When an accident happens, it can be hard to remember what exactly to do. Your adrenaline is flowing, you're trying to make sure that you and your passengers are ok, and once you get out of the vehicle you typically check to see if the other person is also alright. But what happens when the other person doesn't get out and they just drive off leaving you with the accident. How do you hold them accountable for the accident they caused?
Hit and Run accidents can be tough. Often, the other driver gets away and is never held accountable. Camera or video evidence definitely helps hold run-away drivers accountable, but it isn't always of the best quality. So with this in mind, what can you do in a hit and run accident to make sure that the other driver is held accountable? In this FAQ, we're going to detail several steps you can take to make it easier to track down and hold the negligent run-away driver accountable.
What to do during a Hit and Run Accident
Step 1: Pictures, Pictures, and more pictures. You're only going to have a few moments to snap photos of the run-away driver before it's too late. You can choose to follow them and take pictures, but this can be extremely dangerous. By fleeing the scene of the accident, the person is already committing a crime, and if that enough doesn't deter them, then chances are that they may be willing to do something worse. Think of your safety first and get the pictures that you can as quickly as you can.
Step 2: Call the Police and Report the Accident. Remember an accident happened and you need to report it. If you don't report it you run the chances of having insurance not cover the accident. An official police report is exactly what you need to make sure that your side of the story is substantiated, and that you are protected.
Step 3: Share the Pictures of the run-away driver. Your photos will help the police track down the other driver. If you have pictures of the license plate, that always helps, and if you were able to get other identifying features of the other car that will also assist in expediting the process.
Step 4: Do a little sleuthing on your own. Did the other driver have temp tags? Was there an identifying dealer tag on the car? You can always call the dealer and see if they will give you the information regarding the car and the owner. If they do, you can give this information to the policy to make the process faster.
Gary Burger recently dealt with his own Hit-and-Run case.
If you would rather speak directly with our team about your case, please don't hesitate to call us at 314-542-2222 or 618-272-2222. We've taken on hit and run claims before and we know how to make sure that you get 100% of the care and financial recovery you are owed. Remember, you didn't ask to be injured and you shouldn't have to beg to get the care you deserve. You can get a recovery for your injuries and the liable party can be held liable for their actions.