When To Report a Hit and Run (3 Crucial Tips to Know)

Have you found yourself seriously injured as a result of a driver’s negligence? When it comes to how early you should report a hit and run to the police, time is of the essence.

In Texas, the statute of limitations gives you 2-years to report a hit and run accident as a crime to the police. However, if you don’t report the accident within 24-hours, you may lose the ability to file an insurance claim, and evidence and witnesses will disappear, weakening the investigation.

The Importance of Filing a Police Report

First, the police report will prove the date and time of the accident. This is important because hit and run drivers often claim they were somewhere else at the time of the accident. Without the police report to substantiate the time of the accident, it will become your word against the drivers.

Further, the police report is necessary to make an uninsured motorist claim. If the driver is uninsured or never identified and found, you may have the ability to make an uninsured motorist claim through your own insurance company.

However, they’re going to insist that you have a police report, or they won’t even consider your claim.

Finally, if you decide to file a civil suit against the driver, a police report will be necessary. When police are called to the scene of a hit and run within 24-hours, they’re able to perform a thorough investigation, speak to witnesses, search for clues, and gain access to any security cameras in the area.

Sometimes it’s the police investigation, itself, that provides the most solid evidence of fault.

Getting the Help, Guidance, and Treatment you Need

If you’re rushed to the hospital from the scene of the accident and are unable to speak to the police on the scene, you have other options.

  • Call the police from the hospital and they will come to you to take a statement.
  • If you’re released from the hospital within 24-hours, you can go directly to the local precinct and report the accident in person.

Once you’ve reported the accident to the police, you should seek legal advice right away. Call us at the Felix Gonzalez Law Firm today. We’ll help you walk through several legal options in cohesion with your hit and run report.