What to Do After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Michigan

A hit-and-run accident can leave you injured, overwhelmed, and unsure of how you will pay for medical care or vehicle damage when the other driver is nowhere to be found.

The good news is that you may still have options under Michigan auto insurance laws and your own policy. However, hit-and-run claims can become complicated quickly, especially when the driver cannot be identified. Taking the right steps early and getting legal guidance can make a meaningful difference in protecting your claim.

Report the Accident Immediately

Call the police as soon as possible and explain that the other driver left the scene.

Share any details you remember, including:

• The vehicle’s color, make, and model
• A full or partial license plate
• The direction the vehicle was traveling
• Damage to the other vehicle
• A description of the driver

Important: Do not attempt to chase the other vehicle. Your safety should come first.

Michigan law (MCL 257.622) requires drivers involved in accidents resulting in injury, death, or property damage of $1,000 or more to report the crash immediately to law enforcement. Leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury or death can lead to severe criminal penalties.

A police report is not only legally required in most cases, but it is also critical evidence required by insurance companies when filing hit-and-run claims.

Seek Medical Attention and Preserve Evidence

Even when injuries do not seem serious immediately, it is important to seek medical attention right away. Adrenaline can temporarily hide symptoms, and conditions such as concussions, back injuries, and soft-tissue damage may become more noticeable later.

Medical care also creates an official record connecting your injuries directly to the crash.

When it is safe, photograph or record:

• Damage to your vehicle
• Debris left at the scene
• Skid marks and road conditions
• Traffic signs or signals
• Visible injuries
• Nearby homes or businesses that may have surveillance or doorbell cameras

Ask witnesses for their contact information and write down what you remember while the details are still fresh. Security footage can be erased or overwritten quickly, so identifying possible cameras early is crucial.

An attorney can help preserve evidence, issue spoliation letters, contact witnesses, and request available footage before it disappears.

What Insurance May Cover a Michigan Hit-and-Run?

Michigan’s No-Fault system provides Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits for covered medical expenses, wage loss, rehabilitation, and replacement services after an auto accident, regardless of who was at fault. Under Michigan’s No-Fault insurance laws, medical coverage depends on the PIP limit selected on your policy (ranging from $50,000 for Medicaid recipients, $250,000, $500,000, or Unlimited coverage).

You may also have optional uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Because the hit-and-run driver cannot be located, they are treated as an uninsured motorist. Depending on policy language, this coverage may apply to compensate for pain and suffering and excess damages, provided strict policy requirements (such as prompt police reporting, often within 24 to 48 hours, and physical contact between vehicles) are met.

Vehicle repairs are handled differently. PIP does not pay for damage to your car. Collision coverage (Standard, Broadened, or Limited) is generally the coverage that applies to repairs after a hit-and-run crash.

Determining what coverage applies is not always simple. Several policies may need to be reviewed, and hit-and-run claims involve strict notice, reporting, and evidence requirements.

Why Legal Help Can Matter After a Hit-and-Run

When the other driver disappears, your own insurance company becomes the company responsible for paying your claim. That does not always mean the process will be easy or fair.

An insurer may question:

• Whether another vehicle actually caused the crash or if it was a single-vehicle accident
• Whether the accident was reported promptly to police and the insurer within strict policy deadlines
• Whether your injuries resulted directly from the collision
• Whether uninsured motorist coverage applies under the policy language
• The value of your medical, wage-loss, or pain and suffering claims

A personal injury attorney can investigate the accident, review every available policy, communicate with the insurance company, and help prevent important losses from being overlooked.

Michigan requires insurers to tell claimants what information is needed to process an auto claim. Properly supported PIP claims generally become overdue if they are not paid within 30 days, and vehicle-damage claims may become overdue after 60 days.

Having an attorney involved can be especially valuable when the insurer delays, disputes coverage, requests a recorded statement, or offers a settlement before the full extent of your injuries is known.

Avoid Mistakes That Could Weaken Your Claim

After a hit-and-run, avoid:

• Delaying the police report or insurance notification (which can violate Uninsured Motorist notice requirements)
• Waiting too long to seek medical care
• Repairing your vehicle before documenting the damage
• Posting details or photos about the accident on social media
• Guessing when answering insurance questions or giving recorded statements without legal advice
• Signing a release without understanding what rights you are giving up
• Missing legal deadlines (in Michigan, PIP claims are subject to a strict 1-year deadline under the One-Year Back Rule, while personal injury lawsuits against an identified driver must be filed within 3 years)

You should not have to investigate the crash, interpret insurance policies, and negotiate with an insurer while trying to recover.

Michigan Accident Attorneys Can Help

A hit-and-run driver may leave the scene, but that does not mean you should be left without answers or support.

Michigan Accident Attorneys can investigate what happened, preserve available evidence, review your insurance coverage, and handle communication with the insurance companies while you focus on your recovery.

If you were injured in a hit-and-run accident in Michigan, call (877) 225-5622 to discuss your situation and learn what options may be available.