Being involved in a car accident is distressing.
But being involved in a hit-and-run accident is even more distressing.
At least, under normal accident circumstances, you know there’s someone to hold accountable for your loss and pain. But in a hit-and-run scenario, not only are you left to care for yourself, but you’re also charged with the unenviable task of figuring the hit-and-run driver out.
Not be best of situations.
Luckily, there’s something you can do to make sure the offender doesn’t go unpunished.
Read on to find out.
What is a hit-and-run accident?
Before talking about filing claims, it is important that you first understand what a hit-and-run accident scenario actually means.
I know you think it is when a driver hits you or your vehicle and then absconds from the scene so as not to pay your compensation. But it’s a little bit more complicated than that.
No driver plans in advance to hit another vehicle or passers-by. So, when this thing happens, their first impulse is to run off and protect themselves because they know the kind of legal penalties that can come with reckless driving.
What to do after a hit-and-run accident
All hope is not lost even if the driver of the vehicle responsible for your accident decides to take off. There is a way you can bring them to justice and claim what’s yours.
Usually, the first step you can take is to ask an eyewitness around whether they saw anything that can help you trace the driver. It could be his vehicle’s registration number, it could be the color, model, and maker of the vehicle, it could be a brand logo or design on the body of the vehicle.
Just anything that can help you narrow down your search. In some rare cases, you might even be lucky to find an eyewitness who knows the driver or who recognizes something associated with the vehicle.
If you don’t find any eyewitness who’s able to provide any valuable information, try the CCTV cameras.
In most cities and regions of the world, there are lots of CCTV cameras installed everywhere. Go around and ask for a copy of the CCTV recordings from various outlets around. Don’t worry; you have a legal right to do that.
Once you obtain the recording, go through each one to see whether anyone has captured the hit-and-run accident.
Once you find a recording that fully captures the incident, take as many photographs of the accident scene, injuries, and property damages.
If you can find a CCTV recording that captured how the offending driver was leaving the scene, you can also take various snapshots detailing their departure. This will help you prove later on to the judge that the offender truly absconded the scene.
How to file a claim for a hit-and-run accident
The process of filing a claim for a hit-and-run accident is the same as with every other personal injury claims.
You gather your evidence (CCTV recordings and photographs in this case), get eyewitnesses’ accounts, report the matter to the police, and then hire a professional hit-and-run abogado de accidente.
This attorney will help you process your claim based on the evidence you’ve gathered.
Again, ensure you do all you can to gather strong evidence from the accident scene that will help you track down the offending driver. Remember, the stronger your evidence, the higher your chances of pinning him down, and invariably, the higher your chances of getting compensation.
How much can you get from a hit-and-run car accident claim?
To understand how much you can expect from a hit-and-run injury claim, you need to first understand the elements that are considered in the compensation calculation.
Generally speaking, here are some of the most common ones.
- Element #1: Effect on the ability to work: If you’ve had time off work, you’ll be paid back for your lost wages
- Element #2: Effect on health: If you’ve had medical or care expenses, these will be paid back to you
- Element #3: Severity of your injuries: you may also be entitled to payments for future lost wages and pain and suffering.
- Element #4: Nature of accident: How you were injured may sometimes be taking into account, too. That is, were you hit while driving in your car, or were you hit while walking by the road?
- Element #5: Age: The age of the victim is another factor that is always considered. Hitting a kid in a hit-and-run accident is not treated the same way as hitting an adult because kids are generally not considered at fault in accidents.
Story by Uday Tank
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