Can I still get paid after an Albuquerque hit and run with no plate?

Q: Can I still get paid after an Albuquerque hit and run with no plate?

Yes - the costliest mistake is assuming "no plate, no case" and never opening a UM/UIM claim on your own policy. Most people think a hit-and-run on I-25, I-40, or a snowy Albuquerque frontage road is over if nobody got the license plate. In New Mexico, that is often wrong. A driver who flees is usually treated as an uninsured motorist, and your own UM/UIM coverage may pay for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and vehicle damage depending on your policy. The practical difference is huge: instead of chasing a ghost driver with no insurance information, you make a claim through your own carrier. That matters if you are an hourly worker and missing shifts after a black-ice head-on crash or flatbed impact. Another myth: "I have full coverage, so I'm protected." Not necessarily. Full coverage usually means collision and comprehensive. It does not automatically mean UM/UIM. In New Mexico, insurers must offer UM/UIM, but you can reject it in writing. If you signed a rejection, that can wipe out the claim. And bad advice gets people burned on underinsured claims too. New Mexico minimum liability is only $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash, and $10,000 for property damage. If the other driver had bare-minimum coverage, that may not come close to covering an ambulance ride, ER care, and missed work. But UIM in New Mexico does not always pay what people assume; your available UIM depends heavily on the limits you bought. Do this fast: Report the crash to Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff, or New Mexico State Police right away and give your insurer prompt notice. Ask for the exact UM/UIM limits and whether there is a written rejection on file. Keep proof of missed work, treatment, towing, and photos from the scene. No plate number hurts the investigation. It does not automatically kill the money claim.

Question

Accepted Answer

Yes - the costliest mistake is assuming &#34;no plate, no case&#34; and never opening a UM/UIM claim on your own policy. Most people think a hit-and-run on I-25, I-40, or a snowy Albuquerque frontage road is over if nobody got the license plate. In New Mexico, that is often wrong. A driver who flees is usually treated as an uninsured motorist, and your own UM/UIM coverage may pay for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and vehicle damage depending on your policy. The practical difference is huge: instead of chasing a ghost driver with no insurance information, you make a claim through your own carrier. That matters if you are an hourly worker and missing shifts after a black-ice head-on crash or flatbed impact. Another myth: &#34;I have full coverage, so I'm protected.&#34; Not necessarily. Full coverage usually means collision and comprehensive. It does not automatically mean UM/UIM. In New Mexico, insurers must offer UM/UIM, but you can reject it in writing. If you signed a rejection, that can wipe out the claim. And bad advice gets people burned on underinsured claims too. New Mexico minimum liability is only $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash, and $10,000 for property damage. If the other driver had bare-minimum coverage, that may not come close to covering an ambulance ride, ER care, and missed work. But UIM in New Mexico does not always pay what people assume; your available UIM depends heavily on the limits you bought. Do this fast: Report the crash to Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff, or New Mexico State Police right away and give your insurer prompt notice. Ask for the exact UM/UIM limits and whether there is a written rejection on file. Keep proof of missed work, treatment, towing, and photos from the scene. No plate number hurts the investigation. It does not automatically kill the money claim.