Get this wrong, and you may leave tens of thousands of dollars on the table by chasing the other driver's coverage when the real money is on your own policy.

Most people assume a hit-and-run or bare-minimum driver means the claim is worth only whatever the other car carried. In Connecticut, that is often wrong. Connecticut requires auto policies to include uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and the state minimum liability limits are only $25,000/$50,000/$25,000. That is not much after an I-84 or Route 7 crash in Danbury, especially during flood season when hydroplaning and sudden lane departures pile damage on fast.

The practical difference is this: your UM/UIM recovery usually depends more on your own limits than the other driver's. If your policy has $100,000 per person in UM/UIM coverage and the at-fault driver had only $25,000, your underinsured claim may provide up to $75,000 more, assuming your damages are high enough and you were not more than 50% at fault under Connecticut's modified comparative fault rule.

If the driver fled and you never got a plate number, the claim may still be handled under UM coverage. But you need to move fast:

• report the crash to Danbury Police or Connecticut State Police right away,
• notify your insurer promptly,
• preserve photos, witness names, and any debris or dashcam footage.

That police report matters more than people think.

For veterans, VA treatment and a civilian UM/UIM claim are separate systems. VA care can cover medical treatment, but it does not set the value of the insurance claim. The insurer still looks at injury severity, lost income, future care, and fault. So the number is not "what the VA paid." It is usually capped by your UM/UIM policy limit, minus any credit for money already paid by the at-fault driver's insurer.