Hit by a driver who took off anywhere in Maryland? You may still recover for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering — often through your own uninsured motorist coverage, even if the driver is never identified.
That coverage is the part most people forget they have, and it is exactly what a hit-and-run claim runs on. We handle these cases across Maryland, and you pay nothing unless we win.
My experience was fantastic, Charlotte was a big help and had the lawyer return my call within minutes. Jason was extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. I will have them represent me and my family.More
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At Pinder Plotkin, the initial consultation is free, whether by phone or in person. We represent clients on a contingency fee basis — we only charge you after we recover compensation on your behalf, typically 33% of your insurance settlement. Our fee is increased if a lawsuit is filed. There won't be any charges if we don't win.
Nationally, about one driver in three is uninsured or underinsured — 33.4% in 2023. Source: Insurance Research Council (national figure)
Under Maryland law, drivers involved in car accidents are required to remain at the accident scene until they’ve complied with certain obligations outlined in Maryland Transportation Code § 20-104. Despite harsh penalties like fines or jail time, many motorists in Maryland still flee. Common reasons include:
Maryland law requires every driver involved in a crash to stop, share their information, and help anyone who is hurt. A driver who leaves the scene is breaking the law, and the consequences get more serious when someone is injured. That flight can also matter to your injury claim — regardless of why a driver fled, don't try to chase after them; this may end up hurting your Maryland hit and run accident claim.
You aren't the police. Chasing the driver may seem as though you were also fleeing the scene, and you may end up breaking speeding laws. If you notice the other driver speeding off, note their vehicle license plate, color, make, and model.
Call 911 to report the accident. The police will interview you to find out what happened — your statement may include details such as traffic conditions, the other vehicle's details, and the location of the crash.
Visiting your doctor after an accident is crucial. Even if you feel okay, make sure you see a physician for a checkup — some injuries such as traumatic brain injuries or internal bleeding may take time to manifest.
Talk to witnesses at the scene to find out what they can share. Get their names, phone numbers, and addresses, and take photos or videos of the scene, including any visible injuries, road signs, skid marks, vehicle damage, and weather conditions.
An experienced attorney can guide you after a hit and run accident. At Pinder Plotkin, our lawyers will follow up your case with the police, handle all the paperwork, and deal with insurance companies.
These damages are generally easier to prove since they are objective in nature, including medical bills, lost income, property damage, future medical bills, household services, and lost earning capacity.
These damages are more subjective and boil down to how a judge or jury feels about the facts of a case, including pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment, and mental anguish.
Punitive damages aren't meant to help victims recover financially — they're designed to punish the defendant, and are available where the driver's actions are considered malicious.
Pinder Plotkin works on a contingency fee basis for hit-and-run claims — you don't pay anything upfront, and we only get paid a set percentage if we win your case.
A hit-and-run claim may involve lots of unfamiliar paperwork. Your lawyer looks into every piece of evidence to build a strong claim, including dashcam footage, CCTV footage from nearby stores, medical records, employment records, and police reports.
We handle your settlement talks on your behalf so you can focus on your recovery. We understand how insurance companies operate, and we determine the value of your claim and push for the best compensation for your injuries.
If settlement talks hit a dead end, our trial lawyers are ready to represent you in court and build a compelling case to convince the judge and jury that you deserve the highest and best possible settlement.
Every car accident case is unique, and the amount you recover depends on the circumstances — as determined by the insurance company or a jury. Factors that affect your settlement's value include:
A hit-and-run claim turns on a question the multiplier cannot answer: who pays when nobody is caught. Most often the answer is your own uninsured motorist coverage, which Maryland requires every auto policy to carry. That changes the shape of the case — you are now making a claim against your own insurer, which owes you contractual duties but will still investigate you like an adversary.
Two things decide the outcome early. Reporting: uninsured motorist claims carry notice requirements, and a delayed police report gives the carrier an argument. And corroboration: with no other driver to depose, the case is built from physical evidence, nearby cameras and witnesses who will not be findable in a month. If the driver is later identified, their policy comes into play alongside yours.
How Maryland personal injury settlements are calculated — the multiplier and per diem methods, the damages caps, the deadlines, and our settlement calculators.
No two cases are worth the same, but insurers lean on two common methods to estimate pain and suffering. Understanding them helps you spot a lowball offer. Try our free Maryland Car Accident Settlement Calculator for a personalized estimate.
