Primary Location
Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyers
2700 N Central Ave Suite 320, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
Phone: (602) 905-7766
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Someone hits your car and drives off. Or clips you in a crosswalk and keeps going. That's a hit-and-run. Pretty simple on the surface. But Arizona law gets specific about it.
Under ARS 28-661, any driver involved in a crash has to stop [1]. They're required to share their name, registration, and insurance info. If someone's hurt, the driver has to call for help or get the injured person to a hospital. Leaving the scene without doing those things? That's a crime.
And the penalties aren't small. A driver who causes a death and flees faces a Class 2 felony. Up to 12.5 years in prison. Even if they didn't cause the wreck but someone died, it's a Class 3 felony with up to 8.75 years. Property damage only? Still a Class 2 misdemeanor with possible jail time.
Here's the part that matters to you, though. The criminal case is separate from your injury claim. Whether police catch the driver or not, you still have a path to compensation. Different court, different rules. We've handled plenty of cases where the driver was never identified and our client still got paid.
Your heart's pounding. The car's gone. Maybe you got a partial plate number, maybe you didn't. Here's what to do right now.
Call 911 first. Tell them the driver fled. Give whatever description you can. Color, make, model, direction they went. Even a rough guess helps. Officers can check nearby traffic cameras and pull footage from businesses along the route.
Then look around you. Did anyone else see it? Witnesses disappear fast. Grab their names and phone numbers before they leave. Ask if anybody recorded video on their phone.
Take pictures of everything. Your injuries, your vehicle, skid marks, debris on the road, traffic signals. All of it. These photos become evidence later, and the scene won't look the same tomorrow.
Go to the doctor. Not next week. Today. Some injuries don't show up for hours. Whiplash, concussions, internal bleeding. You feel fine until you don't. And if you wait three weeks to see a doctor, the insurance company will argue you weren't really hurt.
One thing to skip: don't post about the accident on social media. Insurance adjusters check Facebook and Instagram. That photo of you smiling at dinner the next night? They'll use it against you.
Then call a Phoenix car accident lawyer who handles hit-and-run claims. We know which footage to subpoena and which insurance policies to tap. Waiting costs you evidence.
This is where people get stuck. The driver's gone. Nobody knows who they are. So who pays your medical bills?
Your own insurance does. Specifically, your uninsured motorist coverage. It's called UM, and it treats the unknown hit-and-run driver as an "uninsured" driver. Your policy steps in where theirs should have been.
But here's the catch. Arizona doesn't require drivers to carry UM coverage [2]. It's optional. Your insurance company has to offer it to you, but you can waive it in writing. A lot of people sign that waiver at the dealership without reading it. They don't realize what they gave up until a hit-and-run happens and there's no coverage waiting.
If you do have UM, it covers medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Just like the other driver's policy would. Big difference in how you file it, though. You're not suing a stranger. You're filing a claim with your own insurer. And don't think for a second that makes it friendly. Your insurance company will still fight to pay as little as possible.
Beyond UM, there are other avenues:
We recovered a $2,528,500 settlement in a car accident case against a county entity. Different circumstances, but the point stands: there's almost always a way to build a recovery, even when the situation looks impossible at first.
Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Phoenix isn't just big. It's dangerous. The city recorded 37,472 crashes and 265 fatalities in 2024 alone [2]. And hit-and-runs make up a huge slice of that problem.
Statewide, Arizona logged 15,648 hit-and-runs in 2023. That's 12.8% of every crash in the state. Those wrecks caused 3,856 injuries and killed 113 people [2]. Think about that number. More than two people per week, dead, because someone drove off instead of stopping.
Pedestrians take the worst of it. In Phoenix, 41% of fatal crashes involve someone on foot. Nearly 1 in 4 pedestrians and cyclists killed nationally in 2023 were struck by a driver who fled [3]. Walking across Dunlap Avenue near 16th Ave. Crossing Broadway Road at 19th Street. These aren't hypothetical scenarios. In January 2025, a 43-year-old was killed crossing Dunlap. In February 2026, 76-year-old Roger Jackson was killed at 19th and Broadway when the driver fled.
The preliminary 2024 data shows 219 traffic deaths in Phoenix. That's a 17% drop from the year before. Progress? Sure. But 219 families still lost someone.
Nationally, over 919,000 police-reported hit-and-runs happened in 2023 [3]. The scope of this problem is staggering. And Phoenix sits right in the middle of it.
Only about 10% of hit-and-run cases get solved. Nationally. That's it [3].
Why so low? Resources. Police departments handle thousands of these reports per year. Unless there's a fatality or serious injury, most cases get filed away. Detectives are stretched thin. Witnesses are scarce. And if there's no camera footage, there's no lead to follow.
So does that mean you're out of luck? Not even close.
