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Guide · Car accidents · All states

Hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver

Updated By the Counselworthy teamGeneral information, not legal advice

Short answer

What covers you depends on your own policy.

  • In New Jersey, your PIP pays medical bills first, whoever caused the crash, and every auto liability policy except a basic one must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, at least $35,000 per person.
  • It can cover a hit-and-run driver too.

Checked October 21, 2026.

Sources: N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4.3; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-5(g); N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), (b), (e). Every fact cites a source

Illustration: a car's red taillights on a dark, wet road at night

NJMedical bills: your own PIP, first

PIP pays without regard to who caused the crash, so an uninsured driver doesn't change who pays your medical bills first. It covers up to $250,000 per person unless a lower amount was chosen in writing.

Source: N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4.3; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-5(g)

NJUninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

Every New Jersey auto policy except a basic policy must include it. It pays what you'd be legally entitled to recover from the operator or owner of an uninsured, underinsured or hit-and-run vehicle.

NJThe minimum

$35,000 per person and $70,000 per accident for injuries, on policies issued or renewed from January 1, 2026.

Source: N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), (b), (e)
NJWhat you can buy

On a standard policy, insurers must offer up to at least $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident.

Source: N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), (b), (e)
NJThe ceiling

Your uninsured motorist limits can't be higher than your own liability limits.

Source: N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), (b), (e)
NJHit-and-run drivers

The coverage includes a hit-and-run vehicle, not only a driver with no insurance.

Source: N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), (b), (e)
Source: N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), (b), (e)

Check your declarations page

Your policy's declarations page shows your PIP amount and your uninsured and underinsured motorist limits. Those numbers decide what your own insurer can pay.

Source: N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), (b), (e); N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4.3; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-5(g)

NJThe deadlines

  1. Report a crash with injuries to policeN.J.S.A. 39:4-130Right away
  2. A PIP payment is overdue afterN.J.S.A. 39:6A-5(g)60 days of written notice
  3. Sue a driver you can identify, in generalN.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a)2 years
Source: N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(a), (c); N.J.S.A. 39:4-130; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4.3; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-5(g); N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a)

NJWhen it's worth asking a lawyer

  1. Your injury may be permanentWith the lawsuit limit, pain and suffering depends on whether the injury is one the law lists.Source: N.J.S.A. 39:6A-8(a); N.J.S.A. 39:6A-2(i); N.J.S.A. 39:6A-8.1(b)
  2. The other driver's policy is too smallNew Jersey's minimum is $35,000 per person. Your underinsured coverage helps only if your limit is higher than theirs, and it's reduced by what their insurer pays.Source: P.L.2022, c.87 (N.J.S.A. 39:6A-3); N.J.S.A. 39:6A-3.1; N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), (b), (e)
  3. Your own insurer is the one saying noComplaints about an insurer go in writing to the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance.Source: New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, How to Request Assistance; N.J.S.A. 17:29B-4(9)(f)

Sources

General information, not legal advice. We don't know the facts of your claim. A lawyer can review them, and most injury lawyers offer a free consultation.

What to do next

Questions people ask

What happens if an uninsured driver hits me in New Jersey?

Your own PIP pays medical bills first. Your uninsured motorist coverage can pay what the uninsured driver would have owed, up to your limits.

Does uninsured motorist coverage cover hit and run in New Jersey?

Yes. New Jersey's required coverage includes a hit-and-run vehicle, not only a driver with no insurance.

How much uninsured motorist coverage is required in New Jersey?

At least $35,000 per person and $70,000 per accident for injuries, on policies issued or renewed from January 1, 2026. Basic policies are excluded.

What is underinsured motorist coverage?

It's part of the same required coverage. It applies only when the at-fault driver's limits are lower than your own underinsured limits. It's reduced by what you recover from their insurance.

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