We generally advise against it. Insurers will most likely make an immediate offer well below the true cost of your damages. If you work with us, we handle all discussions and negotiations so you're protected from being victimized in the claims process.
The adjuster's first offer is in most cases very low and doesn't represent what the case is actually worth. Negotiations typically go back and forth for a few months before settling — at which point we file a lawsuit based on the value of the case.
These injuries can temporarily or permanently hinder your quality of life. Anyone requiring extended medical care or dealing with a lack of mobility is also likely to be affected by job loss, expensive hospital bills, depression, lost wages, inability to perform routine tasks, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Maryland spans a wide mix of urban and rural jurisdictions, and serious hit-and-run crashes cluster on the same high-traffic corridors in each. Here is where we see the worst wrecks and where injured drivers are treated.
A driver who leaves the scene is, until they are found, an uninsured driver in every way that matters to your bills. Nationally the Insurance Research Council put 15.4 percent of drivers at no insurance at all in 2023, and 33.4 percent at either no insurance or not enough of it — about one driver in three. Those are national figures, measured from claim-frequency ratios rather than a count of cars on the road, and no reliable Maryland-only rate is published. Maryland does require uninsured motorist coverage in every auto liability policy sold here, under Maryland Insurance Article section 19-509. What that section does not do is say anything about a driver nobody can identify: it defines an uninsured motor vehicle by how little liability coverage applies, not by whether the driver is known. Whether your own coverage answers for a hit-and-run therefore turns on the wording of your policy, which is the first document we ask for.
Pinder Plotkin Legal Team holds a 4.9-star average across 900+ verified client reviews. Here’s what injured Marylanders say about working with us.
I have worked with Pinder Plotkin on a car accident and they were nothing but professional. The whole team were very caring and kept me informed through the whole process. I could not think of a better firm to represent me.More
Received support from Day 1. No question went unanswered and they worked to make sure I was comfortable and understood everything. Very patient in ensuring my needs are met. I am grateful.More
I been a client since 2017 and I had a good experience with them as far as getting results and being treated like family, I had a major injury and the whole team was very supportive and stayed on top of my case, I was able to maintain my bills due to being out of work for a year and had a favorable outcome with my settlement which helped me start my business ventures, so thanks again to the team and if need be I’ll have them represent me in the future.More
Jason, Charlotte, and Tony were absolutely amazing! I was in a car accident 4 years ago, they made sure I was taken care of and even though we had a lot of set backs due to Covid, they never made me feel like my case (or me) were not important. Tony knew my medical history better than I did, Charlotte was always an absolute delight to talk to and was so kind, and Jason was just great! I'm really sad that I won't be talking to them anymore, they became like family! I know that is something a lot of people say, but it is 100% true with this team.More
Great team took my cases when most wouldn’t did all the work fluently and worry free would not be any happier 😊. Highly recommend them for your legal servicesMore
I cannot thank the team at Pinder Plotkin enough for their compassion, patience, and relentless dedication throughout my car accident case. They went above and beyond — jumping through hoops, explaining every step with care, and standing by me when I felt overwhelmed or lost. The communication was incredible, and I always knew I was in good hands. I truly appreciate everything they did to help me get through such a stressful time. Highly recommend to anyone looking for people who genuinely care about their clients.More
Mr Jason, Mr Balsamo, Nancy and the team worked on my case meticulously until I got justice. Thanks Nancy for your assurance and patience. If you need a team of injury lawyers, Pinder Plotkin team should be your first call.More
To be honest, I wasn’t sure how this process would go since I usually let the auto insurance company handle accident. However, I would not hesitate to call upon the Pinder Plotkin legal team FIRST. They took on my case and exceeded expectations and removed any doubts I had. The folks at Pinder Plotkin fought through a long drawn out case, keeping my best interests in mind. A settlement was reached, more than what I would say, your insurance company would give. I’m extremely happy with the Pinder Plotkin team for their hard work, dedication to me as a client and as a veteran. I was treated with compassion, empathy and they communicated every step of the process. I high recommend the Pinder Plotkin legal team for your legal services. Thank you Pinder Plotkin, truely, thank you.More
Get a fast, free estimate of what your case could be worth.
The calculator below is a working tool, not a contact form. Nine questions, about three minutes, and you get an estimated settlement range for a Maryland hit-and-run accident claim.
