Torrance Uninsured Motorist Lawyer

You did nothing wrong, and now the driver who hit you has no insurance, not enough of it, or is long gone. In California, your own policy usually steps in through uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, known as UM and UIM. That sounds simple until your own insurer becomes the company you are fighting. Moe Abdallah is a Los Angeles motor-vehicle injury attorney who takes uninsured motorist claims from his downtown office at 527 W 7th St. Below you will find how UM claims work for a crash in Torrance, what to do after a hit-and-run, the deadlines that can end a claim, and where you get treated and heard. Many people wait because they assume their insurer will treat them fairly. Deadlines keep running while you wait. Call (323) 716-1992 any hour. Se habla español.

Uninsured, underinsured, or gone: three different claims

People use the phrase uninsured motorist claim for three different situations, and the difference changes what you must prove. In the first, the other driver has no insurance at all. Your UM coverage pays your damages up to your policy limit. In the second, the driver has insurance, but the limits are too low to cover your injuries. The state minimum for policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025 is only $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident, and a serious injury burns through that quickly. In that case you take the at-fault driver's limits first, then claim the rest under your own UIM coverage. In the third, the driver fled and nobody knows who it was. Every California auto liability policy must include UM coverage unless the insured signed a written waiver on the form the statute requires (Insurance Code 11580.2). UIM comes bundled with it. Limits can be lowered, but never below the state minimums, and one named insured's waiver can bind everyone on the policy. Check your declarations page, or ask Moe to pull it. UIM has an extra step. It does not apply until the at-fault driver's liability limits are used up by settlement or judgment, and you must give your insurer proof. Your insurer then pays up to your UIM limit minus what the other driver's policy paid. UM limits from several vehicles or policies cannot be stacked. Getting the order of these steps wrong can cost you coverage.

What Torrance's crash numbers say about hit-and-run and DUI

The California Office of Traffic Safety publishes yearly rankings for cities of similar size, and Torrance sits in a group of 62. In 2023 Torrance recorded 647 fatal and injury victims, ranking 32nd of 62, where a lower rank number means worse. On hit-and-run collisions the city recorded 7 and ranked 62nd of 62, the most favorable rank in its group. That is good news for the city, but it is no comfort if your crash was one of the seven. The DUI numbers look different. OTS counted 123 DUI arrests in Torrance in 2023, ranking the city 12th of 62, and 50 alcohol-involved victims, ranking 43rd. We cannot tell you from these numbers how many Torrance crashes involved an uninsured driver, and we will not guess. One real incident shows how it plays out. In April 2025, ABC7 reported that a pedestrian fell from the curb into the lanes of Pacific Coast Highway near Ocean Avenue and was killed in a hit-and-run crash involving several vehicles. One person was arrested for DUI. It was a single incident, not a ranking. If a driver who fled or had no coverage hurt you or someone you love, Moe can tell you which claims you have.

Hit-and-run in Torrance: the 24-hour report and the 30-day statement

A hit-and-run UM claim has strict steps, and missing one can sink a good claim. First, the injury must come from physical contact between the other vehicle and you or your vehicle. If a car ran you off the road without touching you and the driver is never found, UM coverage for an unknown driver generally does not apply. Second, you must report the crash within 24 hours to the city police, which for a crash inside Torrance is the Torrance Police Department. In unincorporated areas, the statute points you to the sheriff or CHP. CHP usually handles crashes on freeways such as Interstate 405 and Interstate 110, so ask the officer which agency is taking the report. Third, you must send your insurer a sworn statement within 30 days (Insurance Code 11580.2(b)). Call the police from the scene if you can. If you were taken to a hospital, ask someone to call, or call as soon as you can. Then get the report number. TPD says to allow at least 15 days before a crash report appears online through LexisNexis eCrash. You can also request it from the Records Division at (310) 618-5529, with a request form, photo ID, and an $18.00 check or money order. Do what you can to find the driver. Photograph paint transfer, debris, and damage. Ask nearby businesses on Hawthorne Boulevard, Crenshaw Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, or the street where it happened about security cameras before the footage is erased. Write down every detail of the car, even partial plates. If witnesses saw it, get their names. The police report and the witness statements are what prove the other driver existed.

