Guidance on What to Do in a Hit-and-Run: Immediate Steps
Experiencing a hit-and-run can leave you feeling lost and uncertain about the next steps. If someone rear-ends you and speeds away, knowing what to do in a hit-and-run is crucial for your safety, the protection of your rights, and ensuring you’re compensated for damages.
Someone rear-ends you as you’re exiting the freeway in Sarasota, FL. Nervous and concerned about the damage to your vehicle, you pull to the side of the road only to watch the other driver speed away. Understanding what to do in a hit-and-run is crucial. Being involved in any car accident is stressful, frightening, and frustrating. Even if no one is seriously injured, you still have to deal with insurance and repairs. It’s all pretty straightforward, but it’s not a fun experience. Hit-and-runs are a different beast altogether.
According to a report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, there’s a hit-and-run accident every minute on U.S. roads. Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious offense, with penalties that vary by state. If you’re involved in one, you will have to file a claim with your insurance company and a police report.
Essential Actions: What to Do in a Hit-and-Run on the Scene
Safety first — make sure that no one in the car is injured. Remain calm. Move the vehicle to a safe location (if you can) and call 911. Do not jeopardize your safety by attempting to follow the car that hit you. That is both dangerous and unwise. Remain at the scene until help arrives. Record as much information as you can about the incident. This includes:
● The exact time and location the accident occurred
● The other car’s make, model, and color, and any part of the license plate number you were able to capture
● A description of the driver (sex, height, skin color, appearance, clothing) and any additional passengers
● The direction the driver was headed
While you are waiting, take a few photos of your car’s damage and of the crash site. Use the time stamp setting on your camera, if you can. Talk to anyone who may have witnessed the accident. Drivers will often stop to offer assistance during a collision. Don’t be afraid to get their contact information and ask them to stay if the authorities are on the way.
If you don’t need immediate assistance and don’t contact the authorities, make sure you are calm before driving away. Remember to check in on your passengers, too. They may be experiencing shock, which will be reflected in their behavior and level of anxiety.
Handling a Hit-and-Run Claim
When the police arrive, file a police report. Provide them with all of the information you recorded about the accident, along with any witness information. This may increase the chance of the other driver being caught. If the police do not show up, you’ll need to go down to the station to file the report. Either way, contact your insurance company as soon as you can so that they can start the claims process. You’ll need to file the claim with your own company since the other driver’s information isn’t available.
Your company’s representative will ask you a number of questions relating to the accident and require a copy of the police report, or at the very least the officer’s contact information. Once that’s done, the representative will guide you through the next steps and explain what deductibles and coverages may apply.
Check Your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Talk to your insurance professional at Atlas in Sarasota, FL about your limits for what to do in a hit-and-run accidents, listed under your policy’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Also ask about property damage and medical coverage options, since these are treated separately. Being in a hit-and-run accident is unfortunate, but it happens more often than you think. Don’t focus on the other driver. Get yourself to safety, call for help, document the accident, and file a police report. The rest will take care of itself, and hopefully, justice will be served when they find the culprit.
