Auto Insurance Claims: i got hit and i need your help asap, small claims court, two thousand dollars

Question
hi bennie719,
my name is David i just turn 18 not that long ago,i got hit by a drunk driver hit me and tried to run this pass Friday 02,15,08, i got the police report today 02,25,08 hoping that he had insurance and hes doesn't. what can i do i really need my car fixed and i don't have money to pay out of my pocket and i don't think its right if i do the cost to repair my car is around two-thousand dollars. i called and asked for the person they said he wasn't there at the moment  i told them who i was and they said he had left to Mexico for a week.


what are my options what can i do??

do i report it to the DMV?

Answer
Hi David,
I'm sorry to hear of your problems.
The first thing that you need to do is make a report to your own insurance company.  They will make the proper report to DMV and if you carry collision, they will repair your car (less your deductible) and do all the work to attempt to recover from the party that hit you.
If they are able to recover, they will reimburse you the deductible.

If you don't carry collision, you still need to report the accident to your insurance so they can file the proper proof with DMV that you were carrying insurance.  Your only chance of recovery will be to file small claims court action against the party that hit you.
Get 2 or 3 estimates from body shops for the cost of repair and then file small claims court action for the largest amount against the driver that hit you.

I hope this information has been of help.  Please write again if you feel that I can be of more assistance.
Your feedback by rating my answer will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Bennie
San Francisco Bay Area