What to Do After a Hit-and-Run Accident

A hit-and-run accident is when a driver hits another vehicle or a person and leaves the scene instead of stopping to help. This can make it harder to get compensation for damages, but you can still use your own insurance coverage. Some ways you can cover your expenses after being the victim of a hit-and-run are through collision coverage, personal injury protection, health insurance, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. A personal injury lawyer can help you file a claim and receive compensation.

If you were hit by a vehicle that fled the scene, you could be suffering from bills and injuries without knowing where to turn. Even if the driver who caused the accident cannot be located, there is still hope that you can get compensation for your damages. Multani Law Group helps people injured in accidents obtain justice, including people who were injured in hit-and-runs. You must have an experienced personal injury attorney file your claim.

Simply put, a hit-and-run accident is when a driver flees the scene without stopping to make sure everyone involved is okay or to provide their information. This type of accident can involve a collision with another vehicle, a pedestrian, or a biker. Hit-and-runs are very frustrating because the victim is left in an even more difficult situation. Drivers may flee the scene for several reasons, such as having an expired license, being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not having proper insurance, driving a stolen vehicle, panicking, or even having a warrant out for their arrest.

In Washington state, the law requires that if you are involved in an accident, there are certain things you must do to avoid penalties. After getting into an accident, drivers must stop, move their vehicle out of the way of traffic if possible, and check on the other people involved. If needed, call for emergency medical help or transport any victims to receive urgent care. People involved in auto accidents also have to exchange their contact and insurance information. When drivers hit someone and don’t stop to help, the victim could end up dying from their negligence.

Just because the other driver can’t be found doesn’t mean that you can’t still recover compensation. You have several options for filing a claim, depending on what insurance coverage you have. Usually, when you are injured in an accident, you file a claim with the other driver’s insurance; however, if they can’t be found, that isn’t possible.

This type of insurance coverage can help pay for your damages if the other driver does not have proper insurance. In Washington state, most insured drivers have this coverage unless they reject it in writing. If a hit-and-run driver cannot be identified, then this type of coverage can be used for a personal injury claim. A personal injury attorney can review your policy, gather evidence, and help you get compensation.

PIP insurance coverage can help cover damages from accidents, regardless of fault. That means that in the case of a hit-and-run, your PIP can cover some of your lost wages and hospital bills. However, PIP usually has a cap of around $10,000, so it may not cover all your damages. After being the victim of a hit-and-run, you can ask your insurance company what coverage you have and what the limits are.

Collision coverage is extra coverage you can add to your insurance policy that can help cover some damages after being in an accident. Collision coverage applies regardless of who is at fault. This type of coverage can pay for repairs to your car needed due to the accident, or even a car replacement if your car is totaled. However, collision coverage will not pay for medical bills, damage to other property, or damage to your car that wasn’t from a crash.

Your own health insurance policy can kick in to cover medical expenses if you were hurt in a hit-and-run accident. Health insurance often covers necessary treatments such as physical therapy, surgery, hospital stays, emergency care, medications, and more. However, the amount your insurance covers depends on your policy and any limitations, co-pays, deductibles, etc. It may not be enough to cover all of your medical expenses.

A personal injury lawyer will prove your damages through evidence from the scene, such as traffic or dashboard camera footage and photos, police reports, medical documents, skid marks, witness interviews, accident reconstruction, expert testimony, and more. This process can become more complicated when the at-fault driver can’t be found, but an experienced car accident injury attorney will get the job done. They can file your claim for you and guide you through the process.