After a hit-and-run crash, the useful record begins with safety, a prompt report, the original photographs and video, witness details, vehicle and medical records, and the exact information available about the other vehicle or person.

This page is written for a person affected by a hit-and-run crash. It does not provide criminal-defense advice to a driver accused of leaving a scene, and it does not decide whether a particular policy, driver, vehicle owner, or other person is responsible.

Address immediate safety and reporting

Move away from a traffic danger when it can be done safely, call emergency services when needed, and report the crash. The North Carolina Department of Insurance includes calling police, collecting witness information, and recording available driver and insurance information in its after-an-accident checklist. Do not pursue another vehicle, confront a person, or place yourself in further danger to obtain information.

  • Date, time, location, direction of travel, lanes, traffic controls, weather, lighting, road condition, and the sequence of events.
  • Description of the other vehicle or person, including color, make, model, body damage, plate characters, decals, cargo, direction of travel, and any photo, video, or camera location.
  • Names and contact information for witnesses, responders, nearby businesses or residents with possible video, responding agency, report number, tow, storage, and repair information.
  • Original photographs and video of the scene, vehicle, clothing, property, visible injuries, debris, and nearby camera locations, preserving the original files where possible.

The duty to stop has different provisions

G.S. 20-166 sets out duties to stop, remain, furnish information, and render reasonable assistance in several crash circumstances. The provisions differ depending on what the driver knew or reasonably should have known, whether the crash involved serious bodily injury or death, injury, or property damage, and whether it was safe to remain at the scene. The statute should be read in full; a general description of a hit-and-run event is not a determination of a particular offense or consequence.

Request and compare the crash record

North Carolina DMV explains its current process for obtaining crash reports, including the distinction between redacted reports available to individuals and fuller reports available to qualified organizations. Compare the report with original photographs, witness information, location, vehicle description, diagram, narrative, and dates. A report is an important record, but it does not replace the underlying evidence.

The related guide to reading a North Carolina car-accident police report explains the separate question of how to examine common report fields and identify a factual issue for follow-up.

Review insurance documents without assuming coverage

North Carolina law requires policies subject to its financial-responsibility statute to provide uninsured-motorist coverage under stated conditions. G.S. 20-279.21 contains the statutory definition and coverage provisions, but policy language, the identity of the insured, vehicle use, notice, evidence, exclusions, and other facts can affect a particular question. Preserve the declarations page, policy, endorsements, claim correspondence, payment record, and every stated deadline.

  • Open the claim with the applicable insurer or agent and retain the claim number, contact, requested documents, and written explanation of each decision.
  • Keep medical records and bills, repair estimates, tow and rental records, wage or schedule records when relevant, and a source index separate from personal notes.
  • Do not sign a release, make an assumption about a policy limit, or discard vehicle parts or electronic evidence before understanding what the document or evidence represents.

Rosensteel Fleishman Car Accident & Injury Lawyers provides general information about discussing a North Carolina car-accident claim after a hit-and-run crash. Evidence, medical issues, responsibility, policy terms, coverage, and deadlines require review of the complete record and current law.

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