The other driver chose to leave. You are left with the injuries, the bills, and the questions. A Birmingham hit-and-run accident lawyer can help you get paid even if police never find the driver.
Hit-and-run crashes killed 2,872 people nationwide in 2023, or 7% of all traffic deaths, the highest share on record, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety's hit-and-run research brief. For more than 44 years, Cory Watson Attorneys has helped injured Alabamians fight back.
What to Do Immediately After a Birmingham Hit-and-Run
Call 911 and get medical care right away, even if you feel fine. A same-day medical record ties your injuries to the crash.
Report the crash to police and ask for the report number.
Write down everything about the other car: a partial plate, its color, any damage, and its direction of travel. Ask nearby businesses and neighbors to save their camera video quickly.
Tell your insurer about the Birmingham hit-and-run quickly. Keep the call short, and talk with a lawyer before giving a recorded statement.
Recovering Compensation When the Driver Is Never Found
No arrest does not mean no case. Depending on the policy terms, a Birmingham hit-and-run claim can still move forward through your own policy, a household member’s policy, or the policy on the car you were riding in.
What costs can your claim cover?
Your claim can include losses you can prove with bills and records:
- Ambulance, emergency room, surgery, and hospital charges
- Physical therapy, prescriptions, and future care your doctors expect
- Lost paychecks and lost ability to earn in the future
- Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
Car damage works differently. The Alabama Department of Insurance notes that UM coverage may not pay for damage to your vehicle.
Can you get punitive damages?
Punitive damages punish the wrongdoer instead of repaying your losses. In Alabama, they are available only as authorized by the state’s punitive damages statute (Ala. Code § 6-11-20), which requires clear and convincing proof that the driver acted with wantonness, malice, fraud, or oppression. When a crash takes a life, the Alabama Wrongful Death Act (Ala. Code § 6-5-410) makes punitive damages the family’s only recovery.
How long do you have to act?
A lawsuit against an identified driver generally must be filed within two years. A claim against your own uninsured motorist coverage follows different deadlines and policy notice rules, so it is best to act quickly. Claims against a city have a much shorter notice window.
How Uninsured Motorist Coverage Applies to Hit-and-Run Claims
UM coverage protects you from drivers who cannot or will not pay. As the Alabama Department of Insurance explains, it pays if you are hurt by a hit-and-run driver or a driver without insurance.
Alabama courts have long held that a hit-and-run driver counts as uninsured. They also struck down insurance rules requiring the other car to physically hit yours.
The Alabama Department of Revenue’s mandatory liability insurance rules require every vehicle on Alabama roads to be insured. Even so, Insurance Research Council figures published by the Insurance Information Institute’s uninsured motorist statistics put Alabama’s uninsured rate at 16.8% in 2023, above the 15.4% national rate.
Alabama law adds UM coverage to every auto policy unless the policyholder rejects it. Many families have it without knowing.
How Our Birmingham Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers Investigate Your Case
We build proof for Birmingham hit-and-run claims by working alongside police and using the same tools as our Birmingham car accident lawyers.
What evidence do we look for?
We canvass business, home, and traffic cameras along the escape route. Paint transfer and broken parts can point to a make and model. Body shops and witnesses can lead to the car. Crash reconstruction then shows speed, impact angle, and fault.
Have we handled cases like yours?
Yes. Our team won a $10 million jury verdict for the children of a pedestrian killed by a hit-and-run driver in Jefferson County. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Common Questions About Birmingham Hit-and-Run Claims
Can I still get paid if police never find the driver?
Yes. Your UM coverage can pay for your injuries when the driver is never identified.
Does the other car have to hit mine?
Not always. Alabama courts have rejected insurance rules that demand physical contact. Witnesses and video help prove a phantom driver caused the crash.
What if I was walking or riding a bike?
Depending on the policy terms, you may still use UM coverage from your own or a household member's auto policy. In Alabama, 20.6% of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths from 2017 to 2023 involved a hit-and-run.
What if the driver is caught later?
You may be able to claim against that driver and their insurer, in addition to your UM claim.
How much does a Birmingham hit-and-run lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. You pay no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Talk With a Birmingham Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer Today
Our Birmingham office is on Magnolia Avenue South in Five Points South, serving Homewood, Crestwood, Hoover, and Bessemer. Contact us at (205) 328-2200. You can also contact us today through our free case review form.