San Antonio Hit & Run Accident Lawyer

Direct Access to Your Attorney After a Hit & Run

A hit-and-run accident raises immediate questions about evidence, available coverage, and legal deadlines, especially when the fleeing driver remains unidentified. At The Warrior Law, we handle complicated car accident cases and can explain your options in clear, straightforward terms. Our founding attorney, Luis Guerrero, believes in being highly accessible to his clients. That's why he gives out his personal cell phone number and offers appointments on weekends. 

What to Do After a Driver Flees an Accident

Once immediate safety concerns have been addressed, you should report the collision to law enforcement. Depending on the location and responding agency, the San Antonio Police Department or Bexar County Sheriff’s Office may prepare the official report. The report creates a record of the incident but doesn’t guarantee that the other vehicle's driver will be identified.

Preserve the following evidence whenever possible:

• Photographs from the scene: Use your phone to capture any vehicle damage, paint transfer, debris, skid marks, and traffic signs, as well as your injuries and the general surrounding area.
• Witness information: Record names, contact details, vehicle descriptions, and anything witnesses remember about the crash and/or the driver who left the scene.
• Medical documentation: Keep copies of records of your medical care, especially those connecting your injuries, evaluation, and treatment to the crash.

As soon as possible, write down the other vehicle’s color, make, model, license plate characters, direction of travel, and visible damage while the details remain fresh. Share this information with the investigating agency, and avoid repairing or disposing of damaged property before documenting it.

Can You Receive Compensation If the Hit & Run Driver Is Never Identified?

Texas auto insurers are required to offer uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Under Texas insurance law, an unidentified hit-and-run driver is generally treated as an uninsured motorist, subject to applicable policy terms. Our team can determine if uninsured or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage applies in your case. We can review the relevant policy and explain your available claim options.

UM coverage can include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage

Coverage is subject to policy limits and other terms. Payment isn’t automatic simply because the responsible driver left. The policy language, facts, evidence, and compliance with notice requirements can affect the claim.

Physical Contact & Phantom Vehicles

A physical contact requirement generally means the unidentified vehicle must have struck the claimant’s vehicle for standard uninsured motorist coverage to apply. For example, if a driver swerves to avoid another vehicle and crashes without contact, they may not have a UM claim under a physical contact requirement.

A phantom vehicle is an unidentified vehicle alleged to have caused a collision without physically striking the injured person’s vehicle. Some policies address phantom-vehicle scenarios, but their wording and requirements vary. Notice obligations also depend on the policy, so prompt review is important after a hit-and-run accident claim in San Antonio.

Texas Hit & Run Laws & Filing Deadlines

Texas Transportation Code § 550.021 requires a driver involved in a collision causing injury or death to stop, determine whether anyone needs aid, and remain until the required information is exchanged. Leaving a crash involving a death is a second-degree felony. Failure to stop and render aid after a collision causing serious bodily injury is punishable as a third-degree felony.

Those criminal consequences are separate from an injured person’s civil claim for compensation. A criminal case addresses the driver’s conduct, while a civil claim concerns losses caused by the crash. If investigators later identify the driver, the available civil and insurance options may change based on that driver’s liability and coverage.

Texas follows a comparative negligence rule, which reduces compensation by the injured person’s percentage of responsibility. Recovery is barred when that person is found more than 50 percent responsible. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, a personal injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years after the claim accrues, often on the crash date, although case-specific factors can affect the filing deadline.

How We Handle Hit & Run Claims in San Antonio

Compensation, and how it can be recovered, depends on whether the driver can be identified, what the evidence shows, and which policy provisions apply. We keep clients updated and explain legal and insurance issues in clear, everyday English (or Spanish).

Our process often involves:

• Investigating the collision: We review the police report, photographs, witness information, available surveillance footage, and other evidence from the scene to build a picture of what really happened.
• Reviewing the injuries: We examine your medical records, lost pay, and other documentation of losses (or “damages”) connected to the collision.
• Evaluating available coverage: We analyze relevant insurance policies, potential uninsured or underinsured motorist benefits, and applicable limits.
• Pursuing the claim: We handle all paperwork, submit claims to insurers, and negotiate with liable parties for a fair settlement based on the available evidence.
• Preparing for litigation: If a fair settlement can’t be reached, an unresolved claim may proceed in a Bexar County court with jurisdiction.

Our San Antonio hit-and-run accident attorneys assess the insurer’s position against the policy language, physical evidence, and documented losses. As a client, you receive a clear explanation of where your claim stands and what may happen next.

Get a Free Review of Your Hit & Run Claim

We offer free, no-obligation consultations for people injured in hit-and-run crashes in San Antonio. Consultations are available in English or Spanish, and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. We know that the legal process after a hit-and-run crash can feel overwhelming, which is why we make it our mission to provide clear, straightforward information and the answers you need to move forward confidently.