If you’ve been injured in a hit-and-run car accident, you might wonder how you can recover compensation. After all, you don’t have the typical information that’s available after a collision, such as the liable driver’s insurance information. Although hit and run cases are more challenging than typical car accident cases, they are winnable. However, you need to contact an Atlanta hit-and-run accident lawyer ASAP.
If you’ve been injured by a hit and run driver, you should contact our Atlanta car accident lawyers. Our legal team will help you track down the liable driver. Even if the liable driver can’t be found, we can still help you pursue an uninsured motorist claim.
Call us today at (404) 939-9470. Also, you may fill-out our online contact form to schedule a free case review. If you’ve got questions, we’ve got the answers.
What To Do After A Hit And Run Accident
Georgia law requires all drivers that are involved in an auto accident to stop and take the following actions:
- Provide their name, address, insurance information, and vehicle registration number to the other parties
- Share license information if they are a commercial driver
- Call 9-1-1 if a party is injured
- Remain at the scene and wait for law enforcement
- Move their vehicle to avoid obstructing traffic
Some hit-and-run drivers briefly stop before fleeing the scene. If they do, you should get their name, phone number and insurance information, at a minimum. Don’t listen to them if they urge you not to call the police. You should always call 9-1-1 after a collision.
If you don’t get the liable driver’s information, and you also don’t contact the police, you can’t pursue a claim against the liable driver’s insurer. Additionally, if you pursue a claim against your own uninsured motorist carrier, they might deny the claim. For instance, some uninsured motorist carriers allege that the claimant didn’t call the police because they staged the collision.
If the liable driver never stops, you should write down their vehicle’s color, make, and model. Also, you should write down the license plate number. The more information you can collect, the likelier it is that the police will track down the driver.
If you’ve got questions about what you should do after a car accident, contact an Atlanta car accident lawyer.
Common Hit And Run Accidents
Here are some common hit-and-run accidents:
- Pedestrian collisions – Hit and run drivers often strike pedestrians. A recent nighttime hit and run accident in Hall County badly injured two victims.
- Drunk drivers – Some intoxicated drivers may not even know that they hit someone. Others do and flee the scene to avoid the legal consequences. An intoxicated driver fled the scene after seriously injuring a road maintenance worker in Roswell, Georgia in December 2018.
- Road rage – Angry drivers tend to speed. Then, they lose control of their vehicles and cause harm.
- Careless drivers – Distracted drivers often cause hit and run accidents. For instance, a Barrow County driver recently fled the scene after injuring a dog walker.
- Driving on a suspended license – Some drivers flee the scene to avoid criminal prosecution for driving on a suspended license.
How To Recover Compensation In A Hit-And-Run Case
It’s difficult to recover compensation when you’re injured by an unknown driver. Moreover, insurance adjusters frequently deny hit and run claims even when the liable driver is known.
For instance, many hit-and-run drivers admit they own the car. However, they deny they were the driver. Additionally, they claim that the person that drove the car didn’t have their permission.
Those excuses are silly. Yet, the insurance company typically denies the claim until you prove that the vehicle owner was the driver, or that the vehicle owner gave the driver permission.
In that case, you typically need to file a personal injury lawsuit so that you can depose the vehicle owner and the vehicle driver. If they give false testimony, there are still other ways that you can prove the driver had permission. For instance, if the two individuals were household members, they are almost always covered by the same insurance policy.
Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers Can Help
At Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers, our Atlanta hit-and-run accident lawyers will help you win your accident case. Here’s how:
- Identifying the hit and run driver – If the collision occurred at a busy intersection, we’ll investigate whether there’s surveillance footage. We can potentially use that footage to identify the liable driver’s vehicle and license plate. Even if there isn’t any surveillance footage, we might be able to track down an eyewitness and obtain their recorded statement. At a minimum, we’ll make sure that the police officer thoroughly investigates all potential leads.
- Settlement negotiations – If we can’t locate the hit-and-run motorist, we’ll help you file an uninsured motorist claim. Then we’ll negotiate a reasonable settlement for you.
- Winning in court – If the adjuster won’t pay you what you deserve, we’ll take your case to trial. You’re in good hands. Our legal team has recovered millions of dollars for auto collision victims.
Call us today at (404) 939-9470. Also, you may fill-out our online contact form to schedule a free case review with an Atlanta hit-and-run accident lawyer.
