Injured in a Hit-and-Run in Denver?

Do not chase the other driver. The impulse is understandable, but pursuing a fleeing vehicle puts you and everyone else on the road at risk. Stay where you are, check yourself for injuries, and call 911 immediately.

Tell the dispatcher it was a hit-and-run. Give them everything you can about the other vehicle — make, model, color, partial plate number, direction they fled, any damage you noticed. Even a partial plate or a general vehicle description can be enough for police to find the driver. Denver Police investigate hit-and-run crashes regularly — the state recorded over 18,000 in 2023.

If you're able, flag down witnesses before they leave. Other drivers, pedestrians, people at bus stops, cyclists — anyone who saw the vehicle or the crash. Their descriptions and any dashcam or security camera footage can be the difference between finding the driver and never identifying them.

Even if your injuries seem minor, get checked out at an emergency room or urgent care the same day. Adrenaline and shock mask pain. Soft tissue injuries, concussions, and internal bleeding don't always show symptoms right away.

Denver Health Medical Center at 777 Bannock Street is Denver's Level I Adult Trauma Center and the primary 911 receiving hospital. UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora is a second Level I trauma center. HCA HealthONE Swedish Medical Center at 501 East Hampden Avenue in Englewood is a Level I trauma and burn center. For children, Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora is the region's leading pediatric trauma facility.

Medical documentation matters for two reasons. First, it links your injuries to the crash — without that documented connection, any insurance claim gets harder. Second, if the driver is found later, your medical records become the foundation of your claim against them. If they're never found, you'll need those records to file a claim under your own uninsured motorist coverage.

If police responded to the scene, they'll generate a crash report. If they didn't — which can happen with lower-severity hit-and-runs — go to the nearest Denver Police district station or file a report through the Denver Police Department Records Section at 1331 Cherokee Street, Room 420, Denver, CO 80204. Phone: 720-913-6029.

The police report is your single most important document. It creates an official record that a hit-and-run occurred, captures the evidence collected at the scene, and triggers an investigation. Give the police everything you have: your description of the other vehicle, witness contact info, the time and location of the crash, and any photos or video.

Ask specifically whether there are traffic cameras, red-light cameras, or business security cameras near the crash location. Denver has been expanding its camera network across the city, and footage from nearby intersections, gas stations, or businesses has helped solve many hit-and-run cases. Most surveillance systems overwrite footage within 7 to 30 days — so time is critical.

While your memory is fresh, write down everything about the crash and the fleeing vehicle. What time did it happen? What road were you on? Which direction were you heading? What direction did the other vehicle come from? What direction did they flee? What do you remember about the vehicle — size, color, body style, any bumper stickers or distinctive features?

Photograph your injuries, your vehicle damage, the crash scene, and any debris left behind. Debris from the other vehicle — broken headlight glass, paint transfer on your car, pieces of a bumper — can help police identify the make and model of the fleeing vehicle.

If your car has a dashcam, preserve the footage immediately. If you were a pedestrian or cyclist, check whether nearby businesses, homes, or traffic cameras may have captured the incident. Note the addresses of nearby businesses that might have exterior cameras.

Save all medical bills, receipts, and records of time missed from work. If you have photos of the damage to your vehicle, save those too. This documentation is essential whether you end up filing a claim against the identified driver or under your own UM coverage.

In Colorado, leaving the scene of a crash involving death is a Class 3 felony under C.R.S. § 42-4-1601, carrying 4 to 12 years in prison and fines of $3,000 to $750,000. Leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury is a Class 4 felony — 2 to 6 years in prison and fines of $2,000 to $500,000. Non-serious injury hit-and-runs are a Class 1 traffic misdemeanor. Property-damage-only hit-and-runs are a Class 2 traffic misdemeanor under C.R.S. § 42-4-1602.

The driver's decision to flee is powerful evidence in your civil case. While a criminal conviction isn't required for you to recover damages, the fact that the driver left the scene demonstrates consciousness of guilt and strongly undermines any future argument that you were primarily at fault.

Colorado law (C.R.S. § 42-4-1603) requires any driver involved in a crash to stop immediately, provide their name, address, and registration information, render aid to injured persons, and remain at the scene until they've fulfilled these duties. Violating this duty is both a crime and strong evidence of negligence in a civil claim.

Here's the critical thing to understand: even if the hit-and-run driver is never identified, you have a path to compensation through your own auto insurance policy.

Under C.R.S. § 10-4-609, Colorado insurers are required to offer UM coverage in an amount equal to your bodily injury liability limits. You can decline UM coverage in writing, but most Colorado drivers carry it. Check your policy declarations page to confirm. If you have UM coverage, your limits may be $25,000/$50,000 (minimum) or higher depending on what you purchased.

UM coverage kicks in when the at-fault driver is uninsured or, in a hit-and-run, when the driver can't be identified. You file the claim with your own insurance company, and they pay up to your UM limits. An important Colorado rule: no physical contact between your vehicle and the hit-and-run vehicle is required to trigger UM coverage — Colorado courts have invalidated policy provisions requiring physical contact, meaning even "phantom vehicle" scenarios where the driver was never identified and there was no contact are covered.

Approximately 15.4% of Colorado drivers are uninsured — ranking 9th worst nationally — which makes UM coverage especially important in this state. If the at-fault driver is found but has no insurance or inadequate coverage, your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap between what their insurance pays and your actual damages.

Do not assume your own insurance company is on your side in a UM claim. They owe you the benefits of your policy, but they also have a financial incentive to pay as little as possible. An attorney experienced with UM claims can make a significant difference.

Under C.R.S. § 13-80-101, you have three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline runs from the date of the accident, not the date the driver is identified. If police identify the driver two and a half years after the crash, you have very little time to file suit.

For wrongful death resulting from a hit-and-run, the deadline is 2 years from the date of death (C.R.S. § 13-21-204).

If the crash involved a government vehicle, a government employee, or a government-maintained road, the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. § 24-10-109) requires written notice within 182 days — roughly 6 months. This applies even if the government entity wasn't the hit-and-run driver — for example, if poor road design, a broken traffic signal, or inadequate lighting contributed to the crash.

For your UM claim, check your policy for any separate notice requirements. Most policies require prompt notice of a claim, and unreasonable delay in notifying your insurer can jeopardize your coverage.

Hit-and-run cases involve two parallel tracks: the criminal investigation to find the driver, and the civil claim to recover your damages. An experienced attorney can manage both simultaneously — pushing for a thorough police investigation while also filing your UM claim and preserving evidence.

If the driver is eventually identified, your attorney can pursue a direct claim against them and their insurance. If the driver is never found, your attorney handles the UM claim with your own insurer — which is often more adversarial than people expect.

Most hit-and-run attorneys in Denver work on contingency — you pay nothing unless they win your case. The typical contingency fee is 33% of the recovery. Given the complexity of hit-and-run cases and the time pressure around evidence preservation, having professional representation from the start gives your case the best chance of a fair outcome.