Hit-and-Run on the 118 Freeway in Chatsworth: Your Next Steps

Arya Firoozmand, Esq.

Local Chatsworth Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Arya Firoozmand is the founding partner at L&F Brown. He grew up in adjacent Woodland Hills, graduated from El Camino Real High School and UCLA Law School, and regularly practices at the Chatsworth Courthouse serving the West Valley.

The 118 Freeway through Chatsworth is a high-speed corridor where hit-and-run accidents are a persistent problem. Drivers who cause crashes and flee the scene leave victims injured, confused, and unsure of what to do next. If you were the victim of a hit-and-run on the 118 in Chatsworth, the steps you take in the hours and days after the crash will significantly impact your ability to recover compensation. Here is exactly what to do.

Step 1: Get to Safety and Call 911

If your vehicle is drivable, move it to the shoulder or an off-ramp. If you cannot move your vehicle safely, stay inside with your seatbelt fastened until emergency responders arrive. The 118 carries fast-moving traffic, and standing on the freeway creates a serious secondary accident risk.

Call 911 immediately. The California Highway Patrol handles all incidents on the 118 Freeway. CHP will respond, document the crash scene, and initiate a hit-and-run investigation. A CHP report is essential for your insurance claim and any future legal action.

When speaking with CHP, provide every detail you can remember about the fleeing vehicle: make, model, color, body style, any visible damage, any portion of the license plate, the direction the vehicle fled, and the approximate time of the crash. Even partial information can lead to identification.

Step 2: Document Everything

Before leaving the scene, use your phone to photograph everything. Your vehicle's damage, the road conditions, your position on the freeway, any debris left by the fleeing vehicle (bumper pieces, broken lights, paint transfer), skid marks, and the surrounding area. These photographs preserve the scene as it existed immediately after the crash.

If any other drivers or passengers witnessed the hit-and-run, get their names and phone numbers. Witness statements are among the most valuable evidence in hit-and-run investigations. A witness who saw the license plate, the driver's description, or the vehicle's direction of travel can break the case open.

Step 3: Seek Medical Treatment

Go to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center or the nearest emergency facility. Even if you feel your injuries are minor, get evaluated. Freeway-speed impacts cause injuries that may not be immediately apparent. Adrenaline masks pain, and soft-tissue injuries, concussions, and internal injuries can take hours or days to manifest.

Your medical records from the day of the crash establish the baseline for your injury claim. Gaps between the accident and medical treatment give insurance companies ammunition to argue your injuries were not caused by the crash.

Step 4: Report to Your Insurance Company

Notify your own auto insurance company about the hit-and-run promptly. Your policy may have a time limit for reporting claims. When you report, provide the CHP report number and the basic facts of the crash. Do not give a detailed recorded statement at this stage. Inform your insurer that you are exploring your coverage options and may be filing an uninsured motorist claim.

If you carry uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, that policy provides compensation for your injuries when the at-fault driver cannot be identified. Medical Payments (MedPay) coverage, if you have it, can begin paying medical bills immediately. Collision coverage pays for vehicle repairs minus your deductible.

Step 5: Help With the Investigation

CHP investigates 118 Freeway hit-and-runs using various tools. Caltrans operates traffic cameras at strategic points along the 118 that may have captured the incident or the fleeing vehicle. License plate reader systems at locations throughout the area may have logged the suspect vehicle. Physical evidence such as paint samples, vehicle parts, and tire marks can narrow down the vehicle type.

An attorney can supplement CHP's investigation with private investigators, formal requests for traffic camera footage before it is overwritten, canvassing of nearby businesses for security camera recordings, and social media research. These efforts can identify a fleeing driver even when the police investigation stalls.

Step 6: Consult an Attorney

Hit-and-run cases on the 118 involve multiple layers of complexity. CHP investigation coordination, UM insurance claims against your own insurer, potential claims against the at-fault driver if identified, and possible government liability if a road condition contributed to the crash all need to be managed simultaneously.

A Chatsworth hit-and-run lawyer handles all of these layers. They preserve time-sensitive evidence, manage the UM claims process, and protect you from the tactics your own insurance company uses to minimize payouts. If the driver is found, your attorney transitions the case to a liability claim against that driver's insurer.

Common 118 Freeway Hit-and-Run Scenarios

Hit-and-runs on the 118 through Chatsworth follow common patterns. High-speed rear-end crashes where the at-fault driver panics and flees. Sideswipe accidents during lane changes where the driver continues on without stopping. Multi-vehicle chain reactions where the initial at-fault driver leaves while other involved vehicles remain. Collisions with debris left by a prior vehicle that did not stop to clear the road.

Each scenario has specific evidentiary challenges and insurance implications. Multi-vehicle crashes may involve multiple at-fault parties and multiple insurance policies. Debris collisions may involve liability for the vehicle that shed the debris rather than a direct hit-and-run.

Do Not Wait

Uninsured Motorist Coverage After a Chatsworth Hit-and-Run

When a hit-and-run driver on Topanga Canyon Blvd, the 118 Freeway, and Devonshire St cannot be identified, your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage becomes the primary source of compensation. California law treats hit-and-run accidents as uninsured motorist claims, allowing you to recover from your own policy.

Many people do not realize they have UM coverage or how it works. California Insurance Code Section 11580.2 requires all auto insurers to offer UM coverage, and most policies include it unless the policyholder explicitly rejected it in writing. Check your declarations page or call your agent to confirm your coverage limits.

Filing a UM claim is not as simple as reporting the accident and receiving a check. Your own insurance company assigns an adjuster who investigates the claim and evaluates your injuries, just as the at-fault driver's insurer would. That adjuster's goal is to pay as little as possible. Having an attorney levels the playing field and ensures your own insurer treats your claim fairly.

If you and your insurer cannot agree on a fair settlement, California law provides for binding arbitration of UM disputes. This process takes place outside of Chatsworth Courthouse on Penfield Ave but follows formal legal procedures. An attorney experienced in UM arbitration knows how to present your case effectively and push for full value of your injuries and losses.

Evidence in 118 Freeway hit-and-runs disappears fast. Traffic camera footage, the most valuable evidence for identifying fleeing drivers, is typically retained for only a short period. Every day you wait reduces the chance of finding the driver and strengthens your own insurer's position in a UM negotiation. Contact our Chatsworth personal injury team as soon as possible after a 118 Freeway hit-and-run. We respond quickly, initiate evidence preservation immediately, and begin building your case from day one.