A woman who says another driver hit her car and took off is sharing what she wishes she had known in the moments afterward.
Regan (@regan.accidenthelp), whose bio states she partners with CarInjuryCalculator, says she was the victim of a hit-and-run. She has three pieces of advice for anyone in the same situation.
First: Document everything you can while it’s still fresh.
The moment the other driver leaves, Regan says to “voice memo everything immediately.”
“The color, the make, the model, partial plate, if you can get it,” she advised.
Regan says adrenaline can make details harder to remember later, so she recommends recording them as quickly as possible.
Once you’ve composed yourself, she says to look for nearby security or doorbell cameras that may have captured the crash, and to get contact information from any witnesses.
“Those get deleted fast, so make sure you grab that information,” Regan says about the videos.
Her second piece of advice is to call the police, even if an officer can’t come to the scene.
“Most insurers won’t process a hit-and-run claim without a police report,” she shared.
Lastly, Regan says a hit-and-run can fall under uninsured motorist coverage if the other driver is never identified.
“Your own uninsured motorist coverage is what actually pays you for your injuries and damage even if the driver is never found,” she says.
Regan also recommends getting checked by a doctor after a hit-and-run.
What To Do After A Hit-And-Run
Regan’s advice aligns with what insurance groups recommend after a hit-and-run: gather as much information as possible, call the police, and notify your insurer promptly.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners says drivers should collect witness names and contact information, note the date and time, and the exact location of the crash, and document the scene with photos or a sketch. If the other driver leaves, it advises “promptly call[ing] the police.”
The Insurance Information Institute similarly recommends recording everything you recall about the other vehicle, including its make and model, and using a phone to document the scene and accident details. It similarly says to file an accident report even if police can’t come to the crash site.
That makes Regan’s suggestion to record details immediately practical, even if a voice memo isn’t required.
Her insurance advice needs a tad more context.
Uninsured motorist coverage can apply when the at-fault driver flees and can’t be identified. The Insurance Information Institute says uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) coverage can cover medical bills and lost wages for affected drivers and passengers after a hit-and-run.
Then there’s property insurance. Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) coverage covers damage to your person and vehicle, but is separate from uninsured motorist insurance. Collision coverage, which is typically sold with a separate deductible, may also pay for damage to your own car.
As for the police report, insurers commonly use it as supporting documentation, and drivers should have one when making an insurance claim.
The safest takeaway: document everything, report the crash quickly, and check your specific policy before assuming what will or won’t be covered.
Of course, not everyone was convinced documenting the crash would necessarily lead to a better outcome.
“And even if you get all this they probably don’t have insurance so nothing will happen,” one viewer wrote.
Regan pushed back on that.
“There are options for that too,” she replied.
Motor1 contacted Regan via TikTok direct message. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.
