Hit and run left me and my kid hurt — driver just took off, no plate

This happened to me about two years ago — driver ran a red light, hit my car, and disappeared before I even got out to check the damage. UM coverage was genuinely what saved me. It covered my medical bills and the car repairs after I paid my deductible. The process was slow and annoying but it worked. Make sure you actually have UM on your policy though — not everyone does and insurers don't always volunteer that info upfront.

Please don't let your daughter's neck soreness just sit there. Kids are resilient but soft tissue injuries in the cervical spine can quietly linger and get worse, especially if she's active in sports. Get her in front of a pediatrician or orthopedist who can document everything properly — and make sure every single visit gets tied back to the accident in writing. Documentation is everything for kids' injury claims.

A few practical things that will really matter down the road: First, pull your own insurance policy and look specifically for your UM and UIM limits — that's what you'll be working with here. Second, ask the police department for your report number and follow up in about a week; sometimes camera footage gets reviewed faster than they initially suggest. Third, keep a running log of every symptom, every appointment, every day you couldn't do something normal because of pain. That journal becomes valuable evidence.

Go back to the scene in daylight if you can and look around for any businesses or homes with security cameras that face the street. Ring doorbells if you have to. The police don't always hustle on this stuff and a civilian finding footage has actually cracked cases like this. Also check if your city has a traffic camera request process — sometimes you can submit a formal request to get footage preserved before it gets overwritten.

Not legal advice, but generally speaking: hit and run cases with minor children involved often warrant a consultation with a PI attorney sooner rather than later. UM claims with kids are handled differently in many states and there are deadlines that can sneak up on you. Many PI attorneys do free consults and work on contingency so there's no out-of-pocket cost to just talking to someone. Worth a call.

Former auto adjuster here. UM claims are legit and they do pay out, but here's what people don't realize: your insurer will require you to cooperate with their investigation, which means recorded statements, potentially an independent medical exam they schedule, the works. You are not obligated to give a recorded statement without some guidance first — a lot of people don't know that. Just be careful what you say and how you frame things before you understand the process fully.