Hit and Run

A hit and run is a situation where someone has been involved in a car accident and fled the scene. When a hit and run occurs, law enforcement will typically be involved as the person who hit and ran can face serious criminal penalties, especially if there were injuries at the accident. A hit and run also raises complicated issues for injured victims who may want to bring a personal injury case.

In order for you to be able to collect compensation for car accident damages, you need to know who was responsible for causing the car accident. If you do not know the person who caused the accident because he hit and ran and left the scene, then there is no one for you to make a claim against or sue for damages. Unfortunately, this leaves you either hoping that the responsible party is tracked down or relying on your own insurer for coverage if you had uninsured motorist coverage (which is not required and not everyone does).

A Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help

When you have been involved in a hit and run accident, your personal injury lawyer can help you to do everything possible to gather evidence regarding who was at fault. If the at-fault driver is ever identified by law enforcement or investigators, you can then use the evidence you collected to bring a personal injury lawsuit. Provided you fall within exceptions to Pennsylvania’s no fault rules, this will mean that you can hold the driver responsible for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages that occurred because he caused the accident and left the scene.

If the other driver is not found, then you may make a claim against your own insurance company under your uninsured motorist coverage, if you have purchased this type of coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage is optional in Pennsylvania, so you will need to find out from your insurer and by reading your insurance policy whether you have coverage. Your Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer can also help you to determine if you have coverage.

Negotiating with the Insurer

If you are making a claim under your own uninsured motorist coverage, the insurer should stand in for the party responsible and pay the damages that this driver should have paid. Sometimes, insurance companies aren’t always fair about this and they may try to make a lower offer than you should receive or try to convince you to settle for less than what you deserve or what your case is worth.

A Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer knows how much accident claims are worth and can help you to deal with your insurer after a hit and run to negotiate a fair accident settlement. If your insurer does not make a fair and reasonable settlement, then your Pennsylvania car accident lawyer can pursue the case in court for damages.

To learn more about how a Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer can help you after a hit and run, contact the law firm of Lawrence R. Dworkin today using our online form or via telephone at 610-357-3506.