Free and no obligation. Your name, email, and phone number are required on the final step before the estimate is shown. The result is an estimated settlement range for information only — it is not a written case analysis, legal advice, or a promise of any outcome.
When the driver who hit you takes off, you might think there is no one to pursue — but there often is. Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is built for exactly this situation and can pay for your injuries when the at-fault driver is never found or has no insurance. Maryland requires UM coverage on auto policies, so you may have more protection than you realize. We track down every available source of recovery.
Maryland law requires every driver involved in a crash to stop, share their information, and help anyone who is hurt. A driver who leaves the scene is breaking the law, and the consequences get more serious when someone is injured. That flight can also matter to your injury claim — and it is one more reason to get a lawyer involved early.
You can still have a claim. This is exactly what uninsured motorist coverage exists for — it pays for your injuries when the at-fault driver is never identified. Maryland requires UM coverage on every auto policy (Maryland Insurance § 19-509), and unless you signed a waiver it matches your own liability limits. An unsolved hit-and-run is not a dead end.
Generally three years from the date of the crash for a civil action (Courts & Judicial Proceedings § 5-101). But a uninsured motorist claim runs on your own policy, and policies carry their own notice deadlines that can be far shorter — sometimes a matter of days for reporting. Do not wait on the three-year figure.
Report it, and do it quickly. Maryland requires drivers to report crashes involving injury or significant damage, and uninsured motorist policies almost always require prompt police reporting for a hit-and-run. A missing police report is one of the most common reasons a legitimate hit-and-run claim gets denied.
Often yes. A partial plate combined with vehicle make, colour, damage location and the time and place is frequently enough to identify a vehicle. Add nearby business and doorbell cameras, which are usually overwritten within days. Tell us what you have — do not decide on your own that it is not enough.
It is a fair worry and worth asking about before you decide. A hit-and-run claim is a not-at-fault claim, and what an insurer may do depends on your policy and on Maryland insurance rules. People often walk away from real money over a rate fear that never materialises — ask us first.
You are still covered in many cases. Uninsured motorist coverage on your own auto policy can follow you as a pedestrian or cyclist, and a household member’s policy may apply too. You do not have to have been in a car for a hit-and-run claim to work.
Jake’s Law is Maryland Transportation Article section 21-1124.3. It makes it a crime to cause a crash that kills or seriously injures someone while texting or using a handheld phone behind the wheel. A conviction carries up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both, and that sentence is separate from any other charge brought over the same crash. The law is named for Jake Owen, a five-year-old boy killed when the family car was struck from behind by a driver on a cell phone, and it was signed in April 2014 after his parents campaigned for it. If a distracted driver hurt you, a Jake’s Law charge is a criminal matter handled by the State. Your civil claim for medical bills, lost income and pain is separate, and you can bring it whether or not the driver is charged.
Maryland is one of a small number of states that still follows contributory negligence. In most states, being found partly at fault reduces what you recover. In Maryland it can bar your claim entirely, even if the other side was far more to blame. Maryland’s highest court reaffirmed the rule in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013), over a strong dissent, and said any change to it is for the General Assembly rather than the courts. That is why an insurance adjuster’s first move is so often to suggest you did something wrong. Being blamed is not the same as being at fault, whether the rule actually bars a claim depends on the specific facts, and it is the reason to be careful about what you say and to get advice early.
Three Maryland offices — Baltimore (Nottingham), Laurel and Bel Air — and we travel statewide to meet clients who cannot travel to us. Call (888) 844-5373 to schedule a visit.
We handle hit-and-run accident cases throughout Maryland.
We take cases anywhere in Maryland. The figure on each card is that jurisdiction’s total traffic deaths in 2023, across every crash type — Maryland does not publish crash data broken down by county for individual crash types. Each name links to its official local government website.
Source: MDOT Zero Deaths Maryland jurisdiction crash data summaries, 2023. Statewide totals: 577 fatal crashes and 621 traffic deaths.
Jason Plotkin was born and raised here, and he has lived in six Maryland jurisdictions — Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Howard County, Allegany County and Worcester County. Mountains to shore. That is not a marketing line; it is where he has actually lived.
Marc Hassan, Tony Balasamo and Joshua Fannon were born and raised in Maryland too, and Christian Miele served in the Maryland House of Delegates. When you work with our firm, you are working with people who know this state — its roads, its courts and its neighbors.
Free case review, no pressure, no fee unless we win. Reach out and one of our attorneys will walk you through your options.
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