A hit-and-run crash occurs when a driver flees the scene of the crash intentionally without sharing their insurance and contact information or providing aid to another injured party at the scene.
These types of crashes occur all too often. As a matter of fact, and according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA), nearly 20 percent of vehicle related fatalities involve hit-and-run drivers.
So what steps should you take after you have been the recipient of a hit-and-run incident?
The first order of business is to call the police. If you have been hit while operating your vehicle, pull your vehicle to the side of the road in as safe a location as possible. Try to gather as many important details as possible about the vehicle that hit you and fled. Some of the details to look for include:
Vehicle color
Vehicle license plate number
Vehicle make, model, and approximate year
Location and time of the crash
Direction of the vehicle after the crash occurred
Photos of the damage sustained by your vehicle
Any witness accounts of the incident
Next, report the accident to your insurer. Supply them with the information you have gathered in the list above. Inform them that the police have received an accident report on the incident. Insurance companies need to have verification that the accident actually occurred due to the fact that some people claim they are the victim of a hit-and-run accident when no other party actually participated in the crash – this is defined as insurance fraud.
Many times a motorist will flee the scene of a crash because they don’t have car insurance. Illinois ranks 18th in the nation with an estimated 13.7 percent of motorists uninsured, according to the Insurance Research Council.
Hopefully you have uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage as required by the state of Illinois. If so, you will have coverage up to $25,000 for one person and $50,000 for two or more people injured.
Although the police may work hard to track down and find the hit-and-run driver responsible for your crash, sometimes they do not have success. This is one reason why you need to contact an experienced Chicago car accident attorney – a legal professional who can help you locate the driver. You will need to have at least some type of identifying information to make this possible, preferably, a license plate number, for example. Your attorney can also help you maximize your claim against your insurance company according to the uninsured motorist portion of your policy. As well, the compensation you may be eligible to claim if you were injured in the incident includes lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
If you or someone you love has been the victim of a hit-and-run accident in the greater Chicago area, you can count on our legal advocacy at Gainsberg Law to help you win the compensation you deserve at this difficult time. We are here to help you achieve favorable result you need. To schedule an initial, free consultation, call us today at 312.313.1621 or fill out our contact form.
