The driver who hit you sped off, leaving you with a damaged car, no insurance information, and no idea what happens next. A Texas hit and run accident lawyer's first job in that situation is simple: confirm what your own insurance actually covers, because in most cases, it covers more than people expect.
The Calderon Law Firm helps injured drivers across Houston and Texas pursue compensation through their own coverage, scene evidence, and Texas law, even when the at-fault driver is never found.
Whoever hit you and drove off, you still have a path to compensation through your own insurance. Call 346-999-5673 and we'll map it out with you.
The driver left, but your claim didn't leave with them
Leaving the scene of an accident does not erase the accident or your right to recover compensation for it. It just means the path to that compensation usually runs through different evidence, and through your own insurance company instead of the other driver's.
That shift can feel discouraging at first, since most people expect to go after the driver who actually caused the crash. In practice, your own policy is often faster and more reliable anyway, once the legal pieces are in place.
Is leaving the scene of an accident a crime in Texas?
Yes. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550 requires every driver involved in a crash to stop, exchange information, and help anyone who is injured. Leaving before doing that is a criminal offense, and the penalties get more serious if someone was hurt or killed.
If the driver who hit you is later caught, that criminal case can become useful evidence in your own claim. It does not replace your civil case, but a citation or conviction makes it harder for an insurance company to argue the crash didn't happen the way you described it.
When the driver is never identified, your own insurance becomes your case
If the person who hit you is never found, Texas law treats them the same as an uninsured driver for purposes of your policy. Your uninsured motorist, or UM, coverage steps in and pays your claim up to your policy limits, the same way the other driver's insurance would have.
This is exactly what UM coverage exists for, and the Texas Department of Insurance confirms it applies to hit-and-run accidents specifically. Most Texas drivers already carry this coverage unless they turned it down in writing, so the real question is usually how much you have, not whether you have it.
Does my insurance still cover a hit-and-run if the other car never touched me?
It can, but it gets harder. Most Texas UM policies require actual physical contact between your car and the other vehicle, since that rule exists to prevent fraudulent claims about cars that were never really there.
If a driver ran you off the road or caused you to swerve without ever touching your car, your insurer will usually want independent proof that the other vehicle existed, such as a witness who saw it happen. Without contact and without a witness, this type of claim becomes a much harder conversation with your insurer.
If your insurance company is questioning whether the hit-and-run even happened, that's exactly the fight we handle. Call 346-999-5673.
Evidence disappears faster than you'd think
The two-year deadline to file a claim feels far away, but the evidence that proves your hit-and-run often doesn't last nearly that long. Nearby business and doorbell cameras frequently overwrite their footage within a week or two, sometimes sooner.
This applies just as much in an apartment parking lot as it does on a freeway. If there is any camera near where it happened, a request to preserve that footage needs to go out almost immediately, not after your claim is already underway.
What if the driver is identified later?
If police or witnesses later identify the driver, your case generally shifts from a UM claim against your own insurer to a standard claim against the at-fault driver's policy. The official Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report becomes an important piece of that case once it's available.
It can take a week or two after the crash for that report to be finalized. Once it is, it usually confirms whether the crash was coded as a hit-and-run and what, if anything, officers were able to determine about the other vehicle.
Why Houston drivers bring hit-and-run claims to The Calderon Law Firm
We have helped more than 5,000 Texan families and recovered more than $200 million in compensation for our clients. Hit-and-run claims against your own insurer can turn adversarial fast, since the company that's supposed to help you becomes the one deciding whether to pay.
We treat a UM claim with the same preparation as a lawsuit against an at-fault driver, because that is effectively what it is. If your accident also involved a commercial or delivery vehicle that fled the scene, our team can help sort out which policies actually apply.
Ask The Calderon Law Firm
Will my insurance rates go up if I file a hit-and-run claim?
They shouldn't. Texas law generally prohibits insurers from raising your rates solely because you filed a claim for an accident that wasn't your fault, including a UM claim after a hit-and-run. If you notice a rate increase tied directly to this claim, that's worth challenging.
Can I still get compensation if the hit-and-run driver is never found?
Yes. Your own uninsured motorist coverage exists for exactly this situation and pays out as if the unidentified driver had a policy. The amount available depends on your policy limits, not on whether the other driver is ever caught.
What if the other car never actually touched mine?
Start gathering whatever you can immediately, including witness names, dashcam footage, and photos of where the vehicles ended up. A no-contact claim is harder to prove, but it isn't automatically denied if you can show someone else saw the other vehicle cause the crash.
Should I talk to my insurance company before talking to a lawyer?
Report the accident to your insurer quickly, since most policies require prompt notice. But be careful about giving a detailed recorded statement before speaking with an attorney, since what you say early in a UM claim can be used against you later in that same claim.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Texas hit-and-run accident lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, which means we only get paid a percentage if we recover compensation for you, and you owe nothing in attorney fees if we don't win.
How do I get a copy of my Texas crash report?
You can request the official Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report through TxDOT's online system once it's been filed, usually a week or two after the accident. We can also help track it down if you're not sure where to start.
How long do I have to file a hit-and-run claim in Texas?
In most cases, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit, and that deadline applies to a UM claim against your own insurer too. Some policies also have their own internal notice deadlines, which is why reporting the accident promptly still matters.
What should I do at the scene if the other driver flees?
Try to note the vehicle's color, make, and any part of the license plate you catch, then call the police before doing anything else. Look around for witnesses or nearby cameras while you wait, since both tend to matter more in hit-and-run cases than in a typical crash.
Can I speak to someone in Spanish about my hit-and-run accident?
Yes. The Calderon Law Firm is bilingual, and you can discuss your case with our team in Spanish from your first call through the end of your case.
Take Back Control of Your Hit-and-Run Claim
A driver who flees doesn't get to control what happens next, you do. If you're dealing with an insurance company that's slow-walking your hit-and-run claim, or you're not sure your own coverage is enough to cover what you're facing, The Calderon Law Firm can step in and handle that fight for you. Call 346-999-5673 for a free, no-pressure conversation about what your case is actually worth.