How Can I Get Injury Compensation After a Hit-and-Run Crash?

 Posted on June 25, 2021 in Personal Injury

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, more than 600,000 car accidents each year involve a hit-and-run driver, accounting for around 6.5 percent of all car crash injuries and around 4.5 percent of all fatalities. If you or someone in your family has been the victim of one of these accidents, recovering compensation for your injuries can be quite difficult. However, it is by no means impossible, and an experienced attorney can help you identify and pursue the best course of action.

Identifying the Fleeing Driver

Any time you are injured in a car accident, you should call 911 as soon as possible so that you can get medical help and the police can arrive to create an accident report. This is especially important after a hit-and-run, as there may be a limited window during which the police are best able to locate the at-fault driver. You should give the responding officer as much information as possible about the driver, including the color, make, and model of their vehicle; their license plate number; the direction in which they left the scene; and any details about their physical appearance. Witnesses to the crash may also be willing to provide helpful information that you might have missed yourself.

It is also a good idea to hire an attorney as soon as possible after your accident. Your lawyer can work with law enforcement and help you identify any other possible sources of evidence that could be used to locate the driver, including video footage from nearby security or surveillance cameras. If the police can pinpoint the identity of a hit-and-run driver based on the available evidence, the driver can face felony charges and driver’s license suspension, in addition to civil liability for the injuries you have suffered.

Making a Claim for Uninsured Motorist Coverage

If the hit-and-run driver cannot be found despite your best efforts, all hope is not lost for recovering compensation for your damages. North Carolina requires all drivers to carry car insurance that includes an uninsured motorist policy. This policy can cover an injury victim’s losses when the at-fault driver has no insurance, or when the driver cannot be identified after a hit-and-run. If you have your own car insurance, you should have some level of uninsured motorist coverage, and it may be enough to fully cover your damages depending on the policy limits you have selected. Your attorney can help you file a claim with your provider to secure the compensation you are entitled to.

Contact a Raleigh, NC Car Accident Attorney

At Vasquez Law Firm, PLLC, we will make every effort to help you find an at-fault driver and hold them accountable for your injuries. If this is not possible, we will guide you through the process of filing an uninsured motorist claim. Contact us today at 1-844-YO-PELEO or 844-967-3536 to request a free consultation with one of our Wake County personal injury lawyers. Hablamos español.

Sources:

https://aaafoundation.org/hit-and-run-crashes-prevalence-contributing-factors-and-countermeasures/

https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_20/gs_20-166.html

https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-279.21.html

https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/insurance-requirements/Pages/default.aspx