Hit-and-Run Crash in Fort Worth, TX
Short answer: Call 911, get medical care, and report the crash to police and your insurer quickly. Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage can pay when the driver is never found, but Texas requires actual physical contact with the hit-and-run vehicle.
Leaving the scene is a crime in Texas
A driver in a crash that injures or is reasonably likely to injure someone must stop, return if they didn't, check whether anyone needs aid, and remain until they've exchanged information and rendered reasonable assistance (Transp. Code §§550.021, 550.023). Failing to stop after a crash causing serious bodily injury is a third-degree felony, and after a death a second-degree felony (§550.021(c)).
Right after the crash
- Call 911. Inside Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Police Department responds.
- Write down everything you remember: plate (even partial), make, color, damage, direction of travel.
- Photograph your car, the scene and any debris. Broken parts can identify a model.
- Get witness names and phone numbers, and look for cameras on nearby buildings.
- Get medical care, and keep every record.
How UM pays for a hit-and-run
UM covers you when the at-fault driver is uninsured, and that includes an unidentified driver, if the hit-and-run vehicle made actual physical contact with you or your vehicle (Ins. Code §1952.104). UM is in every Texas policy unless rejected in writing (§1952.101). PIP pays early medical bills and lost income regardless of fault (§1952.151). Collision coverage, if you have it, pays for the car minus your deductible.
If police find the driver
If the driver is identified, you can make a claim against their liability insurance, and the crime of leaving the scene can matter in a civil case. Gross negligence can support exemplary damages in some cases, subject to Texas caps (CPRC §41.008). The two-year filing deadline still runs from the crash (CPRC §16.003).
TxDOT's public CRIS extract we use records crash location, time, severity and collision type, but not vehicle type, so we don't publish Fort Worth-only counts for this crash type. Overall, 80,771 crashes were reported inside Fort Worth in 2021–2025 (Original analysis of TxDOT CRIS crash reports, 2021–2025, crashes where the CRIS city field is Fort Worth).
Local help in and around Fort Worth
- Emergency: call 911. Inside city limits the Fort Worth Police Department responds; on some highways it may be the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office or Texas DPS.
- Crash report: the CR-3 is available from TxDOT about 10 business days after the crash (how to get it).
- Emergency care nearby: JPS Health Network (John Peter Smith Hospital) (Hospital emergency room); Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth (Hospital emergency room); Medical City Alliance (Hospital emergency room); Texas Health Alliance (Hospital emergency room).
- Not sure where to start? Our first-steps checklist covers the first 72 hours.
Common questions
Will my insurance cover a hit-and-run?
UM coverage can, if you didn't reject it in writing and the vehicle made physical contact. PIP covers early bills and lost wages.
What if the car never touched me?
Texas UM for an unknown driver requires actual physical contact (Ins. Code §1952.104). Other coverages like PIP may still help.
How long do I have to report it?
Report it to police right away and to your insurer as soon as possible. Policies require prompt notice.
Is hit-and-run a felony in Texas?
Leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury is a third-degree felony, and a crash causing death a second-degree felony (Transp. Code §550.021).
Want a lawyer to look at your case for free?
If you were hurt in a crash that wasn't your fault, in Fort Worth or anywhere else in Texas, you can ask for a free consultation. A trusted local attorney will contact you promptly and evaluate your case for free. There's no cost to ask and no obligation.