Nobody wants to find themselves in the position where they are driving down the road only to see another car barreling towards them out of control. This situation is only made worse if after the collision you see the other driver quickly leave. Sadly, hit-and-run accidents are extremely common.
When considering economic vs. non-economic damages in an accident, you’re likely wondering whether or not you can recoup funds if they can’t track down the driver. The short answer is yes, but there are key steps you need to take first given the nature of the accident:
1. Ensure You Are Safe
In any type of car accident, not just hit-and-run cases, you should always ensure your safety first. Inspect yourself for bodily injury, as well as other occupants of the vehicle. Stay as calm as possible rather than jumping right out of your car as this may make injuries worse.
If your car is still in working condition, try to move it to a safe part of the road such as the shoulder. This will help to prevent pileup accidents from drivers behind you needing to brake suddenly due to what happened. If there are any injuries you should immediately call emergency services to examine the extent of them and to see if hospitalization is necessary.
Only once you are certain that everybody involved in the crash is perfectly fine should you continue with the other steps below. As a rule of thumb, always go to the doctor after a car accident as some injuries won’t appear right away.
2. Call 911 to Report the Incident
After small car accidents without injury or no property damage, calling the police is usually unnecessary. In a hit-and-run, though, you should call the authorities right away to report what happened. While it will be challenging, try to give as much information on the other car as possible including its description and as much of the license plate as you can remember.
During this call, try to also give details about what you remember leading up to the accident. This information in the police report will be helpful for your insurance claim or lawsuit if you pursue legal action. Reporting a hit-and-run accident is always necessary because law enforcement will need to pursue and track down the offending driver. If they don’t know the situation happened then they naturally will not think there’s anything to do.
While some states give you up to 10 days to report a standard accident if it crosses a damage threshold, the time to report a hit-and-run is often lower at about 24 hours.
3. Gather Any Evidence and Document the Scene
The aftermath of a car accident will be chaotic, especially if it was a hit-and-run. To give yourself the best chance to make an insurance claim or have a successful legal case, you’ll want to document as much from the scene as possible. Some examples of things to gather include:
- Photos of the accident scene and damage to your vehicle
- Photos of road conditions and the surrounding area
- Witness statements from anyone who is willing to provide one
- Record any details of the weather, time of the incident, and other information
- Write down information about the fleeing vehicle including the make, model, color, and any details about the people inside
Perhaps the most important thing to remember in the chaos of the aftermath is that you shouldn’t leave the scene until law enforcement arrives. They will want to speak with you about the incident for their report, so wait until they have gathered all information from you before departing.
4. Look for Witnesses to Gather Statements
As mentioned above, one of the pieces of information to gather after the crash is statements from witnesses. Anybody who saw what happened will be able to provide eyewitness testimony that aligns with your version of events which is helpful in an investigation.
Always approach witnesses with caution and calmly before politely asking them to provide a brief statement about what they saw. Try to remember that they don’t necessarily need to tell you, so avoid getting angry. Go a step further if they are willing, though, and ask them to stay until police arrive. On top of this, see if there was any dashcam or cellphone footage available from nearby witnesses.
5. Contact Your Insurance Company and File a Claim
Given the nature of the accident you were just involved in, you will need to contact your insurance company as soon as possible.
The length of time you have to report varies from provider to provider, but most insurance companies have 30 days to make a decision on the claim. This is why you want to get them all information quickly.
When speaking with the adjusters, outline all necessary information they may need such as the description of what happened, photos of the scene, and any statements you have. Uninsured motorist coverage may need to come into play if the other driver can’t be tracked down, so if you have this on your policy then consider speaking to the insurance team about it.
Protect your rights after a hit-and-run accident
No one wants to be involved in a hit-and-run but the simple truth is that these accidents do occur. How you handle the aftermath of the incident will determine the validity of your insurance claim or legal case, though, which is why following the above steps is important. It’s easy to lose your cool after something as traumatic as a car accident, so remember to ingrain these steps into your memory so that you can complete them in your sleep.
Always remember to stay calm, gather evidence, and seek legal support when injured in a hit-and-run accident. By taking the right steps you can ensure you receive justice and compensation for the injuries you’ve suffered at the hands of another driver.
