If you were injured in a hit-and-run accident in Beverly Hills, you may still recover compensation even if the driver who hit you is never found. The Injury Partners represents hit-and-run victims throughout Beverly Hills and Los Angeles County, pursuing recovery through uninsured motorist (UM) claims, driver identification, and direct liability actions. Our founding attorneys handle every case personally on a contingency-fee basis. Call (310) 220-0066 for a free 24/7 consultation.
The Injury Partners represents victims of hit-and-run accidents throughout Beverly Hills and all of Los Angeles County. Even when the at-fault driver cannot be identified, California law provides a path to compensation through your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Our attorneys act fast to preserve surveillance footage, coordinate with investigators, and build the strongest possible claim on your behalf.
Beverly Hills presents unique conditions that contribute to a high rate of hit-and-run incidents. Tourist density around Rodeo Drive and the Golden Triangle, rideshare congestion, valet traffic, and high-speed corridors along Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, and Sunset Boulevard all create environments where drivers flee the scene. Common hit-and-run scenarios in Beverly Hills include sideswipes on congested retail corridors, collisions in parking structures, and pedestrian strikes near high-traffic crosswalks. Late-night DUI-related crashes where the driver flees to avoid criminal charges are also frequent.
The Beverly Hills Police Department handles hit-and-run investigations within Beverly Hills city limits, not LAPD. BHPD is a smaller department with a focused jurisdiction, which can mean more personalized investigative attention when the incident is reported promptly. Surveillance footage from businesses along Canon Drive, Beverly Drive, Rodeo Drive, and throughout the Golden Triangle is often the single most important piece of evidence in identifying a fleeing driver. That footage can be overwritten within 48 to 72 hours.
California’s statute of limitations gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. If a government entity may be involved, you have just six months under Government Code § 911.2. Contact The Injury Partners at (310) 220-0066 or visit our office at 499 N. Canon Dr., Suite B1, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.
The Injury Partners brings elite legal credentials and a focused approach to the unique challenges of hit-and-run cases. Co-founder Omeed Hakimianpour earned his Juris Doctor from USC Gould School of Law and his undergraduate degree from UCLA. He then trained at Kirkland & Ellis, one of the world’s largest law firms, handling multimillion and billion-dollar transactions. That same strategic intensity now drives how our firm handles high-pressure UM arbitrations against insurance carriers. Omeed has been recognized as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star in both 2025 and 2026, a distinction awarded to only the top 2.5% of attorneys in California.
Co-founder Daniel Sabet completed the prestigious SCALE accelerated J.D. program at Southwestern Law School in just two years, building his career around personal injury advocacy. Together, Omeed and Daniel personally manage every case from the first call through resolution. You will never be passed off to a call center, intake team, or case manager. The Injury Partners maintains a 5.00 Google rating and has recovered over $1 million in compensation for clients. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win.
Hit-and-run cases demand this level of attention because they create a legal dynamic most victims do not expect. When the at-fault driver flees, the victim often ends up filing a claim against their own insurance company under UM coverage. Your own insurer has a financial incentive to minimize the payout. Victims need an attorney who will treat the UM claim with the same intensity as a third-party liability claim. That means negotiating aggressively and preparing for UM arbitration if the insurer refuses to pay fair value.
In a standard car accident, the victim files a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance. In a hit-and-run, the at-fault driver is often unidentified, which changes the entire legal pathway. Your own uninsured motorist coverage becomes the primary source of recovery under California Insurance Code § 11580.2.
This means you are filing a claim against your own insurance company, and your insurer will treat the claim adversarially. They may dispute the severity of your injuries, question how the accident happened, or argue comparative fault to reduce what they owe. If the insurer refuses to pay fair value, the case proceeds to UM arbitration, a private binding proceeding decided by an arbitrator rather than a jury.
There are also specific evidence requirements that do not apply to standard claims. For bodily injury UM claims, California law requires proof of actual physical contact between the fleeing vehicle and your vehicle or person. For property damage UM claims, the accident must be reported to police within 24 hours.
The most urgent question after a hit-and-run car accident is who will pay for your injuries when the driver who caused them is gone. California law provides multiple recovery pathways, and The Injury Partners pursues every available option to maximize your compensation.
If the fleeing driver can be identified, a standard third-party liability claim can be filed against their auto insurance. The Injury Partners works to locate the driver through:
When the driver cannot be identified, your own UM coverage becomes the primary recovery vehicle. California Insurance Code § 11580.2 requires auto insurers to offer UM coverage, and it is included in every California auto policy unless the policyholder waived it in writing. UM coverage compensates for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages up to the policy limit. Two requirements apply specifically to hit-and-run UM claims:
If the insurer disputes the claim or offers less than your losses warrant, the case proceeds to UM arbitration.
