Who Pays 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.

After a hit and run accident in Sherman Oaks, victims often assume they are out of luck. The driver who caused the crash is gone, and it seems like there is no one to hold accountable. But there are usually multiple potential sources of payment for your injuries, medical bills, and other losses. Understanding all of your options is critical to recovering full compensation.

1. Your Own Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is specifically designed for situations like hit and runs. When the at-fault driver cannot be identified, your UM coverage steps in and pays you as if they were an insured driver who was found at fault. In California, insurance companies are required to offer UM coverage, though not all policyholders accept it or carry adequate limits.

UM coverage can pay for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages up to your policy limits. The higher your limits, the more you can recover. An attorney will help you maximize the value of your UM claim against your own insurer.

2. Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay)

If your auto policy includes MedPay, it will reimburse your medical expenses regardless of fault and regardless of whether the hit and run driver is identified. MedPay limits are typically lower than UM limits, but it provides faster access to funds for immediate medical care at Sherman Oaks Hospital or other providers.

3. The At-Fault Driver's Insurance, If Identified

LAPD Van Nuys Division and CHP use license plate readers, surveillance cameras, and witness tips to identify hit and run drivers. Sherman Oaks has extensive commercial camera coverage along Van Nuys Blvd, Ventura Blvd, and Sepulveda Blvd. When a driver is identified, their auto insurance becomes available, and you can pursue a full liability claim against them directly.

If the identified driver is uninsured, you can still pursue a personal judgment against them, though collecting may be difficult. Your UM coverage also remains available.

4. Your Health Insurance

Your health insurance can pay for medical treatment while your injury claim is being resolved. These payments may need to be reimbursed from your settlement through a process called subrogation, but they ensure you receive care without waiting for a legal claim to conclude. Your attorney will negotiate the subrogation amounts to maximize your net recovery.

5. Other Potential Sources

In some hit and run cases, third parties share responsibility. For example:

• If a bar or restaurant near Van Nuys Blvd served alcohol to the hit and run driver who was visibly intoxicated, California's dram shop laws may create liability against that establishment
• If a vehicle defect contributed to the driver losing control, a manufacturer might be partially responsible
• If a property owner's negligence contributed to the conditions of the crash, premises liability may apply

How a Lawyer Helps You Find Every Dollar

Most hit and run victims do not know about all of these sources, and insurance companies do not volunteer to explain them. A Sherman Oaks hit and run accident lawyer investigates every possible source of compensation and aggressively pursues each one on your behalf.

Contact L&F Brown serving Sherman Oaks today for a free consultation. We fight for hit and run victims throughout Sherman Oaks and the greater LA area.