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A hit and run accident can be very traumatic and, often, accident victims don’t know what their next step should be. Here, we will go into the next steps of a hit and run accident.
Steps to Immediately Take After a Hit and Run Accident
The steps you take immediately following an accident can be critical to protecting your legal rights to seek compensation for the harm you have suffered and to help ensure you properly heal from your accident injuries. The situation may be even more complicated following a hit and run accident since you may not be able to pursue insurance benefits from someone else for your losses.
After a hit and run accident, make sure you get yourself to a safe place. Lingering in the roadway can lead to further incidences on top of what you have already been through. Call 911 so that police are dispatched to the scene and, should anyone need medical assistance, emergency medical personnel as well. In the meantime, take pictures of the accident scene and document as much as possible. Get the names and contact information of any witnesses to the accident.
You should also make sure to write down any details of the accident that you remember while your memories are still fresh. Did you note any identifying characteristics of the vehicle or vehicle driver that hit you? Did you notice the make and model of their car? Write everything down. Even the smallest of details can help law enforcement track down the vehicle that hit you and fled the scene.
You should also be sure to contact your insurance carrier. You are contractually obligated to do so and will need to notify them of the accident in order for your coverage to kick in. If the at-fault driver who fled the scene is never identified, you will come to rely even more on your own insurance coverage to compensate you for your accident damages. If you have uninsured motorist coverage (UM) these benefits should kick in to help cover your expenses since the unidentified hit and run driver was not found. You see, UM coverage is not just available when you are in an accident caused by an uninsured driver. It is also available in the event of a hit and run accident where the other party fled the scene and was never identified.
We know this seems like a lot, but you can do it. These are all things that will be critical to your pursuit of a personal injury claim. To help ensure that you are properly compensated for your injuries and that you properly recover from your injuries, go seek emergency medical treatment and comply with your doctor’s recommended follow-up treatment paths. This will help you properly recover from your injuries and also provide medical evidence of your accident injuries which will be vital in your personal injury claim.
Central New York Personal Injury Attorneys
If you have been in a hit and run accident, you do not have to do this alone. The team at CDH Law is here for you. Contact us today.