffic accident leaves the scene without exchanging information with other parties or waiting for the police to arrive.

In California, drivers are legally required to remain at the scene of an accident if there is damage to physical property, personal injury, or wrongful death. Drivers who flee the scene without carrying out their legal obligations can be charged with misdemeanor or felony hit-and-run charges, depending on the severity of the crash.

How Common Are Hit-and-Run Car Accidents in San Diego, CA?

According to California crash data, the city of San Diego averages two hit-and-run car accidents every day.

In 2023, a total of 796 hit-and-run collisions were reported within San Diego’s city limits, resulting in 967 deaths and 18 fatalities.

Roughly one-third of San Diego’s hit-and-run crashes happen on state highways, including I-8, I-5, US-15, and I-805.

While hit-and-run accidents can - and often do - involve two vehicles, that’s not always the case. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists collectively account for 31.8 percent of all hit-and-run crashes.

How Do I Get Compensation If the At-Fault Driver Leaves the Scene of the Crash?

In California, insurance is the primary source of compensation when you’re injured in a traffic accident. Under the state’s fault-based insurance system, the at-fault party’s insurance company is responsible for crash-related damages.

When the at-fault driver leaves the scene of an accident without disclosing their insurance information, it disrupts this system. It prevents victims from rightly seeking benefits needed to pay for their medical treatment, offset lost wages, repair damaged property, and compensate for their pain and suffering.

Fortunately, there are ways to get compensation even when a negligent driver leaves the scene.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

California has minimum insurance requirements. When you buy coverage, the insurance company is legally required to offer additional benefits, including Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UMC) and Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM).

Uninsured motorist coverage can be used when you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver or when you’re the victim of a hit-and-run. 

UMC essentially takes the place of the insurance benefits you would have been able to get from the hit-and-run driver’s insurance company.

If you’ve added UMC to your car insurance policy, you can tap into those benefits to cover your crash-related damages.

Seek Damages From Other Liable Parties

Car accidents don’t always happen for a singular reason. Many times, more than one person’s negligence or wrongful actions contribute to a wreck. Even if one of the parties responsible for your San Diego car accident leaves the scene, you still have the right to seek compensation from others who share fault.

Under California law, liability in car accidents is proportionate to fault. Let’s say the hit-and-run driver is 50 percent responsible for your recent crash. However, it’s determined that another driver is 50 percent responsible for the wreck, too. As a result, you can seek half of your damages from this other motorist.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim After a Hit and Run Car Accident in California?

The standard statute of limitations for car accident claims in California is two years. However, the statute of limitations can be tolled if there are extenuating circumstances. Among those include the fact that the defendant can’t be located or has left the state.

Tolling - or pausing - the statute of limitations ensures that a hit-and-run driver won’t escape liability for a San Diego car accident just because they’re not discovered by the second anniversary of the collision. Rather, the statute of limitations begins to run when they’re located, which gives the victim the rightful opportunity to file a claim with their insurance carrier or, more likely, sue them personally for crash-related damages.

Why Victims of Hit and Run Accidents in San Diego Trust Singleton Schreiber

While there may be options for recovering compensation after a hit-and-run accident in San Diego, don’t expect the insurance company (even yours) to make things easy for you. In order to force the results you deserve, you’ll need to put yourself on a level playing field.

That’s why hit-and-run accident victims in San Diego choose Singleton Schreiber.

We’re local lawyers with access to national resources. We genuinely care about the people we represent and strive to make a difference in their lives. The result: over $3 Billion in settlements and jury awards.

Focus on coping with the trauma of your hit and run and getting back on your feet. Trust our San Diego personal injury attorneys to explore your legal options and put a plan into action to ensure that you’re able to get the compensation you need to move forward.

We offer a complimentary case evaluation so that you can learn about your legal rights and discover the considerable benefits of working with our award-winning legal team. Call our San Diego law office today to get started.