Even when the driver flees, other parties may share liability:
In the most severe cases, hit-and-run crashes result in fatalities that require a wrongful death claim.
Your own collision coverage can cover vehicle repair or replacement regardless of fault. Medical payments coverage (MedPay) can cover medical bills regardless of fault, with no deductible and no impact on your premium.
The fact that the driver was never identified does not mean you have no options. Uninsured motorist coverage exists precisely for this situation, treating the unknown driver as an uninsured motorist under California law. The Injury Partners will pursue your UM claim aggressively, including full preparation for UM arbitration if your insurer undervalues your case.
You may also recover through collision coverage for vehicle damage and MedPay for medical expenses. Approximately one in five California drivers are uninsured according to the Insurance Research Council’s 2025 report, which means UM recovery pathways are among the most common in hit-and-run cases statewide.
Several California statutes directly affect how your hit-and-run claim is handled. Understanding the distinction between the criminal case against the fleeing driver and your civil claim for compensation is important because they operate independently. Even if the driver is never criminally charged, you can still pursue civil recovery.
California Vehicle Code § 20001 applies when a driver leaves the scene of an accident that caused injury or death. This is classified as a “wobbler,” meaning it can be charged as a misdemeanor (up to 1 year in county jail, fine up to $10,000) or a felony (up to 4 years in state prison, fine up to $10,000). Vehicle Code § 20002 applies when a driver leaves the scene of an accident that caused property damage only, carrying up to 6 months in county jail and a fine up to $1,000.
California Insurance Code § 11580.2 requires every auto insurer to offer UM/UIM coverage and governs the physical contact requirement for hit-and-run UM claims. California follows a pure comparative negligence system under Civil Code § 1714, meaning you can recover compensation even if you were partially at fault, reduced by your percentage of responsibility.
The following table outlines the deadlines that apply to hit-and-run claims in California.
Claim Type | Deadline | Legal Authority |
Personal injury claim | 2 years from date of injury | CCP § 335.1 |
Government entity claim | 6 months to file administrative claim | Gov. Code § 911.2 |
Property damage claim | 3 years | CCP § 338 |
UM property damage: police report | Within 24 hours of accident | Ins. Code § 11580.2 |
UM bodily injury claim | 2 years (follows PI statute) | CCP § 335.1 |
It depends on whether the accident caused injury or only property damage under California Vehicle Code §§ 20001 and 20002. Under Vehicle Code § 20001, leaving the scene of an accident that caused injury or death is a wobbler offense. Prosecutors can charge it as either a felony or misdemeanor based on the severity of harm and the circumstances of the case. Under Vehicle Code § 20002, leaving the scene of a property-damage-only accident is a misdemeanor.
The criminal case against the fleeing driver is separate from your civil claim for compensation. A criminal conviction can strengthen your civil case by establishing that the driver violated the law, but you do not need a criminal conviction to pursue your own claim. Even if the driver is never arrested or charged, your right to civil recovery through UM coverage, direct liability, or other pathways remains intact.
Hit-and-run victims in California may recover both economic and non-economic damages through a settlement or jury verdict. Whether you pursue a third-party claim against the identified driver or a UM claim against your own insurer, the following categories of compensation are available:
UM claims cover all compensatory damages up to the policy limit. If the at-fault driver is later identified and carries insurance, your recovery may exceed your own UM limits. California’s pure comparative negligence system under Civil Code § 1714 allows recovery even if you shared some fault, reduced by your percentage of responsibility.
This is one of the most common fears that prevents hit-and-run victims from filing, and California law directly addresses it. Under California Insurance Code § 1861.02, your insurance company cannot increase your rates solely because you filed a UM claim for an accident that was not your fault. A UM claim after a hit-and-run is not classified as a chargeable accident. You paid for UM coverage precisely for situations like this, and using it should not carry a penalty.
A hit-and-run accident leaves you with injuries, medical bills, lost income, vehicle damage, and the added frustration of not knowing who hit you. You deserve attorneys who understand the unique legal pathway these cases require and who will act immediately to preserve the evidence that can identify the driver or build the strongest possible UM claim.
The Injury Partners works on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing out of pocket and owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Our attorneys are available 24/7.
Remember, surveillance footage from Beverly Hills businesses overwrites within days. The sooner we engage with BHPD and send preservation demands, the better your chances of identifying the fleeing driver or building an airtight UM case.
Whether we can identify the driver who hit you or not, The Injury Partners will fight to make sure you are not left paying for someone else’s decision to flee. Call The Injury Partners today at (310) 220-0066 or email us at info@theinjurypartners.com. You can also visit our office at 499 N. Canon Dr., Suite B1, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, or contact our team online.
