What to Do If You are in a Hit and Run Accident
A hit and run accident makes the stress and trauma of a car accident even worse, especially when someone is seriously injured or killed in the collision. When the person who may be responsible for the crash flees the scene without exchanging information with the other driver, there is a legitimate fear that the driver may not be held responsible for the accident and injuries they caused.
As car accident lawyers, we have seen an increase in hit and run accidents in the last 24 months. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), overall traffic crashes and injuries were down in 2020 but fatal crashes and fatalities increased and deaths in hit-and-run crashes jumped by 26 percent.
If you are ever the victim in a hit and run accident, there are some things you can do to help protect yourself.
What to Do If You are in a Hit and Run Accident
Here are some things you should do if you are involved in a hit and run accident:
- Because it can be so difficult for police to catch a hit and run driver, it’s important to gather any information you can about the fleeing driver:
- Immediately write down anything you can about the other driver, including the make, model, and color of their vehicle. A license plate number is ideal but even a partial number can be helpful.
- Ask any witnesses if they saw the license plate number or any other details about the driver or vehicle they were driving.
- If there are any local stores or businesses, ask if their security cameras may have captured the accident.
- Call the police and wait at the scene.
- While you’re waiting for police, take pictures of the damage to your vehicle and any tire marks or debris from the scene.
- Seek medical treatment for your injuries. Even if you don’t believe you are injured, it is important to be evaluated by a doctor after being involved in a car accident. This shows that you took any potential injuries seriously and it is important for proving that you deserve compensation for any injuries that are caused by the accident.
- Seek the help of a car accident lawyer. Even in an accident where the at-fault driver stays to exchange information, it can be difficult to prove fault. When a driver flees the scene, it is understandably even harder if the driver is never found. If you were injured in a hit and run accident and want to receive fair compensation for your losses, it’s important to get help from a car accident attorney as soon as possible.
Why do people hit and run?
Each person has their own reasons for fleeing the scene of an accident but it generally comes down to self-preservation over personal responsibility. In many cases, people flee because they are driving without a license, they are illegal immigrants, there is an active search warrant for their arrest, or they are intoxicated. Their hope is that by fleeing they can avoid legal consequences or deportation but the reality is that they usually end up in even more legal trouble.
- Unlicensed drivers are found to be 66.36 times more likely to be a hit-and-run driver than a licensed driver.
- A report by FARS indicated that the seven states with the highest hit and run fatalities directly corresponded to the states with the largest populations of illegal immigrants.
Seek the help of a car accident attorney
If you or a loved one was injured in a collision because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
