You may still have a way to recover. The most common one is your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, which you buy through your own auto policy and which is built to step in when the at-fault driver has no insurance.
California requires insurers to offer UM and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, so many San Diego drivers already carry it even if they don't remember signing up. If you do, you can file a claim with your own company for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, up to your policy limits. UIM works the same way when the other driver had a policy but not enough to cover what you lost.
Here's the part people don't expect. Your own insurer is still an insurance company, and it may fight the claim just like the other side would. Having someone handle the adjuster for you can matter.
If the driver took off, that's a different situation, and you can read more on our hit and run page. Either way, these are still car accident and personal injury claims, and California's two-year filing deadline under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 can apply.
This is general information, not legal advice, and every case turns on its own facts.
Not sure what coverage you have? Call Joe Crudo at (858) 622-7280 or reach us through /contact. The consultation is free.