Hit and Run Car Accident Expectations | Car Accident Expert reacts
Car Accidents are hard enough, but they become increasingly more challenging when someone “hits and runs”.
Most people are in shock when they learn how little they can do about it.
They start with calling the Police and if the Police are willing to do anything at all, they at least need a license plate number. If you weren’t able to get one, the case will likely end there unless a witness or video comes out of no where. If you do manage to get a license plate, and the Police are willing to at least file a report for you with the vehicle information, that is a start. That said, that is only step one….
The next step is finding out whether that vehicle has insurance. If they do, the last step is hoping they admit fault to their insurance company. However, if they hit and ran, they are likely not the type who are going to be honest about the accident. If they tell their insurance they were never in a car accident, the insurance may deny the claim at that point OR they will inspect the vehicle to see if your story matches up. That said, even if they do inspect the vehicle, their insured can come up with a story of why there is damage to their car and that also may be enough to have the insurance deny the claim right then and there.
So what happens then?
Well first off, if you actually made it that far, you are already further than most make it. But unfortunately, that may not mean much. What you have to do now is PROVE the at fault driver did indeed hit your vehicle and run. If you don’t have any evidence like witnesses or video camera footage showing it happen, your last hope is filing a lawsuit…. But that is not an easy thing to do.
It is not easy to do because Law Firms know they would have to spend a lot of time, money and effort to fight for you with very little chance they would win. On top of that, even if they do find a way to win, if you don’t have significant injuries, the value of your case could be less than the costs the Attorney spent to win in the first place.
In closing, this is a terrible situation for someone to be in. Your best chance at getting compensated for a hit and run accident is if you have uninsured motorist coverage on your policy for injuries and/or comprehensive and collision for property. I hope this information has been helpful. If you would like a FREE CONSULTATION for your specific car accident, answer 5 questions on our home page!