Victim Of A Hit-And-Run? What To Do

It can happen to anyone. Someone clips your back bumper or sideswipes you and then takes off. Hit-and-run accidents can be difficult to cope with. Read on for some help when it happens to you.

Get Help

Phone 911 to report the accident. You will need to show that you made a police report for insurance purposes. The 911 operator will ask if you need an ambulance. It's best to have an ambulance take you to the hospital even if you feel okay. You might be more injured than you realize at the moment.

Many accident injuries are not obvious at first. Whiplash may only begin to cause you pain and numbness after a few hours. Head injuries may not be obvious for several days but can cause sudden death if you don't get checked out. Internal injuries also remain hidden until you least expect them.

Investigate

You can't carry out a full investigation at the scene while waiting on law enforcement and medical help to arrive, but you can do a few things that could help your case. Try to remember everything you can about the vehicle that hit you and the driver. Note any details you can remember.             

Law enforcement will want to know what their direction of travel was. See if you can speak to anyone at the scene that might have seen the accident happen and know more details. Some people have dash cams in their vehicles and will have the entire accident recorded.

What Happens Next?

Once you have reported the accident and have been treated for your injuries, phone your insurer. Some insurers treat hit-and-run accidents differently than other accidents. You probably won't be held liable for the accident, but you may still have to pay any deductibles to have your vehicle repaired.

There is a chance that law enforcement will identify and arrest the responsible party.

Taking Action

It's difficult for drivers to get away with hit-and-run accidents now. Most intersections and businesses have cameras installed to catch everything that occurs. In most cases, the offender, if caught, will be charged with the crime of leaving the scene of the accident. Having a connected criminal case to your personal injury case may help you get paid what you deserve from the offender's insurance company.

Speak to a car accident lawyer when you know the driver has been caught. Even if the other driver's insurance gets canceled, you can be paid if they were insured when they hit you. To find out more, ask a car accident lawyer.

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