Your injury claim doesn't depend on catching the driver. It runs through different channels. Your UM policy. Your MedPay. Workers' comp if you were working. The criminal case and the civil case aren't the same thing, and they don't need each other to move forward.
We had a client involved in two consolidated car accident cases who suffered a mild TBI and fractured sternum. We recovered a $630,000 settlement. The point is, the evidence of your injuries matters more than finding the other driver.
Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What we focus on: documenting your injuries, locking down medical records, calculating your lost income, and building the strongest possible claim against whatever coverage applies. If police identify the driver six months later? Great. We add their liability policy to the mix. But we don't wait for that to happen.
One deadline to know about. For UM claims in Arizona, you have three years to give notice to your insurer under ARS 12-555. That's different from the two-year statute of limitations on a personal injury lawsuit. Miss either one and you lose your right to recover. Don't sit on this.
People assume a hit-and-run limits what they can get. It doesn't. The damages are the same as any car accident claim. Sometimes more.
ER visits, surgeries, physical therapy, prescriptions, imaging. Every dollar. Past bills and future treatment you'll need down the road.
Missed paychecks while you recovered. And if the injury affects what you can earn going forward? Future lost earning capacity counts too.
The anxiety of getting behind the wheel again. Nightmares. Depression. Chronic pain that won't quit. These aren't minor inconveniences. They're real losses that carry real value.
Repairs or replacement value for your vehicle. Rental car costs while yours is in the shop.
If the driver is identified and their conduct was reckless enough, a jury can award punitive damages. Fleeing the scene of a serious injury crash? That's the kind of behavior Arizona courts punish. Drunk drivers cause a lot of hit-and-runs, and intoxication combined with fleeing strengthens the case for punitive awards.
Pedestrian accident victims often face the worst injuries in hit-and-runs. No seatbelt, no airbag, no metal frame between you and a two-ton vehicle. The damages in those cases reflect that reality.
Our attorneys have handled personal injury cases across Arizona and California. We know how Phoenix insurance companies operate, and we know how to push back.
That number reflects real results for real families — medical bills paid, lost wages recovered, and futures protected.
You pay nothing upfront. Our fee comes out of your settlement or verdict. If we do not win your case, you owe us nothing.
Accidents do not follow business hours. Neither do we. Call (602) 905-7766 any time — nights, weekends, and holidays.
Our Phoenix team works out of 2700 N Central Ave, Suite 320. We know the roads, the courts, and the insurance adjusters you are up against.
“After a crash, you need a team that answers the phone, explains your options, and fights for every dollar you are owed. That is what we do at The Simon Law Group.”
Over 250 years of combined attorney experience
Phoenix office at 2700 N Central Ave, Suite 320 |
Licensed in Arizona and California
Yes, and here's why. Hit-and-run claims involve layers that regular car accident cases don't. You might be filing against your own insurance company through UM coverage, chasing down an unidentified driver, or dealing with multiple policies at once. An attorney knows which coverage applies, how to document your injuries for maximum value, and how to push back when your insurer lowballs you. Most personal injury lawyers, us included, work on contingency. You don't pay unless we win.
About 10%, according to AAA Foundation research. That number is low because police departments handle thousands of these cases every year and can't investigate each one deeply. But here's what most people miss: your injury claim doesn't require the driver to be found. UM coverage, MedPay, and other sources can compensate you whether or not police ever make an arrest.
It depends on the severity. If someone causes a death and flees, that's a Class 2 felony carrying up to 12.5 years in prison plus a 10-year license revocation. Serious injury cases are a Class 3 felony (up to 8.75 years). Non-serious injuries bring a Class 5 felony (up to 4 years). Property damage only is a Class 2 misdemeanor with up to 4 months in jail. These are criminal penalties. Your civil claim for compensation is separate.
They do, but the depth of the investigation depends on the outcome. Fatal and serious-injury hit-and-runs get dedicated detectives, traffic camera reviews, and public appeals for witnesses. Property-damage-only cases? Those typically get a police report and not much else. If your case involves injuries, officers will check nearby surveillance cameras, canvass for witnesses, and follow up on any vehicle description or partial plate you provide.
If the driver is identified, absolutely. You can go after their liability insurance, and if they fled the scene while you were injured, that reckless behavior supports a claim for punitive damages on top of your actual losses. Arizona puts no cap on punitive awards. Even if they're uninsured, a judgment follows them. And if the driver is never found, you still have options through your own UM coverage and other sources.
Don't say "I'm fine" or "it wasn't that bad." Don't guess about your injuries or accept blame for any part of the crash. Don't give a recorded statement without talking to a lawyer first. Adjusters are trained to ask leading questions that minimize your claim. Stick to basic facts: date, time, location, and that you're treating with a doctor. Let your attorney handle the rest of the conversation.
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