The biggest money mistake here is assuming no plate number means no claim. In Idaho, a hit-and-run can still trigger uninsured motorist (UM) coverage on your own auto policy, and many people lose thousands by waiting too long to notify their insurer or document their injuries.

What should have happened right after the crash: You should have reported it to police, gotten the crash documented, and opened a UM claim with your own carrier fast. In Lewiston, that usually means law enforcement documentation plus photos, witness names, and proof the other driver fled. If road construction, lane shifts, flaggers, or equipment near traffic were involved, those details matter too.

You also should have kept every record tying your torn labrum, airbag injury, or other damage to that crash - ER records, MRI reports, PT notes, work restrictions, and mileage.

What to do now: Start the UM claim immediately if you have not already. Ask your insurer for the declarations page and confirm your UM/UIM limits. Idaho drivers are offered UM/UIM coverage, but the amount depends on your policy.

Then gather:

• the police report
• all medical records, including VA treatment records
• proof of lost wages
• photos of vehicle damage and airbag deployment
• any witness or roadwork-zone evidence

If this happened last year, you may still have time, but do not assume. In Idaho, the deadline to sue for a car-crash injury is often 2 years from the wreck. Your policy may also have its own notice and proof requirements.

What comes next: Your insurer will usually investigate whether this qualifies as a phantom-driver or hit-and-run UM claim and whether your injuries are worth more than any available payments already made. If the at-fault driver is later found but only carries bare-minimum coverage, that can shift into an underinsured motorist (UIM) claim.

Your VA benefits and your civilian UM claim are separate systems. The VA may treat you, but that does not replace the need to prove fault, damages, and deadlines in the insurance claim. If this was job-related, that is a different track through the Idaho Industrial Commission in Boise, not your auto UM claim.