Do I Need a Lawyer After a Hit and Run in Sherman Oaks?

Arya Firoozmand, Esq. — Founding Partner

Local Sherman Oaks Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Arya Firoozmand is the founding partner at L&F Brown. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley, graduated from El Camino Real High School and UCLA Law School, and has spent his career representing injured clients across the Valley — including Sherman Oaks and the 405 corridor.

Being the victim of a hit and run accident in Sherman Oaks is one of the most frustrating experiences an accident victim can face. Someone crashes into you and drives away. You are left hurt, shaken, and wondering how you will get compensation when you do not even know who hit you. A personal injury attorney can help you navigate this situation and find the compensation you are entitled to, even when the at-fault driver is never identified.

Why Hit and Run Cases Are Especially Complex

In a standard car accident in Sherman Oaks, there is an at-fault driver with insurance. In a hit and run, that person may be missing entirely. This requires a different legal strategy focused on:

• Using your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
• Pursuing your own medical payments (MedPay) coverage
• Investigating whether surveillance cameras captured the fleeing vehicle
• Working with LAPD Van Nuys Division or CHP to identify the driver
• Exploring whether other parties may be liable

Uninsured Motorist Coverage Is Your Key Resource

California law requires insurance companies to offer uninsured motorist coverage to all policyholders. If you have this coverage on your auto policy, it may compensate you for injuries caused by a driver who fled the scene, as if they had been identified and found to be at fault. This coverage is particularly valuable in Sherman Oaks hit and run cases.

However, insurance companies will still try to minimize your UM payout. They will scrutinize your injuries, question your account of events, and look for reasons to undervalue your claim. A Sherman Oaks hit and run lawyer negotiates on your behalf and knows how to counter these tactics.

Evidence Gathering Is Time-Sensitive

After a hit and run in Sherman Oaks, evidence disappears quickly. Surveillance cameras on Van Nuys Blvd, Ventura Blvd, and the Sepulveda Blvd commercial strip may have captured the fleeing vehicle, but that footage is typically overwritten within 30 to 60 days. Your attorney can send legal preservation notices immediately.

CHP handles freeway hit and runs on the 101 and 405. LAPD Van Nuys Division investigates those on local streets. Both agencies may be able to help identify the at-fault driver through witnesses, camera footage, and license plate reader data. The sooner you get a lawyer involved, the more of this evidence can be preserved.

What If the Driver Is Later Identified?

If police identify the hit and run driver after the fact, you gain access to their insurance, in addition to any claims you have already made under your own UM coverage. Your attorney will coordinate all of these claims and maximize your total recovery.

What Injuries Qualify?

Hit and run victims in Sherman Oaks suffer all types of injuries, from minor cuts and bruises to severe spinal trauma. Pedestrian and cyclist hit and run victims, who have no vehicle to protect them, often sustain the most serious injuries. If you were treated at Sherman Oaks Hospital at 4929 Van Nuys Blvd, those records are central to your claim.

Do not assume you cannot recover because the driver fled. Contact L&F Brown serving Sherman Oaks for a free consultation. We have recovered compensation for hit and run victims even when the at-fault driver was never identified.