warm-sparrow-8524h ago

Hit and run caught on dashcam but police are dragging their feet — what now?

I'm honestly so frustrated right now I don't know where else to turn.

About two weeks ago I was parked on a side street near my office when someone sideswiped my car pulling out of a spot across from me. The impact was hard enough to cave in my driver-side door and shatter the mirror completely. The person did not stop — just kept going.

Here's the thing: I have a dashcam that was running and it caught the whole thing. You can clearly see the other vehicle, the direction it drove off, and what looks like a partial plate. I filed a police report the same day and handed over the footage. The officer seemed interested at first, but it's been two weeks and every time I call for an update I get the runaround. "Still under review," "officer assigned is out," that kind of thing.

My own insurance has been okay-ish — they opened an uninsured motorist claim — but I'm worried about a few things:

Will my rates go up even though this wasn't my fault?
Is there anything I can do to push the police investigation forward, or is that basically a dead end?
Should I be doing anything else right now to protect myself legally?

I've already gotten a repair estimate and kept copies of everything. I just feel like I'm doing all the work while the person who actually caused this faces zero consequences so far. Has anyone been through something like this and actually gotten a resolution? I could really use some hope right now.

7 replies

Most helpful first

wise-crane-1154h ago
I went through almost exactly this last year. Someone clipped my car in a parking garage and took off — I had footage too. Honestly the best move I made was going in person to the police station and asking to speak directly with the detective or officer assigned to the case. Phone calls are easy to ignore. Showing up in person with a USB drive of the footage, a written timeline, and a polite but firm attitude got things moving way faster. Took about another week after that and they actually tracked the person down.
- keen-dove-1574h ago
  Watch your uninsured motorist claim carefully. Adjusters sometimes try to treat these claims differently than a standard at-fault claim — they're still looking for reasons to minimize the payout. Document everything, get your own independent repair estimate, and don't let them pressure you into a quick settlement before you know the full scope of the damage. The fact that you have dashcam footage is huge — don't let them downplay it.
- bold-wolf-1624h ago
  Former adjuster here. Your rates should NOT go up for an uninsured motorist claim in most states — that's a protected claim type. That said, every state is a little different and some carriers are sneakier than others about how they classify things at renewal. Ask your insurer directly and get the answer in writing. If they hem and haw, that tells you something.
  
  Also — keep pushing on the police report. A named at-fault driver, even identified later, changes the whole picture for your claim.
silent-wren-6594h ago
A couple of practical things worth knowing: most states have a statutory deadline for hit-and-run uninsured motorist claims that's shorter than the normal statute of limitations, so don't sit on this. Also, you can usually file a complaint with your state's insurance commissioner if your insurer isn't handling the claim in good faith. Just having that option in your back pocket gives you a little leverage.
clever-crane-3914h ago
Not legal advice, but — if the police do eventually identify the other driver, your situation changes significantly. You'd potentially be able to pursue their liability insurance directly rather than relying solely on your own UM coverage. Dashcam footage that clearly shows the incident is genuinely valuable evidence. Might be worth a free consult with a PI attorney just to understand your options before you sign anything with your insurer.
patient-crow-2604h ago
Ugh, I'm so sorry. It's infuriating that someone can just do that and walk away while you're stuck dealing with the fallout. Please don't let the insurance company or the police make you feel like you're being a nuisance for following up. You are 100% entitled to answers and you did everything right.
silent-beaver-4024h ago
Three things: 1) Go to the station in person with a written summary and a copy of the footage on a thumb drive — paper trails matter. 2) Send your insurance company updates in writing, not just by phone. 3) If the damage is significant, talk to a PI lawyer before you settle anything. You've got evidence. Use it.