HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT LAWYER
A driver who flees
is not the end.
When a driver hits you and speeds off, you are not out of options, because your own uninsured-motorist coverage can step in and Massachusetts law still lets the claim move forward.
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What a hit-and-run claim covers
A hit-and-run adds insult to injury. On top of the crash itself, the person responsible has broken the law and vanished, leaving the victim hurt, shaken, and convinced there is no one to hold accountable. That belief is the single most common and most costly mistake made after a hit-and-run, because in Massachusetts a claim very often survives the driver’s escape. The path to recovery simply runs through a different door than usual.
The reason is uninsured-motorist coverage. Massachusetts requires it on every auto policy, and it exists for exactly this situation: when the at-fault driver cannot be found, has no insurance, or flees the scene, your own policy stands in for theirs and pays for the injuries the missing driver caused. It is coverage you already bought, and using it after a hit-and-run is not a favor from your insurer but a right you paid for, even though the insurer will not always treat it that way. Making that claim correctly, and pushing back when your own company drags its feet, is where our Boston personal injury attorney team comes in.
This page explains how a hit-and-run claim works, where the money comes from when the driver is gone, what to do in the hours and days afterward, and how the injuries are proven and paid. It is written to inform, and the details of any real claim depend on the facts and the coverage involved. If you were hurt by a driver who fled, a free review can tell you what your claim may support at no cost and with no obligation. There is a specific emotional trap in these cases worth naming. The unfairness of being hit and abandoned is so sharp that many people assume the system must be just as unfair, that a driver who got away has gotten away with everything. It is an understandable assumption and usually a wrong one. The law anticipated the fleeing driver and built the answer into every policy in the state, so the person who was wronged is not left to absorb the cost of a stranger’s cowardice. Understanding that early, before the shock hardens into resignation, is often what separates a claim that is pursued from one that is quietly abandoned by the only person who could have brought it.
What our clients say
A driver fled, and the claim need not
- We turn to your uninsured-motorist coverage, the protection you already paid for, to stand in for the missing driver.
- We push back when your own insurer treats a rightful hit-and-run claim as if it were a favor rather than coverage.
- We work to identify the driver, using cameras, witnesses, and the police investigation whenever a lead exists.
- We document the injuries fully, because a hit-and-run victim is owed the same recovery as any other.
- We handle the claim and the adjusters so you can focus on healing after a frightening, unfair event.
- No fee unless we win
- No upfront costs
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- Free case review
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How you recover when the driver runs.
Uninsured-motorist coverage stands in
The heart of most hit-and-run claims is the uninsured-motorist coverage on your own auto policy, which Massachusetts requires every driver to carry. When the at-fault driver flees and cannot be identified, that coverage treats the phantom driver as an uninsured one and pays for your injuries in their place. It is your own insurer you deal with, which sounds simpler than it is, because the company now has a financial reason to minimize the very claim you are counting on, which is why these cases are rarely as friendly as they should be.
PIP, the deadline, and the crime
Regardless of who fled, personal injury protection under MGL c.90 §34M still pays your initial medical bills and part of your lost wages, so treatment can begin at once. Most claims must be brought within three years under MGL c.260 §2A. And leaving the scene of a crash that caused injury is a crime in Massachusetts, not a loophole, which means a police report and an active investigation are both part of the case and a duty the fleeing driver plainly broke.
If the driver is found
Hit-and-run drivers are identified more often than people expect, through traffic and doorbell cameras, witnesses, debris left at the scene, and the police investigation the crime triggers. When the driver is found, the claim shifts to their liability insurance and the case proceeds like any other, with the added weight of a driver who fled. Because Massachusetts applies comparative negligence under MGL c.231 §85, preserving the evidence early protects the claim whether the driver is ever caught or not. It is worth being clear-eyed about one thing, though. Because the uninsured-motorist claim is made against your own insurer, the relationship changes the moment you file it. The friendly company that sold you the policy now has the same incentive any insurer has, to pay as little as the claim can be argued down to, and it may question whether the phantom vehicle existed, whether the contact was real, or whether the injuries are as serious as reported. None of that means the claim is weak; it means it has to be documented and pressed like any other, which is exactly why having someone in your corner matters as much here as against a stranger’s carrier.
Where hit and run crashes happen.
The crashes drivers flee
A driver can flee any collision, but some are more common than others. The rear-end and intersection crashes behind our Boston car accident lawyer work see runners who panic or have something to hide, a Boston truck accident lawyer handles the commercial drivers who leave rather than report, and a Boston motorcycle accident lawyer knows how often a rider is left on the road by a driver who claims never to have seen them.
