What to Do if You’ve Been the Victim of a Hit and Run

If you or somebody you love has been injured or sustained property damage as a result of a hit and run incident, then you need to take steps to protect your health and financial well-being. Hit and run accidents can present significant complications when it comes to securing compensation, particularly when dealing with insurance carriers. Here, we want to outline what you should do after a hit and run occurs so that you can move forward towards making a full recovery.

1. Call the police

If you have been involved in any type of vehicle accident, you need to call 911 to ensure that the police come to the scene and help you and anyone else involved. The police will begin the preliminary investigation into the incident, and if you have been struck by a hit and run driver, they will likely begin the process of locating the vehicle and driver. Try to tell the police anything you can about the driver and the vehicle, including the color, make, and model of the vehicle and any physical descriptors of the driver you can remember.

2. Seek medical care

It is crucial for you to seek medical treatment as soon as possible after a hit and run occurs. Even if you do not feel much pain, you need to make sure that you are evaluated by a doctor at the emergency room or a walk-in clinic. You may have unseen injuries that you are currently unaware of, and going to the doctor this quickly helps establish a strong link between the incident and your injuries.

3. Gather evidence if possible

If it is possible for you to do so at the scene of the crash, you can begin to gather some evidence. If you have a working cell phone or another type of camera, take pictures of everything that you see. This includes vehicle damage, debris, skid marks, traffic and weather conditions, injuries, and more.

4. Contact your insurance carrier

You need to contact your personal insurance carrier and let them know the incident occurred. Tell the claims adjuster that the crash was a hit and run currently being investigated by the police. Let them know that you are seeking treatment for your injuries. You do not need to go into much detail right away and do not talk to the insurance carrier any more than you need to.

5. Follow up with the police

The police will likely follow up with you, but just in case, give them a call a few days after the incident if they have not yet located the driver. You need to make sure you have the police report on hand to complete your insurance claim.

6. Speak to a skilled car accident attorney

You may need to speak with a skilled car accident lawyer in North Carolina who has experience handling hit and run claims. They can help you file an insurance claim or lawsuit against the other driver if the other driver is apprehended. An attorney can also help you file a claim with your own uninsured motorist policy.

7. Continue medical care

You need to keep going to the doctor until after you have fully recovered from your injuries. If you choose to discontinue care earlier than necessary, this could be used by the insurance carriers to say that you have not really been injured in the first place.

Call us today to speak with a Raleigh car accident attorney.