Hit and Run
In a perfect world, if you were struck by a car, whether you were a pedestrian or in a vehicle yourself, the other driver would stop and at least check if you are okay before exchanging information. However, the world is not perfect. Sometimes people get into accidents, panic, and then drive off never to be seen again. Where does that leave you, the victim of a hit and run? If we are honest, it often leaves you with a lot of medical bills and not a lot of clear options on how to handle them without using your own savings.
Personal Injury Claim
Typically when you are hit in an accident, you will file a personal injury claim with the person at fault and their insurance. However, in a hit and run accident, that other person is nowhere to be found. Do you have any options available to you?
Yes! What many forget about is that their own auto insurance coverage has coverage for uninsured drivers. This coverage also covers drivers who are nowhere to be found. As lawyers, we always encourage others to have reasonable uninsured driver coverage for this very reason, but even a small policy is better than no policy. Regardless, the fact that your own insurance can cover your medical bills is good news, but the more you get into it, the less good it gets.
Once you have made a claim to your insurance after a hit and run accident, the process is very similar to the process in which there is an identified other driver involved. Your medical records are gathered, your lost wages are calculated, pain and suffering is determined and then the amount is sent to your insurance company. Unfortunately, it is unlikely they will just decide to pay it without question. Instead, negotiations will begin between the insurance company and your lawyer. It is important that you and your legal counsel fight for an offering of a satisfactory amount and not just take the first counter offer that they present. Your lawyer doesn’t inflate their calculations. The amount you asked for is money you lost, save for pain and suffering which should be the only amount that you allow to be lowered.
