If you were hurt by a driver who fled in Los Angeles, a hit and run accident lawyer can help you recover even when the driver is never identified. Your own uninsured motorist coverage steps in when the at-fault driver flees, so you can still be compensated for your injuries. Report the crash to police, notify your insurer promptly, and call Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. right away.
If you were hurt by a driver who fled the scene in Los Angeles, a hit and run accident lawyer can help you recover compensation even when the other driver is never found. That is what Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. does. It feels hopeless when someone hits you and drives off, but you are not out of options. Your own uninsured motorist coverage is built for exactly this moment, and investigators, cameras, and witnesses can sometimes still track the driver down. We take over the process, deal with the insurers, and fight for the full value of your injuries. You pay us nothing unless we win.
California law requires every driver involved in a crash to stop, give their information, and help anyone who is hurt. When a crash causes injury, leaving the scene is a felony under California Vehicle Code section 20001. When it causes only property damage, it is still a crime under California Vehicle Code section 20002. That legal duty matters to your case, because a driver who flees is presumed to be hiding something, whether it's no insurance, a warrant, or drinking. It also opens the door to criminal restitution if the driver is later caught. We keep the criminal side in view while we build your civil claim so nothing that could help you gets left behind.
The key to most hit-and-run cases is your own uninsured motorist coverage, often shown as UM or UMBI on your policy. It is designed to pay for your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance or, as in a hit-and-run, cannot be identified at all. In plain terms, your own insurer steps into the shoes of the driver who fled and pays what that driver should have paid. There are rules to follow, including prompt notice and, in many policies, some independent proof that a phantom vehicle caused the crash. We know how these policies work, we handle the notice and the paperwork, and we push your own insurer to treat your claim fairly, because even your own carrier will try to pay you less than you deserve. Many drivers don't realize they carry this coverage, or they assume a hit-and-run leaves them with nothing. In most cases the opposite is true. If your own policy limits fall short of your injuries, we also look at every other policy that might apply, including coverage on a resident relative's vehicle. The goal is simple: leave no source of recovery on the table.
A driver who flees is not always gone for good. Los Angeles is full of cameras, from traffic signals and businesses to doorbells and dashcams, and footage often captures a plate, a make, or a direction of travel. Witnesses remember details in the moment that fade fast, so we move quickly to find and record them. When it helps, we bring in investigators to canvass the area and pull records before they disappear. Police also work these cases, and a prompt, detailed report gives them and us a real chance. Even a partial plate or a paint transfer on your car can be the thread that identifies the driver and their insurance.
Move out of traffic if you can, call 911, and get checked out even if you feel okay. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap in treatment is the first thing insurers use to shrink a claim.
File a police report, ideally within 24 hours. Note the fleeing vehicle's plate, color, make, and direction, and photograph the scene, your car, and any injuries. Get names and numbers of witnesses.
Tell your own insurer about the hit-and-run so your uninsured motorist coverage stays available, but don't give a recorded statement or accept an offer first. The consultation is free.
In a hit-and-run, the insurer you deal with is often your own, and that does not make it your friend. Its job is to pay you as little as it can. It may claim there wasn't really a phantom vehicle, that you waited too long to report, that your injuries were already there, or that you were partly at fault. It will call sounding helpful, ask for a recorded statement, and float a fast, low settlement while you're still hurting. We shut those tactics down. We handle every conversation so you never have to, we gather the police report, camera footage, and witness accounts that prove a hit-and-run occurred, and we build your medical and liability evidence into a demand your insurer can't lowball. We prepare each case as if it will go to trial, which is exactly why insurers take represented clients seriously and pay more.
Fleeing a crash is a crime in California. Leaving the scene of a crash that caused injury is a felony under California Vehicle Code § 20001, and leaving a crash that caused only property damage is an offense under California Vehicle Code § 20002. Every driver has a duty to stop and exchange information. For you as the victim, the key is often your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, which steps in when the at-fault driver is unidentified or flees, so you can still recover for your injuries. Report the crash to police (aim for within 24 hours) and notify your own insurer promptly so that coverage stays available. You generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal-injury lawsuit under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, though your policy may require notice much sooner. California also follows pure comparative negligence (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.), so you can recover even if you were partly at fault, with your award reduced by your share.
