Yes - in New York, a hit-and-run with no plate can still be covered through your cousin's own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, and sometimes no-fault first.

Picture this: your cousin is riding in upper Manhattan when a box truck swerves, hits her, and takes off toward the FDR Drive. Nobody got the plate. She ends up at Bellevue or NYU Langone with a fractured wrist and neck pain. The other driver is gone, but that does not automatically kill the claim. In New York, a hit-and-run vehicle is usually treated as uninsured for UM purposes.

The key is speed and paperwork:

• Call police right away and make sure there is a hit-and-run police report.
• File the no-fault application within 30 days with the car's insurer if she was in or hit by a motor vehicle.
• Give her insurer notice of the UM claim as soon as practicable.
• If there was injury or more than $1,000 in damage, file MV-104 with the New York DMV within 10 days.
• If there is no auto insurance available at all in the household, the claim may go through MVAIC, which has a 24-hour hit-and-run reporting rule and generally a 90-day notice deadline.

A few New York rules matter a lot. No-fault pays medical bills and lost wages up to $50,000 regardless of fault. UM can cover pain and suffering and bigger losses when the at-fault driver is unknown or uninsured. If the other driver is found later but only has the bare minimum policy, SUM/UIM coverage on your cousin's own policy may help after that driver's limits are used up.

If adjusters are sending forms she cannot read, do not guess. Keep every letter, ask for an interpreter when calling, and do not miss those 30-day, 10-day, 24-hour, and 90-day deadlines.