Driver hit my aunt, drove off, and has NO insurance. We have nothing. Please help us figure this out.

I went through almost this exact situation two years ago — uninsured driver, hit-and-run, the whole mess. The most important thing I can tell you is YES, check her own auto insurance policy immediately. If she has uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, it can kick in even when she's a pedestrian. I had no idea that was even a thing until my attorney told me. That coverage ended up being the main way I got any compensation at all.

A few things to flag from a process standpoint — not legal advice, just stuff I've seen come up:

1. Document everything now. Photos of her injuries, all medical bills, any police report numbers, the witness's contact info if you can get it. 2. Most states have strict deadlines (statutes of limitations) on personal injury claims, often 2-3 years, but some things like notifying her insurance company of a UM claim can have much shorter windows — sometimes 30 days. 3. A free consultation with a PI attorney costs you nothing and can answer the UM coverage question fast. Many won't charge anything unless they win.

Don't wait on the insurance notification piece especially.

Whatever you do, be careful how you talk to her insurance company. Even though they're her insurer, once a UM claim is involved they can start acting more like an opposing party than a helper. Don't let anyone record a statement before you've at least talked to an attorney. I learned this the hard way.

Former claims adjuster here. UM coverage covering pedestrians is real but adjusters don't always volunteer that information upfront — they wait for you to bring it up. Pull the actual policy declarations page and look for 'uninsured motorist bodily injury' coverage. If it's there, file that claim. Also, the fact that the driver was identified and cited by police is genuinely helpful — some UM claims get complicated when the at-fault driver is completely unknown.

A fractured pelvis is serious and recovery timelines are really unpredictable — I just want to make sure you're not letting anyone rush her into any kind of settlement before her doctors have a full picture of what she'll need. Complications and long-term mobility issues can develop over months. Make sure every medical visit, every prescription, every therapy session is documented meticulously. That paper trail matters enormously later.

Not legal advice, but I'd strongly encourage you to consult a personal injury attorney before taking any formal steps with insurance — yours or theirs. The UM coverage angle is worth exploring, and there are also sometimes state victim compensation funds for situations involving uninsured or underinsured drivers. An attorney who handles PI cases can identify all possible avenues quickly. Most offer free consultations and work on contingency, meaning no upfront cost to you.

I'm so sorry you're carrying all of this at 24. That's genuinely a lot for one person. Please make sure you're taking care of yourself too while you're taking care of everyone else. Sending you both a lot of strength.

Three things, in order: (1) Get the police report copy ASAP. (2) Pull her insurance policy and find out if UM coverage is on it. (3) Call a personal injury lawyer this week — not next week, this week. Everything else can wait until you have those three things in hand.