What to Do After a Hit-and-Run in Colorado

1. Call 911.
   • • Request medical help if anyone is injured.
     • Call a police officer so you can file a report.
     • Do not leave the scene of the accident before talking to law enforcement.
2. Gather evidence.
   • • If you saw the car that hit you, write down its general description and license plate number if you can get it.
     • Record the direction the vehicle was headed.
     • Take pictures of the scene and any damages to your vehicle.
3. Find witnesses.
   • • If there are witnesses, get their contact information.
     • Have witnesses share their testimonies on the accident with your insurance provider and the police.
4. File a claim.
   • • If you haven’t identified the hit-and-run driver, file a claim with your own provider.
     • Do it within three years of the collision, given Colorado’s statute of limitations for both property damage and personal injury claims.

In the best-case scenario with a hit-and-run, the police are able to identify the at-fault driver. Assuming that driver has liability insurance, your insurance provider would file a third-party claim for your damages and medical costs. If the driver is uninsured, or doesn’t have enough coverage, you can file a lawsuit, though there is no guarantee of recovering all of your damages.

If you hold the following coverages, you can file a claim with your own insurer:

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) (medical expenses and vehicle repairs, depending on your chosen coverages)
• Collision coverage (vehicle repairs only)
• Medical payments (medical expenses only)

If you never find out who hit you, using your own insurance will be the only option for receiving compensation.

Car insurance premiums can increase after an accident — sometimes even if it wasn’t your fault. Whenever you file a first-party claim, there’s a chance your premium will increase, even after a hit-and-run. The exception is if you have an accident forgiveness policy. Typically, the premium increase should be modest.

But if the only claim you make is with the other person’s insurance company (third-party claim), your insurance premium will not be affected.

We analyzed data on hit-and-runs in Colorado from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Note that for state-specific data, only data surrounding fatal car crashes is available; there is no data on crashes involving only property damage or injury.¹

By Year

From 2013 to 2023 in Colorado, there were 356 fatal crashes involving hit-and-runs, representing 6 percent of all fatal crashes in the state.

Unfortunately, the decade saw an increase in both the average number of yearly fatal hit-and-runs, and the rate of fatal crashes involving hit-and-runs.

Pedestrians and Cyclists

Most people killed in hit-and-runs are walking or cycling. To keep everyone safe, drivers must pay attention to people on the road who are not in cars, and stop immediately to help if there is a crash.

Between 2013 and 2023, 62 percent of fatal hit-and-runs in Colorado involved a pedestrian or cyclist.

By Age

In Colorado in 2023, the plurality of drivers in fatal hit-and-runs whose ages were known were between 25 and 34 years old (14 percent). Ten percent were age 45 to 54.

By Sex

Of the drivers whose sexes were known, men were driving in fatal hit-and-runs 90 percent of the time.

If you hit someone’s car, flee the scene, and don’t report the accident to the police, you’re committing two offenses: failure to stop and failure to report.

If you’re involved in an accident that causes injury, serious bodily injury (which we define below), or death, you must immediately stop at the scene or as close as possible to the scene. Then, Colorado law requires you to exchange the following information with the other driver and occupants, if any:

• Name
• Address
• Vehicle registration number
• Driver’s license information

On top of that, you must provide “reasonable assistance,” helping any injured parties access medical treatment. Next, you must report the accident to the police immediately, provided it involved injury, serious injury, and/or death.³

Failure to Stop

If you hit a parked car, for example, and keep on driving, the offense is known as failure to stop. You could be guilty of either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the consequences of the crash.

Colorado defines serious bodily injury as having, at the time of the actual injury or later, a substantial risk of:

• Death
• Serious permanent disfigurement
• Protected loss or impairment of the function of any part/organ of the body
• Breaks, fractures, and second- or third-degree burns

Failure to Report

Failure to report a car accident with any injuries or deaths to the police is a Class 2 misdemeanor in Colorado, punishable by 10 to 90 days of imprisonment, a fine of $150 to $300, or both.⁴ You may also be required to pay restitution or perform community service.

In Colorado, a hit-and-run can leave you feeling frustrated and unsure of what to do next.

The most important steps are to stay at the scene, contact law enforcement, document everything, and notify your insurer as soon as possible. While recovering compensation may depend on identifying the at-fault driver or relying on your own coverage, acting quickly protects both your safety and your legal rights.

For drivers who consider fleeing the scene, the consequences are steep, including fines, license revocation, and felony charges.

Knowing your responsibilities and your insurance options can make a difficult situation more manageable and help you move forward.