Reacting to a Hit-and-Run Accident
Every single day thousands of Americans suffer serious injuries in motor vehicle collisions. While many people involved in car accidents will willingly share insurance information and handle the situation with professionalism, others will attempt to flee the scene. Unfortunately, hit-and-run accidents occur daily throughout the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 737,100 hit-and-run accidents occurred throughout 2015 alone. If you or a loved one have been injured in a hit-and-run collision, it is important to know how to react.
What You Should Do After a Hit-and-Run
After ensuring that all passengers are safe after the initial collision, it is important to react quickly in a hit-and-run situation. First and foremost, contact law enforcement officials. The quicker that police can arrive on the scene, the more likely they are to apprehend the other party. If you believe the other vehicle is attempting to flee, you should attempt to document the license plate number, color, or make of the fleeing vehicle. While pictures of the vehicle can be incredibly beneficial to a police investigation, a written description and potential license plate number can also lead to an arrest. Regardless of whether you are able to document the aforementioned information, it is crucial that you speak with any witnesses of the accident.
Witnesses can not only help you gather information regarding the driver’s appearance and details of the vehicle, but also any forms of negligence that may have played a role in the collision.
After contacting law enforcement officials, documenting information, and speaking with witnesses, it is time to hire an attorney. Even if the driver has yet to be identified, a skilled attorney will continue communication with law enforcement officials, and seek out other forms of surveillance that may help to locate the vehicle in question. Once the other driver has been located, the assistance of a knowledgeable personal injury attorney will be crucial in ensuring you and your family receive the compensation you deserve.
Contact an Aurora Car Accident Attorney
At Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur P.C., we are prepared to do everything in our power to help our clients secure the compensation they are entitled to after an accident. Hit-and-run collisions can lead to complications in securing injury compensation, but our attorneys are experienced in every type of motor vehicle collision. To schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable Kane County personal injury attorney, call us today at 630-907-0909.
Source:
https://aaafoundation.org/hit-and-run-crashes-prevalence-contributing-factors-and-countermeasures/
