On January 29, 2026, our 21-year-old client was driving eastbound on Interstate 70 in Kansas City, Missouri, when a violent hit-and-run crash changed his life in an instant.
While traveling in the center lane, another vehicle suddenly struck the rear passenger side of his car, causing it to spin uncontrollably across multiple lanes of interstate traffic before crashing into both a concrete barrier and a guardrail. The at-fault driver fled the scene without stopping.
Fortunately, a police officer witnessed the immediate aftermath of the collision, and an independent motorist stopped to provide a statement confirming that the other driver had been driving erratically before striking our client’s vehicle.
Serious Facial Injuries Required Surgery
The force of the collision left our client with significant facial injuries and ongoing neck and back pain. Emergency responders transported him by ambulance to University Health Truman Medical Center, where CT scans confirmed multiple fractures of his nose and nasal septum.
He ultimately required surgery to repair the fractures, including a closed reduction procedure with internal and external splinting. Even after surgery, he continued to experience breathing difficulties, facial pain, and lingering discomfort.
The crash also caused a broken nose, loose teeth, neck pain, and back pain. As a young man working physically demanding jobs, his injuries prevented him from performing the lifting and physical labor his work required, resulting in lost income during his recovery.
A Complex Insurance Coverage Issue
Although the other driver fled the scene, our client believed he had uninsured motorist protection through his stepfather’s automobile insurance policy because he was driving a vehicle insured under that policy.
However, there was one significant complication: our client was not listed as a driver on the policy. Initially, it was unclear whether coverage would even apply.
Our team carefully analyzed the policy language and investigated every available source of coverage.
Resolution
Since this was a hit-and-run crash, our client sought to recover compensation from his own uninsured motorist coverage. Initially, it appeared he had only the minimum amount of coverage, but after investigation by our legal team, we discovered that the uninsured motorist coverage could be stacked because the policy insured multiple vehicles.
This case demonstrates that a successful outcome isn’t always about proving liability. Sometimes, it requires identifying insurance coverage that might otherwise be overlooked. By fully evaluating every available policy and coverage option, we were able to obtain additional compensation that helped our client move forward after a traumatic hit-and-run crash.
