Assuring yourself and other drivers in an accident depends on both the specifics of your insurance policy and circumstances surrounding it. Most often, collision or uninsured motorist coverage should provide sufficient coverage while paying your deductible amount.
However, if the driver flees before you have time to file your claim and attempt recovery of losses from them. Hit-and-run accidents tend to be treated as no-fault accidents which complicate matters further.
What happens if you’re involved in a hit and run?
If you find yourself involved in a car accident, it is vital that you remain still until police arrive and facilitate exchanging insurance and other relevant details. But what if the person responsible tries to escape before you can even collect their license plate number? Unfortunately hit-and-run accidents occur more often than most realize; these incidents often cause severe injuries as well as property damage; here is what New York state law and most insurance providers consider when handling these incidents.
First and foremost, make sure everyone involved is safe. Seek medical assistance if needed. Once everyone is secure, ask any eyewitnesses for their names and contact info if possible – oftentimes these people can recall details you missed due to not being involved directly in the accident and seeing things differently than you can.
Call the police immediately after any accident occurs; even if no injuries occurred, hit-and-run incidents still constitute crimes which need to be investigated by authorities. Furthermore, filing a police report will help provide an official record of what transpired which will help support any insurance or court claims or lawsuits you file in relation to them.
After an accident, many don’t immediately consider notifying their insurance company; however, this can be one of the most crucial steps you can take. Most policies have language that mandates reporting accidents promptly – this is especially important with hit-and-runs where immediate reporting allows your insurer to investigate and find ways to cover for damages sustained by both parties involved.
If it is safe for you, attempt to remember any details such as a license plate number or make/model of the driver’s vehicle, tips about their travel direction or any identifying characteristics such as clothing styles. Sharing such details will aid authorities in tracking down the at-fault party and taking legal action against them; all New York drivers are required by law to carry auto insurance policies so the collision should be covered under your policy no matter who was responsible.
The police will investigate
In most jurisdictions, hit-and-runs are crimes and should be thoroughly investigated by law enforcement officials. Police will use various tools and resources available to them to them to identify those responsible, including witness testimony review and searching for physical evidence from the scene; review surveillance footage from nearby roads for any evidence they can find; as well as solicit assistance from local law enforcement agencies to track down those involved in their investigation.
One of the key steps after being involved in a hit-and-run incident is reporting it immediately to law enforcement authorities. Doing this will assist their investigation process significantly if you can provide details such as vehicle make and model, colour or license plate number for other driver. Also attempt to obtain names and phone numbers of witnesses who saw what occurred that might provide valuable insights; although witnesses can sometimes be unreliable sources, their testimony can provide investigators with an excellent starting point when looking for responsible parties.
As soon as possible, file an insurance claim with your insurer, even if you are still recovering in hospital or unaware of the full extent of your injuries. Doing this will alert them and initiate their own investigation, including gathering an account of what occurred and any damages such as medical bills, lost wages, future treatment plans, or other associated financial costs you are seeking compensation for.
To aid police investigators, take note of any distinguishing marks on your car as well as details you recall about the at-fault driver and vehicle. This step can be especially useful if there are security or traffic cameras nearby that could provide police investigators with important leads.
Although the exact duration of a hit-and-run investigation varies greatly based on factors like evidence availability, witness testimony and law enforcement cooperation, having the assistance of an attorney will make the claims process simpler while working closely with police to secure adequate compensation for their clients.
Your insurance company will investigate
Your insurance company will also conduct their own investigation of the accident, gathering details such as damage to your vehicle and eyewitness statements from you or law enforcement personnel as well as traffic camera footage if applicable to assist them in finding who caused it and getting compensation for any injuries sustained in the incident. This investigation may help them track down and make contact with those responsible and make payments accordingly.
Cooperate with your insurance company during this process. Be sure to provide as much detail about the accident as possible, including specific identifying details about any drivers and vehicles involved in it. It may also be wise to use your phone camera phone to take pictures at the scene – this way capturing license plate numbers, car models and any other identifiers you might remember from when it happened.
Be sure to obtain eyewitness statements, along with their contact information so the insurance company can follow-up on them. Furthermore, it’s advisable to limit what you say outside of your support network in order to protect the chances of recovering compensation for injuries and losses suffered.
Based on the circumstances surrounding your hit-and-run incident, your own car insurance may provide coverage through collision or uninsured motorist coverage. Collision coverage pays for repairs or replacement of your vehicle after an incident while uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage helps cover injuries when those responsible don’t carry insurance policies of their own.
Hit and run accidents are uniquely disturbing due to their nature: their perpetrators are breaking the law. Even if no one was injured in an accident, most states require drivers to stop their vehicles after an incident and exchange information or offer assistance as appropriate for victims of collision. If they leave without doing this and flee the scene afterward, criminal charges for hit-and-run may follow; as a result insurance companies investigate these cases thoroughly to identify and hold those responsible accountable as soon as possible.
The police will not investigate
Recklessly fleeing an accident scene is illegal and may result in irreparable harm for others. Thus, hit-and-run accidents usually trigger official investigations by law enforcement that help victims gain justice and compensation from perpetrators.
Example of Hit and Run Claims in New Jersey If a driver negligently causes property damage to another’s car or belongings and then flees without providing contact information or making sure no one was hurt, this may qualify as hit-and-run in New Jersey. Such drivers could face fines, license suspension or jail time; however a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can help victims navigate insurance companies and their investigations of hit-and-run claims.
Insurance company investigations typically consist of interviewing you and reviewing evidence such as witness statements, police reports, and surveillance footage. Depending on the case at hand, public appeals may also be issued in an effort to help identify those responsible – this step may become especially crucial when serious injuries have been sustained by victims.
Witness testimony is an integral component of any investigation, and especially so in hit-and-run cases. Witnesses can provide important details that were missed by video footage; such as describing the vehicle involved as well as any details surrounding the crash that were not captured on video cameras. Unfortunately, witness accounts can sometimes be unreliable due to bias, forgetfulness, or conflicting information being reported back from them.
As such, it is always advisable to proceed with caution when speaking to investigators from insurance companies or any other parties involved in your accident claim. They could use anything you say against you later on to deny or reduce compensation payments; thus highlighting why consulting a personal injury attorney before giving any statements can be invaluable.
Insurance companies are driven by bottom-line considerations and profits. While they may claim otherwise in their commercials, insurance companies will do everything possible to avoid paying out claims – including conducting an exhaustive investigation of your injury and its aftermath. Understanding what an investigation entails will help manage expectations and make the process simpler for all involved parties involved.
