Hit and Run Accident in Phoenix: What to Do Next

Your first priority after a hit and run is safety. Move out of traffic if you can do so without worsening any injuries. Call 911 immediately. Tell the dispatcher that the other driver fled the scene. Give them whatever details you have — the direction the vehicle went, the make, model, color, and any part of the license plate number you remember. Even a partial plate can help Phoenix Police identify the vehicle.

Even if your injuries feel minor, request medical attention. Adrenaline masks pain. Injuries like whiplash, concussions, and internal bleeding may not produce symptoms for hours or days. The 911 call creates a timestamped official record that your accident happened and that you reported it immediately — this matters when you file your insurance claim.

If you are physically able, stay at the scene until police arrive. Phoenix Police Department will respond to hit and run calls involving injuries. For property-damage-only hit and runs where police may not respond to the scene, you can file a report by calling the non-emergency number at 602-262-6151 or by visiting your local Phoenix Police precinct.

While you wait for police, gather as much evidence as possible. Photograph the scene from multiple angles — your vehicle damage, skid marks, debris, road conditions, traffic signs, and any paint transfer from the other vehicle. If there are security cameras on nearby buildings, gas stations, or businesses, note their locations. Surveillance footage is often the single best piece of evidence for identifying a hit-and-run driver, but it gets overwritten quickly — usually within 24 to 72 hours.

Talk to witnesses. Anyone who saw the crash or saw the other vehicle fleeing may have details you missed — a license plate number, a better description of the vehicle, or the direction it went. Get their names and phone numbers. Witness statements are powerful evidence for both your police report and your insurance claim.

Write down everything you remember while it is fresh. The time, location, direction of travel, speed, what happened right before the impact, and every detail about the other vehicle. Your memory will fade. A written account made at the scene is far more credible than one recalled weeks later during an insurance investigation.

Leaving the scene of an accident involving injury is a serious crime in Arizona. A.R.S. 28-661 establishes a tiered penalty structure based on the severity of the outcome. If the driver caused the accident resulting in death or serious physical injury, it is a Class 2 felony — one of the most serious felony classifications in Arizona, carrying 3 to 12.5 years in prison for a first offense. If the driver was involved in but did not cause an accident resulting in death or serious physical injury, it is a Class 3 felony carrying 2 to 8.75 years.

For accidents involving injury that is not death or serious physical injury, leaving the scene is a Class 5 felony under A.R.S. 28-661, carrying 6 months to 2.5 years in prison. For property-damage-only accidents, A.R.S. 28-662 makes leaving the scene a Class 2 misdemeanor. In addition to prison time, convicted hit-and-run drivers face license revocation — 5 years for accidents involving serious physical injury and 10 years for fatal accidents.

These criminal penalties are separate from your civil claim for damages. The criminal case is prosecuted by the State of Arizona. Your civil case is a private lawsuit you file to recover compensation for your injuries. A criminal conviction can help your civil case, but you do not need one to pursue compensation — your civil claim stands on its own.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is designed for exactly this situation — when the at-fault driver either has no insurance or cannot be identified. In a hit and run where the driver is never found, your UM coverage steps in as if you had been hit by an uninsured driver. It covers medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages up to your policy limits.

Arizona law (A.R.S. 20-259.01) requires every auto insurer to offer UM coverage, but it is not mandatory — you must have affirmatively elected it or your insurer must have offered it in writing. If you did not reject UM coverage in writing, Arizona courts have held that UM coverage is automatically included in your policy. Check your declarations page. The minimum UM limits in Arizona are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, though many drivers carry higher limits.

Filing a UM claim is not the same as filing a claim against the other driver's insurance. You are filing against your own insurer. Your insurance company may still investigate fault and the extent of your injuries. Do not assume your own insurer is on your side — they have a financial interest in paying less. Document everything thoroughly and consider consulting an attorney before giving recorded statements to your own insurance company.

If Phoenix Police identify the hit-and-run driver, your claim changes significantly. You can now file a claim against the other driver's liability insurance. If the driver was uninsured, your UM coverage still applies. If the driver was underinsured (their policy limits are less than your damages), your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage can make up the difference.

A criminal conviction for hit and run strengthens your civil case. Under Arizona's negligence per se doctrine, violating a safety statute like A.R.S. 28-661 is evidence of negligence. The fact that the driver fled the scene also creates a negative inference — juries view fleeing as consciousness of guilt. These factors typically increase settlement values.

Arizona follows pure comparative negligence (A.R.S. 12-2505), so you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault. Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault, but there is no threshold that bars recovery entirely. In hit-and-run cases, the driver who fled almost always bears the majority of fault — fleeing the scene is strong evidence of negligence and recklessness.

Surveillance footage is often the key to identifying a hit-and-run driver. Phoenix is a major metro area with cameras everywhere — gas stations, convenience stores, banks, restaurants, apartment complexes, traffic cameras, and private doorbell cameras. Identify every camera within view of the crash site and act fast. Most businesses overwrite footage within 24 to 72 hours.

Ask nearby businesses to preserve their footage immediately. If they will not cooperate, your attorney can send a preservation letter or subpoena the footage before it is destroyed. Also check whether the City of Phoenix has traffic cameras or red-light cameras at nearby intersections. The Arizona Department of Transportation operates freeway cameras that may have captured the vehicle on its escape route.

Dashcam footage from your own vehicle or from other drivers is another valuable source. If you have a dashcam, save the footage immediately and make backup copies. Post on neighborhood social media groups (Nextdoor, neighborhood Facebook groups) — other drivers or homeowners with doorbell cameras may have captured the vehicle. The more footage you can gather, the better your chances of identifying the driver.

Arizona's statute of limitations for personal injury is 2 years from the date of injury (A.R.S. 12-542). This deadline applies whether or not the hit-and-run driver is ever identified. If you are filing a UM claim against your own insurer, the contractual deadline in your policy may be different — check your policy terms. Arizona courts have held that UM claim deadlines cannot be shorter than 3 years under A.R.S. 12-555.

For claims against government entities — for example, if a government vehicle committed the hit and run, or if a road defect contributed to the crash — you must file a notice of claim within 180 days under A.R.S. 12-821.01. Missing this notice deadline can bar your claim entirely, even though the general 2-year statute has not expired.

Do not wait until near the deadline to act. Surveillance footage gets overwritten within days. Witnesses forget details. Physical evidence at the scene disappears. The sooner you file a police report, gather evidence, and contact your insurance company, the stronger your claim will be. Start building your case immediately after the crash.

Were you the victim of a hit and run in Phoenix? Get your free Injury Claim Check. You will answer a few questions about your accident and injuries, and we will provide a personalized report covering your potential claim — including whether your UM coverage applies, what evidence to prioritize, and whether connecting with a Phoenix personal injury attorney makes sense for your situation.

Someone hit you and ran. Arizona law gives you real tools to recover — uninsured motorist coverage, civil claims against the driver if identified, and serious criminal penalties that incentivize the driver to come forward. Start with the Injury Claim Check. It is free, confidential, and takes less time than your next follow-up appointment.