After a hit-and-run in San Francisco, move to safety, call 911 if anyone is hurt, and report the crash to SFPD or CHP. Take photos, write down everything you remember about the vehicle, and get witness contact information. See a doctor the same day and notify your insurer. If the crash caused injury or over $1,000 in damage, you also need to file DMV Form SR-1 within 10 days.
Hit-and-run crashes in San Francisco account for roughly 1 in 5 injury collisions in the city, and that number climbs even higher in fatal crashes. If you are trying to figure out what to do after a hit-and-run in CA, this guide walks you through every step, from the scene of the crash to reporting, insurance, and your options if the driver is never found.
If your car is blocking traffic and can still be driven, move it to the shoulder or a nearby parking area. If you are on foot, get onto the sidewalk and away from moving vehicles.
Call 911 right away if there are injuries or active danger. Even when no one appears hurt, a police report is usually required to process a hit-and-run claim.
Do not chase the driver. It puts you at risk, can worsen injuries, and may complicate your own case.
Before anything else, open your phone and record a voice memo or type out every detail you can recall about the car:
Even one or two characters from a plate number can be enough. SFPD has identified drivers from less. Write it down before you forget.
Do this before anyone moves their car or the tow truck arrives.
If anyone stopped or was close enough to see what happened, get their name and phone number before they leave. Witness accounts are hard for insurers to dismiss. Get their number before they walk away. If you later work with a San Francisco car accident lawyer, that information is part of your case.
Who you contact depends on where the crash happened. SFPD handles incidents within San Francisco city limits. CHP handles crashes on freeways and state highways.
If there are injuries or active danger, call 911. If the scene is stable and no one is hurt, use the non-emergency line.
When you speak with the responding officer, share every detail you collected. Before the call ends, ask for your incident report number. You will need it for your insurance claim and any follow-up with investigators.
If you were not able to speak with police at the scene, contact SFPD directly to file an SF hit-and-run report afterward.
See a doctor the same day, even if you feel fine. Pain from whiplash or a concussion can take hours to show up. By the time it does, the connection to the crash is harder to prove.
Going in right away also creates a medical record that ties your injuries to the date of the incident.
Keep everything: diagnosis notes, prescriptions, receipts, follow-up records. Don’t give them any.
Reporting correctly is part of what California law requires after a hit-and-run. Call SFPD or CHP as soon as possible after the crash. Without a police report on file, your insurance claim has no official record to stand on.
The second requirement is DMV Form SR-1, the Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California. Under California accident laws, you have 10 days to file it if the crash involved any injury, death, or property damage over $1,000. This is a separate obligation from the police report. You can download the SR-1 form as a PDF to fill out by hand, or complete it online through the California DMV.
The stronger your documentation, the harder it is for an insurer to minimize or deny what happened to you.
Yes. Recovering compensation after a hit-and-run is possible even if SFPD never identifies the person who hit you. You may still be able to recover damages through your own insurance policy.
California requires insurers to offer Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage to every driver. If you have it, it applies to hit-and-run situations where the at-fault driver cannot be identified. UM coverage can pay for things like medical treatment, hospital stays and rehabilitation, lost wages if you had to miss work, and pain and suffering.
Report the hit-and-run to your insurer as soon as possible. Delays in reporting can give the insurance company grounds to reduce or deny your claim.
Whether you are dealing with an uninsured driver in SF or a hit-and-run where the at-fault party was never found, more than one type of coverage may apply to your situation.
Uninsured motorist coverage is the most relevant when the at-fault driver cannot be identified or has no insurance. Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle regardless of who was at fault, though your deductible applies. Medical payments (MedPay) coverage can help with medical expenses for you and your passengers, regardless of fault.
Review your policy carefully and call your agent if you are unsure what you carry.
You can file a claim directly against their auto insurance policy. If their coverage is not enough to cover your damages, your own UM/UIM policy may cover the gap.
You also have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver directly. The personal injury claims process can cover all medical expenses, past and future, lost income and reduced earning capacity, pain, suffering, and emotional distress, and punitive damages if the driver’s conduct was especially reckless.
On the criminal side, leaving the scene of an accident is a prosecutable offense in California. That is a separate process handled by prosecutors, but a conviction can actually strengthen your civil case by establishing the driver’s fault on record.
You have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver. After it closes, courts will generally dismiss the case regardless of how strong it is.
If a city vehicle or a dangerous road condition contributed to the crash, the deadline is much shorter. Government claims in California must be filed within six months of the incident and missing that window typically means losing the right to pursue that avenue entirely.
Your insurance policy may also impose its own reporting deadlines, which can be shorter than you expect. Read your policy carefully and report as soon as possible.
Most mistakes happen in the first few hours, when everything is chaotic and the decisions feel small. These are the ones that tend to hurt claims the most:
You do not need a lawyer for every crash. But when it comes to legal help after a hit-and-run, having one makes a real difference in what you recover:
Insurance companies have their own adjusters and legal teams. A San Francisco personal injury lawyer makes sure you are not navigating that alone.
If you were injured in a hit-and-run in San Francisco, a car accident lawyer can review your case at no cost. Call (844) 308-8180 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win.
Get to safety, call 911 if anyone is hurt, and write down everything you remember about the vehicle before the details fade. Take photos of the scene and your vehicle, collect witness contact information, and report the crash to SFPD or CHP. See a doctor the same day and notify your insurance company as soon as possible.
It depends on where the crash happened. SFPD handles incidents within San Francisco city limits. CHP handles crashes on freeways and state highways. If you are unsure, call 911 and the dispatcher will direct you to the right agency.
File a police report with SFPD or CHP as soon as possible. If the crash involved injury, death, or property damage over $1,000, you also need to file DMV Form SR-1 within 10 days. These are two separate requirements and one does not replace the other.
Yes, if the crash caused any injury, a fatality, or property damage exceeding $1,000. The SR-1 must be submitted directly to the California DMV within 10 days of the crash.
Yes. If you have Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage, it can apply to hit-and-run situations where the at-fault driver is never identified. UM coverage can pay for things like medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Report the hit-and-run to your insurer promptly and review your policy limits.
Uninsured motorist coverage is the primary option when the driver cannot be identified. Collision coverage can pay for vehicle damage regardless of fault. Medical payments coverage can help with immediate medical costs for you and your passengers. Check your declarations page or call your agent to confirm what you carry.
If you were injured, if the driver was never found, if your insurer is pushing back on your claim, or if you are dealing with a low settlement offer, it is worth speaking with a lawyer.
The same goes if you were hit as a pedestrian or cyclist, or if you are unsure about deadlines and what evidence to preserve. A free consultation costs you nothing and gives you a clear picture of what your case is worth.
Thompson Law charges NO FEE unless we obtain a settlement for your case. We’ve put over $1.9 billion in cash settlements in our clients’ pockets. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your accident, get your questions answered, and understand your legal options.
State law limits the time you have to file a claim after an injury accident, so call today.
