Car accidents tend to happen far too often, which also means that a hit-and-run is going to be quite common in today’s society. Even though you might assume that this type of accident is between two vehicles, that simply isn’t the case. Many people don’t ever think that they are going to be the victim of a hit-and-run accident, but you just never know what might come your way. In reality, roughly 16 percent of all pedestrian-car crashes wind up being a hit-and-run. To prevent yourself from being the next victim, you need someone working for you who understands your rights and works hard to uphold them, which is where an attorney for personal injury, such as Steven A. Bagen and Associates, in Gainesville and Ocala comes into play.
If you have found yourself being one of the many individuals suffering from a hit-and-run accident, you might find yourself in a state of panic and anger. Even though this is understandable, you cannot dwell on these emotions. You have to take action to prevent the individual from getting away with what they did to you. There is no reason why you have to sit back and allow them to get away with doing something illegal. Consider taking the following actions to ensure your protection and well-being are being taken care of right from the start.
Call for help. For those who are the victim of a hit-and-run, you have a legal duty to remain at the scene of the accident. Don’t go chasing after the vehicle involved. You could wind up causing an accident in the process. Regardless of how minor or severe the injuries might seem, you need to get the proper authorities involved to make sure your case is documented accordingly. You never know when you might have to enlist an attorney for personal injury Gainesville to go after the other party. Even if you don’t think you are injured, remain put until you are given permission to leave the accident scene.
Identify who the driver of the vehicle was. If you are able to give the authorities the model or make of the vehicle, that is only going to help the case that much more. For those who were lucky enough to snag the entire license plate number, or even part of it, make sure to write it down. If you got a good look at the driver, make sure you write this information down as well. Even if the emergency dispatcher doesn’t ask you for any of this information, the officer who responds to the scene of the accident probably is going to. Having it beforehand will save you a lot of hassle and time later on trying to identify the individual.
Identify any witnesses to the hit-and-run. If someone was nice enough to stop and help you out, they are probably going to be nice enough to provide you with their contact information. Make sure you gather this information before the witness takes off and leaves the accident scene. Not only is this information helpful for the police report, but it will also be beneficial for the insurance company, as well. Both individuals are going to need this information to determine who is responsible for the accident. An attorney for personal injury Gainesville or Ocala can also contact the individual to see what they can do to further your claim.
Contact your local insurance provider. Depending on the type of coverage you have, the insurance company will more than likely compensate you for your injuries and the damage to the vehicle. Based upon your particular policy and insurance company, you might have to have an uninsured motorist or PIP in place for this to be covered. The best thing you can do is to let your attorney for personal injury Gainesville handle it all for you to make sure you get all of the benefits to which you are entitled.
Contact an attorney who can handle your claim for you. If you haven’t already done so at this point, you might want to hire an attorney to handle your case. Instances arise where the insurance company isn’t always so willing to cooperate with policyholders, which is where an attorney can step in and get you the answers you need for your case. In the event that the police department is able to find the individual responsible for the hit-and-run, you need an attorney for personal injury in Gainesville or Ocala working on your side to help you recover your costs and then some.
Don’t allow the individual to take advantage of you and walk away from the accident without having to pay for what they did. Let an attorney bring them to justice and help you recover from the accident accordingly. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by speaking with someone today.
