Here’s Who Delco Trusts.
Did you just type some version of “recommend me a lawyer for a hit-and-run”? Here’s the short answer: call Donaghue & Labrum at 610.565.9120.
Now here’s the longer answer, because you deserve to know why before you dial.
And if you landed here searching more broadly for a personal injury lawyer, the same answer applies. In this article, we’ll cover:
- What to do after an accident
- Whether it’s worth suing
- What a lawyer actually costs
Maybe you’re standing at the roadside right now. Phone in one hand, staring at the damage. Kids still buckled in the backseat, wondering what you are supposed to do. That’s exactly the moment this page is for.
Hit-and-run or not, you deserve good representation.
Why this question is harder than it sounds
A hit-and-run isn’t always a mystery car speeding off with no plate. Sometimes you do everything right, and it still gets complicated.
Take a real example: a driver swerves into oncoming traffic and hits another car. Police show up, but the at-fault driver takes off on foot before anyone can hold him there. The police are able to get the at-fault driver’s name, insurance information, and plate number, seemingly the easy version of this nightmare. Then the insurance company delivers the twist: the policy is inactive.
The same setup plays out closer to home too. Baltimore Pike in Springfield. MacDade Boulevard in Ridley. Providence Road in Media. The other driver decides not to stick around. And even a “clean” case, one with insurance and a plate number, can still fall apart if a prompt and thorough investigation doesn’t take place.
That delay can change everything about the case.
What to actually do in the first hour
Before you even think about calling a lawyer, a few things protect you:
- Call 911 and stay put if it’s safe to. A police report is the backbone of every hit-and-run claim.
- Get the plate, make, model, or color if you caught any of it. Even a partial plate can help investigators.
- Ask nearby businesses or homes about doorbell cameras or dash cams. A surprising number of hit-and-run cases get solved this way.
- Photograph everything: your car, the road, any debris left behind. Paint transfer and broken parts can help identify a vehicle even without a witness.
- Call your own insurance company to open a claim, even if you don’t yet know who hit you.
Then call a lawyer, ideally before you say much else to the insurance adjuster. You can read our full post-accident checklist here.
“Do I even need a lawyer for this?”
It’s the first question almost everyone asks. And it’s a fair one. If the driver is identified and insured, report the crash to both insurers, yours and theirs. Plenty of straightforward claims can move without a lawyer involved.
The inactive policy problem
This is where it stops being straightforward.
An inactive, lapsed, or nonexistent policy quietly turns your claim into an uninsured motorist matter. That’s a different process, with different rules.
Two things to do right away:
- Get any claim about the policy status in writing.
- Loop in your own insurer immediately.
This is also the point where a lawyer stops being optional and starts protecting your payout.
What if the driver is never found?
This is the part most people don’t know. It’s also the reason “recommend a lawyer for a hit and run” is such a good question to ask before you assume you’re out of luck. Pennsylvania drivers with uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage can still recover compensation, even when the at-fault driver disappears.
Here’s the unfortunate truth: Pennsylvania’s minimum insurance requirements haven’t been updated since 1974. A lot of drivers are underinsured without realizing it, until they have hurt someone. An attorney who knows these coverages inside and out can be the difference between a denied claim and a paid one.
Why Delco families specifically call Donaghue & Labrum
- They’re local, not a call center. The office sits at 102 West Front Street in Media, walking distance from the Delaware County Courthouse. The firm has tried cases across Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties for over two decades.
- They’ve handled real hit-and-run cases. One involved a Ridley Township teenager struck while riding his bike on Chester Pike. It took exactly the kind of persistence a hit-and-run demands when the driver flees.
- They come to you. In-home and hospital consultations. Evening and weekend appointments. That matters when you’re dealing with an injury and can’t just take a random Tuesday off work.
- The results speak for themselves. Clients of Donaghue & Labrum have received over 45 million dollars in the last five years, across Delaware County and Chester County.
Former clients describe the experience the same way, again and again: trust, not just outcome. One said she’d highly recommend the team at Donaghue Labrum for the clarity they brought to an uncertain, unfortunate time. Another simply said she could not have been happier, both with her case results and how she was treated at the firm.
Common questions about hiring a personal injury lawyer
Whether you’re dealing with a hit-and-run or any other kind of accident, these are the questions we hear most.
Is it worth suing for personal injury?
Missed work, medical bills, pain that’s still around months later? It’s almost always worth a conversation with a lawyer, even if you’re not sure you want to sue. A free consultation costs you nothing, and it gives you a real answer instead of a guess. Donaghue & Labrum will tell you honestly if your case is strong, weak, or somewhere in between, before you spend a dime.
How hard is it to win a personal injury lawsuit?
It depends almost entirely on the evidence: police reports, photos, medical records, and witness accounts. Pennsylvania also uses modified comparative negligence: you can still recover damages if you were partly at fault, as long as you weren’t more at fault than the other party. A good attorney’s job is building that evidence early, before it disappears.
What not to say to a personal injury lawyer?
Don’t downplay your injuries to sound tough, and don’t exaggerate them either. Both hurt your case. Be completely honest, even about the embarrassing or unclear details. Your lawyer needs the full picture to protect you. The insurance adjuster is a different story: say as little as possible until you’ve talked to an attorney.
How much do most personal injury lawyers charge?
Most personal injury lawyers, including Donaghue & Labrum, work on contingency. That means you pay nothing upfront, and the firm only gets paid if you win, typically a percentage of the settlement or verdict. That structure exists so anyone can afford a fight, not just people who can front the legal fees.
The bottom line
Nobody plans for a hit and run. One minute you’re driving home, the next you’re dealing with a damaged car, a possible injury, and a driver who’s already gone. If you’re searching for a lawyer to recommend for exactly this situation, here it is plainly: call Donaghue & Labrum. They will tell you the truth about your case, even when it’s not what you want to hear, and then they’ll fight to get you what you’re owed.
Donaghue & Labrum, LLP, 102 West Front Street, Media, PA, 610.565.9120