The victims most often left behind
The people with the least protection are the ones most often abandoned. A Boston pedestrian accident lawyer, a Boston bicycle accident lawyer, and a Boston scooter accident lawyer represent walkers and riders struck and left in the road by a driver who simply kept going, where the injuries are often serious and the sense of abandonment is its own wound.
Why the response has to be fast
What every hit-and-run shares is a clock. The camera footage that could identify a driver is overwritten in days, witnesses scatter, and debris is swept away, so the window to find the person responsible is short. Even when the driver is never identified, the same speed protects the uninsured-motorist claim, because your own insurer will scrutinize a hit-and-run report closely, and a prompt, documented account is what keeps that claim on solid ground. Underneath every one of these cases is the same quiet injustice: the person who broke the law is gone, and the person who obeyed it is left holding the consequences. The law’s answer is not to pretend the driver will always be caught but to make sure the victim is covered whether they are or not, so a moment of someone else’s cowardice does not become a lifetime of someone else’s cost. Building the claim quickly and completely is how that promise is actually kept, turning coverage on paper into a recovery in fact.
What still gets covered after a hit and run.
A hit-and-run does not shrink the injury, and it should not shrink the recovery, so a full claim breaks down exactly what remains available after the driver is gone. There is the uninsured-motorist coverage that stands in for the missing driver and pays for the harm they caused. There is the personal injury protection that covers the initial medical bills and lost wages no matter who was at fault. There is the ongoing effort to identify the driver, which can move the claim onto their liability insurance and change what is possible.
And there is the full injury itself, the same broken bones, soft-tissue damage, and lasting effects that any crash causes, all of which a hit-and-run victim is entitled to recover for. The categories below are a starting point rather than a limit, and more than one usually applies at once, which is why a hit-and-run claim is built to use every source of coverage the situation allows rather than giving up because the driver drove away. The through-line worth holding onto is that a hit-and-run changes who pays, not whether the harm is real. A broken bone is still broken, a concussion is still a concussion, and a life still gets rearranged around the recovery, whether the driver stayed or ran.
A claim built well treats the fled driver as a problem of coverage and evidence to be solved, not a verdict on whether the case is worth bringing, and it pursues the same full recovery a victim would be owed if the other car had simply pulled over and traded information like the law required. That is the whole aim of these cases, and it is worth stating plainly: to make sure the person who did everything right is not punished for the choice of the person who did everything wrong.
A driver who flees is betting that the victim will give up, assume nothing can be done, and quietly carry a cost that was never theirs. A claim built and pressed with care is how that bet is refused, and how a recovery the law already provides for is put into the hands of the person it was meant to protect. None of it undoes the fright of being hit and left, but it answers the practical question that follows, of who now pays for the harm, with the answer the law intended rather than the one a fleeing driver hoped for.
Uninsured-Motorist Coverage
PIP and Medical Bills
Identifying the Driver
The Full Injury Recovery
How to protect a hit and run claim.
Report the crash to the police fast
Call the police and report the hit-and-run, and get medical care promptly, because the police report opens the search for the driver and the record ties your injuries to the crash from the very start.
Preserve the scene evidence quickly
Note the vehicle, direction, and anything you saw, and look for cameras and witnesses before they vanish, because the footage that identifies the fleeing driver is often overwritten within a few days.
Let a lawyer make the coverage work
Before you deal with your own insurer alone, let a lawyer press the coverage claim, because an uninsured-motorist claim is your right after a hit-and-run, and your company will not always treat it so.
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Talk to a hit and run accident lawyer today.
Being hurt by a driver who fled is frightening and infuriating, but it does not leave you without a claim. Tell us what happened, and we will find every source of coverage, make the uninsured-motorist claim your own insurer would rather you did not, work to identify the driver, and pursue the full value of your injuries. There is no charge to talk, no pressure, and no fee unless we win. The sooner we begin, the more of the evidence, and the driver’s trail, we can still protect.
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Our Clients.
Our Practice Areas.
Hit-and-run crashes happen across Boston and communities throughout Massachusetts, on highways, side streets, and crosswalks alike. If a driver hit you and fled and you are not sure what your claim is worth, we can walk you through it in plain terms at no cost and with no obligation.
Personal injury law in Boston answered directly.
Do I have a personal injury claim?
You may, if someone else’s carelessness caused your injury. The key questions are whether another person or company was negligent, whether that negligence caused your injury, and how serious the harm is. Many people are unsure whether their situation rises to a claim, especially when an insurer downplays it. A free review with an attorney is the best way to find out, because we can look at the facts, the evidence, and the insurance and tell you honestly whether you have a case and what it may be worth, at no cost to you.
