¿Resultó herido en un atropello con fuga en Austin? Estas son sus opciones.

Autor: Shelby Benavidez  

Abogado colaborador: Dana Nichols, abogada 

TL;DR: Hit-and-Run in Austin  

• You may still have a claim even if the driver is never found. Your own auto insurance could provide coverage after a hit-and-run.  

• Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage may help pay for your losses when the driver who hit you can’t be identified or doesn’t have insurance.  

• PIP or MedPay may help with medical bills. PIP can also cover a portion of lost income and certain other expenses after a crash.  

• If police find the driver, you may be able to pursue their insurance. If they don’t have insurance or don’t have enough, your UM/UIM coverage may still come into play.  

• Evidence can disappear quickly after a hit-and-run. Report the crash, document what you can, look for witnesses or cameras, and consider talking with an attorney about your options.  

---

Como una de las ciudades de más rápido crecimiento de Texas, Austin ofrece una variedad de desafíos y oportunidades para conductores y peatones. Sus vibrantes calles, a menudo llenas de residentes y turistas, tienen una atmósfera única que define la cultura de Austin.    

However, with the increase in population and traffic congestion, there has been a disturbing rise in hit-and-run accidents. If you’re injured in a hit-and-run, you may be left with a damaged car, medical bills, and no information about the person who caused the crash. But just because the other driver took off doesn’t mean you’re automatically stuck paying for everything yourself. Your own auto insurance may provide coverage, and your options could change if the driver is eventually found. 

Hit-and-Run Crashes Remain a Problem in Austin  

Austin recorded 99 traffic fatalities and 301 serious injuries in 2025, according to preliminary data from the City of Austin. Tragically, Austin Police Department records show multiple deadly crashes in 2025 where drivers left the scene, including crashes involving pedestrians, a bicyclist, and a motorcyclist.  

What Should You Do Immediately After a Hit-and-Run?  

If you’re injured in a hit-and-run in Austin, you should never try to chase down the other driver. Instead, call 911, get medical help if you need it, and give police as much information about the other vehicle as you can remember. Even a partial license plate, vehicle color, make or model, damage to the vehicle, or direction of travel could help investigators.  

If you’re physically able, look around for witnesses and nearby cameras. Businesses, homes, traffic cameras, parking lots, and other drivers may have captured something you didn’t see. Take photos and videos of your vehicle, the crash scene, debris, skid marks, your injuries, and anything else that could help document what happened. Then, report the crash to your insurance company. You don’t necessarily have to wait for police to identify the driver before looking at your own insurance coverage.  

Who Pays If the Hit-and-Run Driver Is Never Found?  

Uninsured Motorist Coverage  

If your vehicle was damaged in a hit-and-run, you may have two main options for getting it repaired through your own insurance.  

One option is to use your collision coverage. Collision coverage can pay to repair or replace your vehicle after a hit-and-run, even if the other driver is never found. However, you’ll typically be responsible for the deductible you chose when you purchased your policy.  

Your other option may be uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. There are two types of UM coverage: property damage and bodily injury.  

UM property damage coverage can help pay to repair or replace your vehicle after a hit-and-run. In Texas, it has a $250 deductible, which may be lower than your collision deductible. Depending on your policy, it may also help cover expenses such as a rental vehicle and diminished value.  

UM bodily injury coverage can help compensate you and your passengers for losses such as medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other injury-related damages.  

The amount of UM available for property damage and bodily injury will depend on the coverage you purchased.  

One important thing to note is that Texas law generally requires actual physical contact with the unknown vehicle for UM coverage when the driver cannot be identified. In other words, if an unknown driver runs you off the road but never actually hits you or your vehicle, your UM claim may be more complicated.  

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) After a Hit-and-Run in Austin  

If you don’t have UM bodily injury coverage, or your coverage isn’t enough to handle all of your medical expenses and other losses, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) may provide another source of coverage.  

