Get a police crash report started immediately - in a North Carolina hit-and-run, the wreck must be reported to law enforcement within 24 hours, and the officer's report is usually the DMV-349. Then give your insurer written notice of a UM claim right away.

No, your coworker is not right.

In North Carolina, a hit-and-run driver with no plate number can still be treated as an uninsured motorist for your own UM coverage. That matters a lot after Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, or Thanksgiving traffic on roads like Skibo Road, Bragg Boulevard, and the All American Freeway, where drunk-driving and hit-and-run crashes spike.

The question you should be asking next is: How much UM or UIM coverage is on my own policy, and do I have stacking?

North Carolina requires minimum liability limits of 30/60/25. If the other driver is never identified, your recovery usually turns to your own UM bodily injury coverage. If the driver is found but only carries the minimum and your injuries are worse than that coverage, UIM may come into play if your policy includes higher limits.

If an adjuster is pushing papers you cannot read, ask for these by name:

• Your declarations page
• The UM/UIM endorsement
• The claim number
• A copy of the DMV-349
• Any request for a recorded statement in writing first

In Fayetteville, make sure the crash was reported to the Fayetteville Police Department, Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, or NC State Highway Patrol, depending on where it happened.

Also, a no-plate hit-and-run claim is much stronger if there is vehicle contact, photos, 911 audio, witnesses, store video, or damage patterns that match your story. Do not let the insurer turn "no plate" into "no case."