Hit and Run Lawyer in Burbank

Someone hit you on Olive Avenue, in a Magnolia Park parking lot, or on a freeway ramp, and then they were gone. Now you have injuries, a damaged car and no name to send a bill to. In California, a driver who flees an injury crash commits a crime, but arresting that driver and paying your bills are two separate things. Your claim often runs through your own insurance, and that route has short deadlines that start the minute the crash happens. Miss one and the insurer has a reason to deny you. Below, you will see the deadlines that matter in Burbank, who writes your report, where evidence from a fled driver hides, and how Moe Abdallah handles the case from your first call. Call (323) 716-1992 any hour. The review is free.

The 24-hour report and the 30-day sworn statement

When the person who hit you cannot be identified, California treats that vehicle as uninsured. Your own uninsured motorist coverage can then pay for your injuries, but Insurance Code section 11580.2 sets three conditions. Your injury must come from physical contact with the fleeing vehicle. You must report the crash within 24 hours to the city police, or to the sheriff or CHP if it happened outside city limits. And you must file a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days after that report. For a crash inside Burbank, the agency is the Burbank Police Department, 200 N. Third St. The non-emergency line is (818) 238-3000 and the Traffic Bureau is at (818) 238-3100. Not sure which agency covers the spot, such as a freeway ramp? Report to both Burbank police and the CHP and write down each report number. If you are in a hospital bed, a family member can make the call for you. UM does not cover property damage, so your car is repaired through collision coverage if you bought it. We calendar every date the day you call.

What Burbank's hit-and-run ranking says, and what it does not

The California Office of Traffic Safety ranks cities in the same population group. In 2022 it placed Burbank 26th of 61 cities for hit and run. In 2023 it placed Burbank 36th of 62. Rank 1 is the worst record, so Burbank sits in the middle of the pack, not near the top of the list. We will not call the city a hit-and-run hotspot because the numbers do not say that. What matters for you is how Burbank police handle a fled-driver crash. The department takes a collision report when someone is hurt, and it also takes one for chargeable violations such as hit-and-run. So do not let anyone talk you out of filing just because the other driver is gone and you were not badly hurt at the scene. Injuries from a crash can show up a day or two later, and the report you file in the first 24 hours is what unlocks your coverage.

Finding a driver who fled: cameras, witnesses and paint

Evidence from a fled driver disappears fast, so the first week matters. Businesses along Olive Avenue, Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank Boulevard and San Fernando Road, and in the Media District and Magnolia Park, may run cameras that record over themselves. We send preservation requests fast. Burbank traffic camera footage is a separate request. The police report page sends those requests to the city's Traffic Engineering Department, so we ask there too. Look at your own vehicle too. Paint transfer, a broken mirror housing or a headlight fragment can point to the make and color of the other car. Photograph all of it before a body shop touches anything. If you have a dash camera, copy the file today. Ask anyone who stopped to give a name and number, because a witness who remembers part of a plate gives police something to search. Moe also checks whether a rideshare driver, delivery van or company truck was involved, since that changes who owes you money. If the driver is found later, we can pursue them directly, but we do not wait for that to protect your UM claim.

Treatment, Prop 213 and how adjusters handle unknown-driver claims

Get checked out even if you feel fine. Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, 501 S. Buena Vista St., has a 24/7 emergency department at (818) 843-5111, and it sits in Burbank itself. Tell the doctors exactly how you were hurt so the record ties your injuries to the crash. Then expect your own insurer to act like an opponent. Adjusters on UM claims often question whether there was real physical contact, whether you reported in time, and whether you were partly at fault. California follows pure comparative negligence, so partial fault reduces your award instead of ending it. Another trap is Proposition 213. An uninsured vehicle owner generally cannot recover pain and suffering, so if your own policy lapsed, tell us at the start. Your UM limit may also be low. California minimum auto limits are now $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident, and some policies carry no more. We read your policy before we talk numbers with anyone.

Two clocks after a Burbank hit and run, and when the city is involved

You generally have two years from the crash to sue under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. For a UM claim there is an extra rule. Within two years you must sue the uninsured motorist, agree on the amount with your insurer, or start arbitration by certified mail, return receipt requested. Most people hear about that rule too late. A much shorter clock applies if a city vehicle hit you and fled, or if a road defect or broken signal played a part. You must present a written claim to the public entity within six months. For Burbank, claims go to the City Clerk's Office on the city's Claim for Damages form, by email to cityclerks@burbankca.gov or by mail to P.O. Box 6459, Burbank, CA 91510. The clerk forwards it to the Liability Office for a decision. The Burbank Courthouse at 300 E. Olive Ave. is part of the Los Angeles Superior Court, but where an injury suit gets filed depends on the case, and Moe will tell you.

How Moe handles a fled-driver claim from day one

Moe takes the call himself and does not hand you to a case manager. On day one he confirms your report and sworn statement are on track, orders the Burbank police report, gets your policy, and sends evidence preservation letters before video is erased. Next he ties each treatment to the crash and presents the UM claim to your insurer with proof attached. In one case, a woman was rear-ended by a driver who fled, there was no police report, and other firms turned her down. Moe recovered a $100,000 policy-limit UM settlement. Past results do not predict a similar outcome, and your facts will differ. The point is that early steps shape a fled-driver claim. We work on contingency, so you pay no fee unless we win. We are available 24/7 and Se Habla Español. Call (323) 716-1992.

Talk to a Burbank hit-and-run accident lawyer

Call (323) 716-1992 for a free, no-obligation case review. You pay nothing unless we win, and we'll handle the insurance companies for you. Learn more about our hit-and-run representation →

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