INJURED IN A HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT?Kentucky hit-and-run accident attorneys who track down the coverage you are owed, with the Bigger Share Guarantee® so you keep more of your settlement.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage: Your Primary Recovery Path After a Hit-and-Run

Kentucky law requires all licensed drivers to carry a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per occurrence in liability insurance under KRS 304.39-110. Kentucky also requires insurers to offer uninsured motorist coverage at minimum liability limits, though drivers may reject it in writing. When a hit-and-run driver cannot be identified, UM coverage becomes the injured person’s primary source of compensation, subject to policy limits and the specific terms of their coverage.

Filing a UM claim after a hit-and-run does not put you at fault. You are making a claim on your own policy for injuries caused by someone else’s negligence. However, your own insurer will still investigate, assign adjusters, and in many cases dispute liability or injury severity just as a third-party insurer would. Under Kentucky’s no-fault framework and KRS 304.39-060, PIP coverage also applies regardless of fault. But PIP limits are typically $10,000, which is rarely sufficient in a serious crash, making UM coverage the essential backstop.

Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage becomes relevant when the at-fault driver is later identified and carries liability insurance, but at limits below the full value of the victim’s damages. UIM coverage bridges the gap between the at-fault driver’s policy limit and the actual harm caused. In serious injury cases, the combined availability of PIP, liability coverage (when the driver is found), and UIM stacking can be the difference between full compensation and a recovery that falls short of actual damages.

Identifying the Fleeing Driver: Camera Footage and Investigation

Many hit-and-run crashes in Kentucky occur at or near intersections monitored by traffic cameras. Sam Aguiar Injury Lawyers maintains exclusive statewide access to DOT and TriMarc camera footage archived up to six months back. For crashes on monitored Louisville corridors or Kentucky highways, that footage may capture the fleeing vehicle’s make, model, color, and partial license plate. This access is not available through standard public records channels, and most firms do not have it. A vehicle identified from camera footage, combined with witness descriptions and law enforcement investigation, can shift a UM claim into a direct liability claim against an at-fault driver.

Beyond traffic cameras, dashcam footage from other vehicles on the road at the time of the crash is an underutilized evidence source. Neighboring businesses with exterior cameras, residential doorbell cameras at nearby intersections, and gas station surveillance systems can all capture relevant footage that overwrites quickly. The firm’s investigative team actively canvasses for this footage in the days immediately following a crash, before it is gone. Kentucky State Police and local law enforcement also work hit-and-run cases as criminal matters, and their investigations can produce evidence that supplements the civil claim.

What Hit-and-Run Victims Should Do in the Immediate Aftermath

Documenting as much about the fleeing vehicle as possible at the scene is critical. Even a partial license plate, a description of vehicle color, make, body style, or any visible damage gives law enforcement and investigators a starting point. Witness names and phone numbers should be collected before people leave the scene. The crash report from the responding officer will be the official record of the incident and is the foundation document for both a UM claim and any subsequent liability claim if the driver is found.

Reporting the crash to your own insurer is required under most UM policies within a reasonable time frame. What you say in that report matters. Insurers use recorded statements to build their claim file from the beginning. The same insurer who will later process your UM claim has assigned adjusters who document every communication from day one. Having legal representation in place before that first substantive conversation with your insurer is advisable in any hit-and-run case involving more than minor property damage or any physical injury.