In California, people often focus first on the other driver's liability claim. Hawaii is different because it is a no-fault state: your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is usually the first source of payment, even when the driver who hit you disappears.

So, no - failing to get the plate does not automatically ruin your case.

Before you know that, it can feel like everything depends on identifying the driver. After you know it, the case changes direction. In Honolulu, the immediate question becomes: do you have PIP, and did you buy UM/UIM coverage on your own policy?

Every Hawaii auto policy must carry at least $10,000 in PIP. That can pay medical bills and certain losses regardless of fault. If the hit-and-run driver is never found, your next possible layer is uninsured motorist (UM) coverage under your own policy. If the driver is found but only carries Hawaii's minimum liability limits - $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident, $10,000 property damage - then underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage may matter if your damages exceed those limits.

What changes now:

• Get the Honolulu Police Department report number immediately if you do not already have it.
• Notify your insurer that this is a hit-and-run UM claim, not just a PIP claim.
• Preserve photos, damage estimates, witness names, 911 logs, and treatment records from places like The Queen's Medical Center or Straub.
• Do not let an end-of-year renewal or adjuster pressure push you into a quick release before the insurer confirms whether UM/UIM applies.

If you want to sue the driver or preserve a civil claim, Hawaii's general personal-injury deadline is usually 2 years from the crash under HRS § 657-7. But your policy notice requirements for UM hit-and-run claims can be much sooner, so the practical deadline is often your insurance contract, not the court deadline.