Hit and Run Lawyer in Los Angeles

Who is liable for a hit and run, and how is the claim proved?

The driver who left is liable for the injuries, but the case is decided by speed of evidence, not legal theory. Leaving the scene of an injury collision is a crime under Vehicle Code section 20001, and leaving after damaging an unattended vehicle is covered separately by section 20002. That means a police investigation runs alongside the civil claim and sometimes produces the identification. Where the driver is later named from footage, a partial plate or the police work, the claim changes shape and can proceed against the driver and any other responsible party, such as an employer when the driver was working. We handle:

• Drivers who struck and left, where the uninsured motorist cover on your own policy becomes the claim.
• Pedestrians and cyclists, whose own auto policy generally reaches them on foot or on a bike.
• Parked and unattended vehicle damage, often the only trace left of the driver.
• Denied uninsured motorist claims, where your own insurer disputes the circumstances, the injuries or the value.

California follows pure comparative fault, so partial responsibility reduces a recovery by your share and does not end the claim.

What insurance pays after a hit and run?

Most people assume that an unidentified driver means no recovery. In California the opposite is usually true:

• Your own uninsured motorist coverage, which is written for this situation and carried by most California drivers, often without knowing. The claim is made against your own insurer.
• A household member’s policy. If you were on foot or on a bike and have no car, a relative you live with may have cover that reaches you.
• Medical payments coverage on your own auto policy, which can pay bills early regardless of fault.
• The driver’s liability policy, if the driver is later identified. Minimum limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident since 1 January 2025.
• Health insurance, which pays treatment as it happens and may later claim reimbursement from the settlement.

In an uninsured motorist claim your insurer pays out of its own pocket and will test the circumstances, the injuries and the value. Most policies also send the dispute to arbitration rather than a jury. It is a contested claim and is handled as one.

What compensation can you recover after a hit and run?

• Medical expenses, past and future, including surgery, therapy and long term care.
• Lost earnings and loss of future earning capacity.
• Property damage to your vehicle and belongings.
• Pain, suffering and emotional distress, and the loss of enjoyment of life.
• Punitive damages under Civil Code section 3294 against an identified driver who acted with malice, oppression or fraud.
• Wrongful death damages for the family under Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60 when a collision is fatal.

The value of a claim cannot be known before the medical picture is clear. It turns on the injury, the treatment still to come, the coverage available and the strength of the evidence.

What if there was no contact?

If another car forced you off the road without touching you, that is a phantom vehicle claim. California allows it, but it carries an extra requirement: the existence of the other vehicle must be corroborated by someone other than you or anyone else claiming on the policy. An independent witness, a passing driver who stopped, or footage will do it. Your own account, however consistent, will not be enough on its own.

How long do you have to file a hit and run claim?

• Two years from the date of injury to file an injury lawsuit, under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1.
• Three years for property damage only, under Code of Civil Procedure section 338.
• Six months to present a written claim if a public entity is involved, under Government Code section 911.2. This shorter deadline governs.
• Your policy’s own notice and arbitration time limits for the uninsured motorist claim, which usually require prompt notice and are often shorter than two years.

Two deadlines run at once, so confirm both at the outset rather than assuming.

How much does a hit and run lawyer cost in Los Angeles?

No fee unless there is a recovery. Broukhim Legal PC takes hit and run cases on a contingency fee, so there is nothing to pay up front and the fee is paid out of what is recovered. If nothing is recovered, no fee is owed. The fee agreement is put in writing and signed before any work starts, as Business and Professions Code section 6147 requires, and it explains how the costs of running the case are handled. Your first conversation is free, confidential and carries no obligation.

Personal injury lawyers across Los Angeles County

Broukhim Legal PC represents people hurt in hit and run collisions throughout Los Angeles County from its office at 550 S Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. Each city page sets out the courthouse an incident in that city is filed in, how a claim against that city is presented and the deadlines that apply:

See all locations we serve, or tell us about the collision for a free case review.

Meet your Los Angeles hit and run lawyer

Bejan Broukhim, Founder and Lead Attorney
State Bar of California, license number 183036

Bejan Broukhim brings years of California legal experience to injury and mass tort cases and personally reviews each one. He earned his J.D. at the University of West Los Angeles School of Law, served as a judicial extern in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the Van Nuys Superior Court, and appeared in preliminary hearings as a certified law clerk with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Every case is prepared from day one as though it will go to trial.

Office: 550 S Hill Street, Suite 1390, Los Angeles, CA 90013, serving all of Los Angeles County and California. Get directions