I was the victim of a hit-and-run in El Paso. What are my options?

A driver who is never found does not end the claim

Hit-and-run feels like the worst case because there is nobody to pursue. Often there is — it is just your own insurer rather than theirs.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage exists for exactly this. It covers you when the at-fault driver has no insurance, not enough, or cannot be identified because they fled. For a driver who is never identified, Texas law requires actual physical contact between their vehicle and you or the vehicle you were in. Texas insurers are required to offer UM/UIM, and you can only decline it in writing. A great many people carry it without remembering, so never assume you do not have it — your declarations page decides that, not your memory.

PIP also has to be offered and also requires a written rejection. It pays medical bills and part of your lost wages regardless of fault, and it pays quickly, which matters when bills start arriving and there is no liability insurer to bill.

Coverage can also come from a relative's policy in your household, or from the policy on the vehicle you were riding in.

Report it, and report it promptly

Call police and make sure a report is generated. Two reasons: many policies condition UM coverage on prompt reporting of a hit-and-run, and a contemporaneous report is what stops an insurer later suggesting you invented the phantom driver.

Write down everything you remember while it is fresh — partial plate, make, model, color, damage, direction of travel, anything about the driver. In El Paso, a vehicle heading for a port of entry is a specific and useful detail.

Finding the driver is not hopeless

Canvass for video the same day if you can. In El Paso that means nearby businesses, gas stations, and the camera coverage along the major corridors. Most systems overwrite within one to four weeks, and nobody preserves anything unless asked.

Debris matters too. A fleeing vehicle often leaves a mirror housing, trim, or paint transfer, and those can identify a make and model. Photograph and keep whatever is at the scene.

Body shops are sometimes a route as well — a vehicle with fresh front-end damage and no insurance claim behind it is conspicuous.

Your own insurer is not automatically on your side

This surprises people. A UM claim is a first-party claim against your own company, and it is adversarial anyway. Expect a request for a recorded statement and for broad medical authorizations. Your policy's cooperation clause is real, but it does not require you to submit to whatever is asked — a statement can be scheduled, limited to the collision, and taken with your lawyer present.

If you live in Juárez

It changes nothing about your rights. What matters is that the crash happened in Texas. Living across the border, being a Mexican citizen, or having no immigration status does not affect your ability to pursue a UM claim, and settlement funds can be paid to beneficiaries living in Mexico.