You’re heading home after work, moving into a new lane of traffic on the freeway with your turn signal on. In an instant, a car quickly sideswipes you, speeding and swerving through the cars. Your car ends up fishtailing and hitting a guardrail – hard.
In the aftermath of the crash, you are a bit dumbfounded. The driver and car that started the accident are nowhere to be seen. And you know you need medical attention: Your neck is in serious pain and you have a terrible headache. What should you do?
Right after the crash
Right after a hit-and-run accident, you should call 911 to report your accident to police and let the operator know you’ll need medical attention. While waiting for the police, you should mentally go through everything you remember about the crash.
Here are some details to jot down or record on your phone if you can:
- What was the color, make and model of the car that hit you?
- Did the car have any unique characteristics?
- Do you see the license plate? Do you remember the license plate number?
- What did the driver look like?
- What direction was the car traveling in?
As soon as you can get that information to police, make sure you receive treatment for your injuries. Then, you need to report the accident to your insurance company.
Who will pay your injury costs?
If police can’t find the hit-and-run driver who caused the crash, your auto insurance coverage will pay your injury costs.
If you do identify the driver who hit you, and he or she was at-fault for the accident, you can make a liability claim against them. If the driver was uninsured or underinsured, you will need to check if you have uninsured or underinsured coverage.
You may want to seek the help of a personal injury attorney, to help you get the maximum compensation for your injuries. You shouldn’t have to suffer because of someone else’s negligence. You also may find that your insurance company may not be as responsive and effective as you’d like about covering your injury costs.
