Hit & Run Accident Lawyer in Royse City

Nearly 20 Years Fighting for Full Compensation for East Texas Accident Victims

A hit-and-run accident creates problems that a typical car crash doesn’t. There’s no other driver at the scene to exchange insurance information, no liability policy to file against directly, and a claims process that runs through your own insurer rather than someone else’s. At Vice Henley & Dilbeck, we fight for full compensation for accident victims in Royse City and know how to navigate that different path. Clients get the capacity of a large firm and the personal attention their case demands.

What Texas Law Requires at the Scene of a Crash

Under Texas Transportation Code Section 550.021, a driver involved in a collision that causes injury or death must stop, remain at the scene, and provide their name, address, vehicle registration, and insurance information. Leaving the scene of a crash that causes death is a second-degree felony. Leaving after causing serious bodily injury is a third-degree felony. Even a crash causing less severe injury carries a penalty of up to five years in prison or one year in county jail and a fine of up to $5,000.

Section 550.022 extends the same stop-and-exchange duty to property-damage-only collisions. Failing to comply is a misdemeanor, with severity tied to the dollar amount of damage. One important distinction: A criminal prosecution against the fleeing driver, if they’re ever identified, is a separate matter from your civil claim for compensation. A conviction doesn’t automatically pay your medical bills, and the absence of one doesn’t bar your ability to seek recovery.

Steps That Protect Your Hit-and-Run Claim

What you do in the hours after a hit-and-run accident in Royse City can affect your ability to recover compensation. Take these steps in order:

• Call police immediately. An official report documents that another vehicle was involved and that its driver left the scene. This record is foundational to any later claim.
• Seek medical attention promptly. Even injuries that feel minor at first can worsen. A medical record created close in time to the crash links your injuries to the collision.
• Document the fleeing vehicle. Note the make, model, color, and any partial plate number you can recall. Check for traffic cameras, doorbell cameras, and nearby business surveillance footage before it’s overwritten.
• Collect witness information. Statements from people who saw the crash can support your claim even if the driver is never identified.
• Notify your own insurer without delay. Most uninsured motorist policies include a prompt-notice requirement. Missing that window can affect your coverage.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage & Hit-and-Run Claims in Texas

Texas law treats a driver who flees and can’t be identified as an uninsured motorist for insurance purposes, even if that driver actually carried a policy. This means your own uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, if you have it, can become your primary avenue for compensation. Texas doesn’t require drivers to carry UM/UIM coverage, but insurers must offer it, and you must reject it in writing to decline it. If you never signed a rejection form, you may have coverage you weren’t aware of.

Some UM policies include a physical-contact requirement, meaning they apply only if the fleeing vehicle actually made contact with yours. Texas courts have recognized exceptions in certain phantom-vehicle situations, though outcomes vary by policy language and the facts of each case. If the driver is later identified, you may have the option to pursue a claim against their liability insurance in addition to your UM claim. Texas insurance regulations also limit an insurer’s ability to penalize you for a claim that wasn’t your fault: An insurer generally can’t refuse to renew your auto policy based on a single not-at-fault claim, including a UM claim tied to a hit-and-run.

How Vice Henley & Dilbeck Handles Hit-and-Run Cases in Royse City

We’ve served East Texans for nearly 20 years and have recovered tens of millions of dollars for our clients. When you work with us, you speak directly with your attorney, not a paralegal relaying messages. That access matters in hit-and-run cases, where the investigation moves quickly and decisions about how to proceed can be time-sensitive.

Investigation & Documentation

We start with a thorough investigation: gathering police reports, pulling available surveillance footage, identifying witnesses, and establishing what happened and who was at fault. We document medical bills, injuries, and property damage comprehensively. If negotiations with the insurer don’t produce a fair result, we’re prepared to take the case into Rockwall County courts. We know the local roads, including Interstate 30 and State Highway 66, and know how to present these claims effectively.

Support for Families After a Fatal Hit-and-Run

When a hit-and-run proves fatal, we assist grieving families with wrongful death claims, handling every step of that process with the same thoroughness and direct attorney communication we bring to injury cases.

Start with a Consultation

Hit-and-run victims in Royse City face a complicated claims process under real-time pressure. The sooner we can review the facts, the better positioned you may be to protect your options. We offer a free, confidential consultation so you can get clear answers about your situation without any obligation.