My son was hit by a Honolulu driver who fled can our insurance cover him?

Q: My son was hit by a Honolulu driver who fled can our insurance cover him?

Yes. The common wrong answer is: "No plate, no case." That is not how Hawaii auto insurance works. In Honolulu, a hit-and-run driver is usually treated as an uninsured motorist. That means your own policy may cover your son through UM coverage, and PIP no-fault benefits may also pay first for medical bills, regardless of who caused the crash. Start with the policy on the household car. In Hawaii, auto policies must carry PIP of at least $10,000. Many Hawaii policies also include uninsured motorist coverage, and that can apply even if your son was a pedestrian, bicyclist, or passenger when he was hit. Spring and summer bring more riders and more "I didn't see him" crashes on streets like Kapiolani, King Street, and around school zones, so this issue comes up more than people think. What matters now is evidence and speed: Report it to Honolulu Police Department immediately and get the report number. Tell your insurer right away that it was a hit-and-run and ask for PIP and UM claim forms. Get treatment records from Kapiolani Medical Center, The Queen's Medical Center, or wherever he was seen. Preserve video fast from nearby stores, condos, buses, and traffic cameras if available. Save photos of the bike, clothing, helmet, injuries, and the exact location. Do not assume the insurer will connect the dots for you. They often ask whether there was physical contact, whether anyone saw it, and whether the police report was made promptly. Those details can decide a UM claim. If the driver is later found but only has Hawaii's minimum bodily injury limits, your son may also have an underinsured motorist claim under your policy. Policy notice deadlines can be much shorter than the normal court deadline, so waiting is where families get burned.

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Accepted Answer

Yes. The common wrong answer is: &#34;No plate, no case.&#34; That is not how Hawaii auto insurance works. In Honolulu, a hit-and-run driver is usually treated as an uninsured motorist. That means your own policy may cover your son through UM coverage, and PIP no-fault benefits may also pay first for medical bills, regardless of who caused the crash. Start with the policy on the household car. In Hawaii, auto policies must carry PIP of at least $10,000. Many Hawaii policies also include uninsured motorist coverage, and that can apply even if your son was a pedestrian, bicyclist, or passenger when he was hit. Spring and summer bring more riders and more &#34;I didn't see him&#34; crashes on streets like Kapiolani, King Street, and around school zones, so this issue comes up more than people think. What matters now is evidence and speed: Report it to Honolulu Police Department immediately and get the report number. Tell your insurer right away that it was a hit-and-run and ask for PIP and UM claim forms. Get treatment records from Kapiolani Medical Center, The Queen's Medical Center, or wherever he was seen. Preserve video fast from nearby stores, condos, buses, and traffic cameras if available. Save photos of the bike, clothing, helmet, injuries, and the exact location. Do not assume the insurer will connect the dots for you. They often ask whether there was physical contact, whether anyone saw it, and whether the police report was made promptly. Those details can decide a UM claim. If the driver is later found but only has Hawaii's minimum bodily injury limits, your son may also have an underinsured motorist claim under your policy. Policy notice deadlines can be much shorter than the normal court deadline, so waiting is where families get burned.