What kinds of cases do you handle?
We handle the full range of serious injury and wrongful death cases, including car, truck, motorcycle, bus, rideshare, bicycle, and pedestrian crashes, slip and fall and other premises injuries, dog bites and animal attacks, injuries from dangerous or defective products, and fatal accidents. What these cases share is that someone was hurt by conduct that should not have happened. If you are not sure whether your situation fits, the simplest thing is to ask; the review is free, and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
How much is my claim worth?
It depends on the severity of the injuries and their lasting effects. Value can reflect past and future medical care, lost wages and reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the long-term impact of a serious or permanent injury, along with property damage in a crash. Every case is different, and the future care is often the largest part of a serious claim. Be cautious of anyone who promises a number up front; a careful attorney evaluates the claim only after reviewing how the injury happened and the full medical picture.
What if the insurer says I was partly at fault?
You can still recover as long as you were not more than half to blame. Under comparative negligence, MGL Chapter 231 Section 85, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault but not eliminated unless that share passes fifty percent. Insurers often exaggerate the injured person’s role to cut what they pay, sometimes based on little evidence. An attorney can present the full picture of how the injury happened and protect your recovery from an unfair or inflated fault argument.
Should I talk to the insurance company?
It is best to be cautious. The other side’s insurer, and sometimes even your own, may contact you quickly and sound friendly, but their goal is to limit what they pay, and an early recorded statement can be used against you while you are still hurting. You are not required to give one. An attorney can deal with the insurers for you, so you do not say something that is later taken out of context, and so the focus stays on the other side’s fault and your recovery rather than on the insurer’s bottom line.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Most injury claims must be filed within three years under MGL Chapter 260 Section 2A, and for an injured child the deadline is paused under MGL Chapter 260 Section 7. Claims involving a city or other public entity can carry much shorter notice deadlines. Because evidence fades and cameras record over their footage within days, it is best to act soon so the proof can be preserved well before any deadline approaches.
What if I cannot afford a lawyer?
You can. Larson Law handles injury claims on a contingency fee, which means there is no charge unless we recover money for you, and the first review is always free. We advance the costs of investigating the claim and working with any experts the case needs. You do not pay out of pocket while you recover, and we are only paid from a successful result. That arrangement exists so that anyone, regardless of their finances, can afford strong legal help after a serious injury.
Do I really need an attorney for my claim?
For a minor injury you may not, but for any serious injury an attorney usually makes a real difference. Insurers settle for less when no lawyer is involved, and the rules around fault, deadlines, and coverage are easy to get wrong on your own. An attorney levels the field, handles the insurers, proves the claim, and pursues the full value while you focus on recovering. Because the first review is free and we work on a contingency fee, there is no cost to find out whether you need one and what your claim may be worth.
How long will my case take?
It depends on the case. Some claims resolve in a matter of months through negotiation, while others, especially serious injuries that are still healing or cases an insurer refuses to value fairly, take longer and may require filing suit. It is usually wise not to settle until the full extent of your injuries is known, since you generally cannot reopen a claim later. An attorney can give you a realistic timeline for your situation and work to move the case as efficiently as possible without leaving money on the table.
What if a loved one died from an injury?
If an injury proved fatal, close family may bring a wrongful death claim under MGL Chapter 229. Such a claim can seek compensation for the loss of the person’s income, services, companionship, and guidance, along with funeral and related expenses. These cases are painful and the legal steps are complex, and an attorney can handle the investigation and the filings so the family can focus on each other, never paying anything up front and owing a fee only if there is a recovery.
How much does a personal injury attorney cost?
Nothing upfront. Larson Law handles personal injury claims on a contingency fee, so there is no charge unless we recover money for you, and the first review is always free. We advance the costs of investigating the claim, obtaining the records, and working with experts. We are only paid from a successful result, which lets an injured person take on the insurers without paying out of pocket while they recover, so cost is never a reason to wait to find out what your claim may be worth.
What should I do after an accident?
Get medical care right away, even if you feel okay, since some injuries appear hours or days later, and keep every record. Write down how it happened, photograph the scene, the cause, and your injuries, and get the names of any witnesses while it is fresh. Report the accident as appropriate. Avoid giving the insurer a recorded statement or signing anything before you have spoken with an attorney, who can preserve the evidence and protect both your health and your claim from the start.
Results Disclaimer: Past case results, settlements, and verdicts mentioned on this website do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case is unique and depends on its own facts and legal issues.