You work directly with Attorney Moe Abdallah, who takes your case personally, fights the insurance company, and keeps you posted by call and text at every step.
You pay nothing upfront and nothing at all unless we recover for you. The consultation is always free.
Camera footage and witness memories fade within days. We move quickly to identify the driver and protect your uninsured motorist claim.
Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee, so our fee comes only from the compensation we recover for you. If we don't win, you owe us nothing. The consultation is always free.
Yes. This is exactly what your own uninsured motorist coverage is for. It steps in when the at-fault driver is unidentified or flees, so your own insurer pays for your injuries. We handle the claim and hold your insurer to fair treatment.
Uninsured motorist coverage, often shown as UM or UMBI, pays for your injuries when the other driver has no insurance or, as in a hit-and-run, can't be identified. Most California auto policies include it unless you signed a written waiver. Send us your policy and we'll tell you what you have.
As soon as possible. File a police report, ideally within 24 hours, and notify your own insurer promptly. Waiting can jeopardize both the police investigation and your uninsured motorist coverage, so don't put it off. Then call us.
If you weren't hurt and the damage is small, you may be able to handle it yourself. But if you were injured, uninsured motorist claims have strict notice rules and your own insurer will try to pay you less. A lawyer usually puts more money in your pocket even after fees. Not sure? Call us and we'll tell you straight, free.
Be careful. Even in a hit-and-run where you're using your own coverage, a recorded statement can be used to twist your words and shrink your claim. You often have some duty to cooperate, but you should not go it alone. Call us first and let us handle the conversation for you.
Usually not, at least not before your treatment is done. Once you accept, you cannot reopen the claim, and a fast offer is almost always less than your injuries are worth. Let us review any offer for free before you sign anything.
Yes. Adrenaline masks pain right after a wreck, and injuries like whiplash or a concussion can show up days later. A gap between the crash and treatment is the number one thing insurers use to deny a claim, so get checked out and keep every record. Then call us.
Sometimes, yes. Los Angeles is full of traffic, business, doorbell, and dash cameras, and witnesses often catch a plate or a description. Even a partial plate or paint transfer on your car can be the thread. We move fast, often with investigators, to find the driver before the evidence disappears.
If you weren't at fault, using your uninsured motorist coverage generally shouldn't raise your rates in California. Rate hikes are tied to your own fault, not to being the victim of someone else's crime. If you're worried about it, ask us and we'll explain how it applies to you.
You can still recover. California follows pure comparative negligence, so your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than barred entirely. Insurers overstate your share to pay less, and we push back with evidence.
It depends on your injuries and whether the driver is found. A simple case can settle in a few months, while a serious-injury case takes longer because we won't settle before your prognosis is clear. We keep you posted at every step so you always know where things stand.
Authoritative resources: California Courts, self-help for injury claims · Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1, 2-year deadline · California DMV · California Office of Traffic Safety, crash data
When you call Moe Abdallah Law, you work directly with your attorney and get straight answers, not a call center. Moe takes on the insurance companies and fights for the maximum, and he keeps you updated at every step. The consultation is free and you pay nothing unless he wins.
Real recoveries from an attorney who takes your case personally and fights for the maximum.
Rear-ended by a driver who fled with no police report, and other firms turned her down. Moe opened an uninsured-motorist claim, proved she could not have been at fault, and secured the full policy limit.
Broke his sternum and had no insurance of his own, and his prior attorney ignored him. Moe took his calls day and night and recovered a settlement that covered his hospital bills and future treatment.
Cut off on the freeway and left with back and neck pain over four months of treatment. Moe secured the full policy limit for his pain and suffering, and his totaled car was reimbursed.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.
Attorney Moe represented me with nothing but care and diligence during my case, he got me the results that I needed while I was going through a hard time.
Attorney Moe was attentive to all my concerns and issues. He walked me through the entire process of my case and made things easy to understand. I cannot recommend him enough!
I would definitely recommend this firm to anyone looking for reliable legal guidance.
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