What to do right after a hit-and-run in Stamford

A hit-and-run leaves most people standing in a parking lot or on the shoulder of Route 1, staring at a crumpled fender and a disappearing taillight. The first move is not to chase the other car. Get somewhere safe first.

Call Stamford Police at the non-emergency line if no one is hurt, or 911 if someone is. An officer will write up an incident report, and that report is what your insurance company needs to treat the claim as a hit-and-run rather than a single-vehicle accident. Take photos of the damage, the location, and any debris the other car left behind. A broken mirror fragment or a paint transfer scrape can identify the make and color later.

Note the time and the street. Stamford intersections like Atlantic and Broad, or the stretch of Washington Boulevard near the train station, see a lot of low-speed contact. The more specific you are, the easier it is for police and your adjuster to piece things together.

Call your insurance company the same day. Connecticut is a fault state, so if the other driver cannot be found, your collision coverage or uninsured motorist property damage coverage is what pays for the repair. Ask your adjuster whether a rental is covered while your car is in the shop.

Then call a body shop. We handle hit-and-run repairs regularly at 79 Liberty Street, and we can coordinate with your adjuster, arrange a tow if the car is not drivable, and line up a rental. The goal is to get you back on the road without you having to chase five different vendors.

One last thing: keep the repair estimate and the police report number together. If the other driver is ever identified, you may be able to recover your deductible. We keep those records on file for our customers.