What To Do If You Are A Victim Of A Hit-and-Run Accident

You have just been in a hit-and-run accident. Maybe it happened on the highway, maybe on a surface street, or maybe in a parking lot. Your first reaction is shock because nobody ever expects to be in an accident. Then, you get another shock when the driver who hit you starts to leave the scene without stopping. What should you do if you are a victim of a hit-and-run accident?

1. Try to remain calm and resist panic.
2. If you are moving when the accident happens, pull over as soon as you can get to a place to safely do so. If you can’t move your vehicle because of damage, be sure to turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Assess your possible injuries and the possible injuries of any passengers, and determine whether you think anyone in your vehicle will need an ambulance.
4. Call 911, and tell them about the hit-and-run accident and any details you can recall. Be sure to tell them the other vehicle has left the scene and which way it was heading. Make sure to tell them whether you think they need to send an ambulance for you or your passengers. The police may be able to locate the other vehicle and the driver. It is a crime in Virginia to leave the scene of an accident, either a misdemeanor if there is no injury and not much property damage, or a felony if there is a lot of property damage and/or someone is injured
5. If the other car is still nearby and it is safe to do so, take several pictures of it with your cell phone. Write down as much detail as you can about the other vehicle: as much of the license plate as you can make out, the type of car (make and model if possible), the color and number of doors, the number of people in the vehicle and their genders if you can see, any damage that vehicle suffered from the accident, the direction and road the vehicle was traveling on when it left the scene, and any other details you remember.
6. Do not chase after the other vehicle or try to catch the other driver. There is no way to predict how another driver may react to being pursued, and it may lead to a dangerous situation. Your safety and that of your passengers, if any, is of paramount importance.
7. Take photographs of the damage to your vehicle and the area where the accident occurred if it is safe to do so.
8. If you are injured, and do not need an ambulance, seek medical treatment as soon as possible. If you go to the hospital from the scene, make sure to follow their instructions and follow up with your regular doctor. Make sure to follow your doctor’s instructions and go to any appointment, therapy, or other treatment, as instructed.
9. Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible. Your auto insurance will provide available coverage to compensate you for your injuries from the accident up to your available limits even though the driver of the other vehicle is not known.
10. If you are injured, call Joannou & Associates and let us help you get the maximum recovery for your injuries and damages.

Being involved in any auto accident is scary, but it is made worse when the other driver doesn’t stop and you become the victim of a hit-and-run accident. Let us help you.

Contact Joannou & Associates if you have been injured in a hit-and-run accident caused by the negligence of another.