Hit & Run Accident Lawyer in Agoura Hills

More Than 40 Years Helping California Hit & Run Victims Recover

When a driver causes a crash and flees, the path to compensation changes entirely. The standard route of filing a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurer disappears with them. At Effres & Effres, we’ve spent more than four decades helping injured victims across California navigate exactly this situation. Based in Agoura Hills, we know how to pursue every available avenue for recovery, including claims against your own insurance coverage, when the driver who hit you can’t be found.

If you were injured in a hit and run accident in Agoura Hills or anywhere in the Greater Los Angeles area, call us today at (818) 222-9720. We offer free consultations and advance all litigation costs so you can get answers without any upfront expense.

California Law on Hit & Run Accidents

California Vehicle Code 20001 requires any driver involved in a crash causing injury or death to stop, remain at the scene, and provide identifying information. Leaving is a felony, punishable by fines between $1,000 and $10,000 and state prison time. When the accident causes only property damage, Vehicle Code 20002 governs, and leaving is typically charged as a misdemeanor carrying fines up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.

Those criminal penalties matter, but they don’t put money in your pocket. That’s the civil side of the case. Under California Code of Civil Procedure 335.1, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government-owned vehicle was involved, a separate and significantly shorter government tort claim deadline applies. Don’t assume you have time to wait.

How Hit & Run Victims Recover Compensation in California

When the at-fault driver is unknown, their liability insurer can’t be reached, and recovery shifts to your own auto policy. California Insurance Code 11580.2 requires insurers to offer uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, and hit-and-run drivers are treated as uninsured motorists under California law. Your own UM coverage becomes your primary recovery tool.

Requirements for a UM Bodily Injury Claim

A bodily injury UM claim generally requires that the fleeing vehicle made physical contact with your vehicle or person, or that a credible witness corroborates that another vehicle caused the crash. A prompt police report is also typically required as a condition of coverage. These requirements exist precisely to give insurers grounds to deny claims, and they may look for reasons to do so.

When the Driver Is Later Identified

If the hit-and-run driver is later identified, the case shifts from a first-party UM claim against your own insurer to a direct liability claim against that driver’s insurance company. California’s pure comparative negligence standard then applies, meaning each party’s share of fault is weighed against their share of the damages.

Steps to Take After a Hit & Run Accident in Agoura Hills

What you do in the hours after the crash directly affects both the police investigation and your insurance claim. The US-101 corridor runs through Agoura Hills, and collisions along that stretch aren’t uncommon. If you’ve been hit, here’s what matters most:

• Get medical attention immediately. Some injuries aren’t apparent right after impact. A documented medical visit ties your injuries to the crash.
• Record everything about the fleeing vehicle. License plate, color, make, model, and direction of travel. Write it down before you forget.
• Identify witnesses and look for cameras. Nearby witnesses or surveillance footage can satisfy the corroboration requirement for a UM claim.
• File a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Agoura Hills is patrolled by the Malibu/Lost Hills Station, which also serves Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu, and Westlake Village. A prompt report is typically required by your insurer.
• Notify your own insurance company. Prompt notice is a standard policy condition. Do it before speaking with any adjuster about the details of the claim.

If you can’t travel after the accident, we can come to you. We visit clients at home or in the hospital, and we return calls promptly. You won’t be left waiting for answers during one of the most difficult periods of your life.