Your own insurer is now on the other side

A UM claim is a claim against the company you pay every month, and it does not act like a friend. The adjuster is trained to limit what the company pays. Expect questions about whether you were partly at fault, whether your injuries were already there, and whether your treatment was too much. California follows pure comparative negligence under Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, so partial fault reduces your award but does not erase it. Two traps catch people. First, do not settle with the at-fault driver or take a judgment against them without your insurer's written consent, because that can void your UM coverage (Insurance Code 11580.2(c)(3)). For UIM, you must promptly give your insurer a copy of any lawsuit you file against the underinsured driver. Second, do not give a recorded statement before you know what you are signing. The insurer must also tell you, in writing, about the statute of limitations at least 30 days before it runs, but that notice is not required if you already have a lawyer. Do not count on a reminder. Moe has seen this fight up close. One client was rear-ended by a driver who fled with no police report, and other firms turned her down. Moe recovered a $100,000 policy-limit UM claim for her. Another uninsured client with a broken sternum recovered $105,000 to cover hospital bills and future treatment. Every case is different, and past results do not promise a similar outcome.

The two-year UM deadline, arbitration, and Proposition 213

The UM deadline is not the same as an ordinary injury deadline. Under Insurance Code 11580.2(i)(1), you lose the claim unless within two years of the accident you do one of three things. You can sue the uninsured driver, reach an agreement with your insurer on the amount owed, or formally start arbitration by sending your insurer written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested. A phone call or regular email does not count. Once arbitration starts, it generally has to finish within five years. Your policy cannot make this deadline shorter. If a public entity is involved, such as a city vehicle, a bus, or a dangerous road, that is a separate claim with a six-month deadline to present it (Gov. Code 911.2). The City of Torrance takes claims by mail or in person at 3031 Torrance Blvd. Government vehicles are also excluded from the UM definition, so a city vehicle crash is not a UM claim at all. Proposition 213 can cut a claim down. If you owned an uninsured vehicle involved in the crash, were driving without financial responsibility, or were convicted of DUI for the crash, you generally cannot recover non-economic damages like pain and suffering (Civ. Code 3333.4). An uninsured owner hit by a convicted drunk driver is an exception. Property damage has its own track. Uninsured motorist property damage coverage is limited. Without collision coverage, it pays up to the lesser of your car's actual cash value or $3,500. It needs physical contact, an identified driver or license plate, and a report to your insurer within 10 business days (Ins. Code 11580.26).

Torrance injuries, hospitals, courts, and how Moe handles UM claims

A hit-and-run or an uninsured crash can leave you with bills and no one to send them to. Typical injuries include broken bones, spinal and back injuries, head injuries, and soft-tissue damage that lingers. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, in West Carson just outside Torrance, is listed by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority as a Level I adult and pediatric trauma center. Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance, at 4101 Torrance Blvd, has a 24/7 emergency department and is a Comprehensive Stroke Center and STEMI Receiving Center. Torrance Memorial Medical Center, on Lomita Boulevard, also has an emergency department. Keep every bill and record, because your insurer will ask for them. If you need to sue the at-fault driver, the case may be assigned to the Torrance Courthouse at 825 Maple Ave or to a downtown courthouse. A UM arbitration is a private hearing, not a court case. Moe confirms the right court with the LA Superior Court's Filing Court Locator. Here is how Moe works. You get a free review at any hour. He pulls your policy, makes sure the notice and arbitration steps are done correctly and on time, builds the medical and wage proof, and negotiates with your insurer. If your own company offers too little, he is ready to take it to arbitration or court. He keeps you updated by call and text, and you pay nothing unless he wins. In one matter, an insurer first offered $900 and the case ended at $75,000 total. Past results do not promise a similar outcome.

Talk to a Torrance uninsured motorist 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 uninsured motorist representation →

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