Get yourself safe and call 911 right away, then write down or photograph everything you can remember about the car and the driver before it fades. A police report and fast medical care are the two things that protect you most.
Here is the order I tell clients to work through. First, check yourself and your passengers for injuries and move out of traffic if you can. Second, call the police so there's an official report, even if the other car is long gone. On San Diego streets and the 5, 805, or 163, other drivers may have seen the crash, so ask witnesses to stay and get their names and numbers. Snap photos of your vehicle, the location, any debris, and paint transfer. If you caught even a partial plate, a color, or a make, write it down.
See a doctor the same day or the next. Some injuries, especially neck and back injuries, show up hours later, and a gap in treatment gives the insurance company something to argue about.
Even if the driver is never found, you may still have a path to recover. Your own uninsured motorist coverage often applies in a hit-and-run, and a car accident claim can move forward while police keep looking. California generally gives you two years to file an injury lawsuit under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, but don't wait, because evidence disappears.
This is general information, not legal advice, and every case turns on its own facts.
Talk it through with Joe Crudo for free. Call (858) 622-7280 or reach us through /contact.