PIP is coverage you purchase as part of your own auto insurance policy. Unlike UM coverage, you don’t have to prove that another driver was responsible for the crash to use it. You can use these benefits regardless of who was at fault. So, even if the other driver is eventually located, you can use your PIP benefits for immediate expenses while still pursuing a claim against the driver who caused your injuries.  

In Texas, PIP can cover:  

• 100% of reasonable medical expenses up to your policy limit  

• 80% of lost income if your injuries prevent you from working  

• Essential services you have to pay someone else to perform because your injuries prevent you from doing them yourself  

Texas insurers are required to offer at least $2,500 in PIP coverage, but you can purchase higher limits.  

How Can an Attorney Help After an Austin Hit-and-Run?  

When you’re injured in a hit-and-run, your options for compensation may be more limited, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any. Unfortunately, you do still have to deal with the insurance company.  

You’d hope the insurance company you pay a premium to every month would be there when you actually need it, but that’s not always the case. At the end of the day, it’s still a business, and even your own insurer will look for ways to limit what it pays.  

An experienced car accident attorney can review your policy, identify the coverage available to you, document the full extent of your losses, and push back if your insurer undervalues or denies a valid claim.  

A car accident lawyer can also investigate the crash and work to preserve evidence that could help identify the driver, including surveillance footage, dash cam video, witness statements, vehicle debris, police reports, and footage from nearby businesses or roadway cameras.  

And if the driver is eventually found, your car accident attorney can determine whether the driver had insurance, pursue a liability claim against them, investigate whether other insurance policies apply, and determine whether your own UIM coverage may be available if the driver’s insurance isn’t enough to cover your losses.  

Whether the driver is found or not, an attorney’s job is to help you identify every available source of coverage and pursue the full value of your claim. If you’ve been injured in a hit-and-run in Austin, Texas, contact a abogado especializado en accidentes de tráfico for a free case evaluation.  

Frequently Asked Questions After a Hit-and-Run in Austin, Texas  

What Is MedPay?  

Some auto insurance policies include Medical Payments coverage, commonly called MedPay.  

MedPay can help cover medical bills for you and your passengers after a crash. It may also provide coverage if you’re injured while riding in someone else’s vehicle or even while walking or biking. Unlike PIP, MedPay generally focuses on medical expenses rather than lost wages and other nonmedical costs.  

What Pays for My Car After a Hit-and-Run?  

If you have UM property damage coverage, it may pay to repair or replace your vehicle after a hit-and-run. UM/UIM coverage typically has a $250 deductible. Collision coverage may also pay for damage to your vehicle after a hit-and-run, regardless of who caused the crash. Your collision deductible will depend on the policy you purchased.  

If you carry both, it’s worth reviewing which coverage applies and how the deductibles and benefits differ before assuming you should simply file under collision.  

What If I Don’t Have UM/UIM, PIP, or MedPay?  

Your options may become more limited, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have none. Health insurance may help cover your medical treatment while the investigation continues, and collision coverage may still address your vehicle damage if you purchased it.  

What Happens If Police Eventually Find the Hit-and-Run Driver?  

If the driver is identified after a hit-and-run, you can investigate whether they had liability insurance at the time of the crash. If they were insured, you may be able to pursue a bodily injury claim against their insurance company for losses caused by the crash.  

What If the Driver Who Hit Me Doesn’t Have Insurance?  

If the driver is uninsured, your UM coverage may still be one of the primary sources of compensation available to you. An attorney can investigate all potential sources of insurance and compensation.  

Can I Use My Own Insurance and Still Go After the Driver?  

Potentially, yes. If the driver is later found, your attorney and insurance company can determine how the different claims and coverages interact. However, your insurer may have subrogation rights, meaning it may seek reimbursement from the responsible party for money it paid because of the crash.  

What If I Was a Pedestrian or Cyclist?  

You don’t necessarily have to be sitting inside your own car to take advantage of your own auto insurance policy; it typically follows you. Depending on your policy and the circumstances of the crash, UM/UIM, PIP, or MedPay coverage may apply when you’re struck by a vehicle while walking or riding a bicycle.