Atlanta Hit and Run Lawyer

The only thing worse than being injured in a car accident is being injured in a car accident where the other driver just took off, without even bothering to see if you were okay-and or claiming responsibility. Unfortunately, this does happen, and you may have suffered serious injuries while the other driver is nowhere to be found. You could end up with a stack of medical bills and no idea where to turn because the other driver didn’t exchange insurance info with you while they were speeding off.

In this situation, you need the help of an experienced Atlanta hit and run lawyer who can look over the particulars of your case and develop a plan for helping you recover damages. They can review your insurance policy to determine if your own coverage can help. If your insurance policy does cover your expenses for this type of accident, an attorney can help negotiate with the insurance company to make sure you get a fair settlement. If the hit and run driver has been found, they can also help you pursue a claim against the other driver and/or their insurance carrier.

With the know-how and the determination to get it done, CEO Lawyer Ali Awad and his team of injury and accident attorneys will work to secure the compensation you need to recover after your hit and run accident. The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm team takes cases on a contingency basis, which means they don’t receive any compensation unless you do. Don’t wait – call (833) 254-2923 to discuss your hit and run case today.

What Should You Do After a Hit and Run Accident?

Under Georgia law, you must report any accident that results in bodily injury or death when your insurance company requires it, when the city you’re in requires it, or when there is more than $500 in property damage. Since it is not always possible to eyeball a car and figure out how much it will cost to fix, it’s better to err on the side of caution and just report the accident. You and the other driver should also exchange insurance information if they stick around. Here’s what to do if the other driver keeps going after you’ve been in a collision:

• Pull over and stop if your vehicle isn’t already stopped. Try to move your car off the road and to a safe place if it is still driveable. If not, put your flashers on.
• Call 911 and explain the situation. They will send an officer to take a report and can dispatch an ambulance if you’re hurt.
• After you’ve called for help, write down anything you can remember about the vehicle that hit you and drove off. Make, and model are helpful, but if you don’t know those, you can write down the vehicle’s color and anything you noticed about what it looked like – did it have bumper stickers, was it new or older looking, did you notice it receiving any damage in the crash, etc. If you saw any of the license plate, write down that number as well. This information will be helpful to the police.
• Seek medical attention if you were hurt. Sometimes people feel okay right after an accident but may start to feel pain a few hours later. This is not uncommon, and you should still seek treatment.
• If you feel okay after the accident and can safely exit your car, look around to see if there were any witnesses to the accident.

Georgia law also requires drivers to stop at the scene of an accident. If the other driver keeps going, they’ve committed a misdemeanor. However, if the crash caused an injury or death, they could be charged with a felony and receive 1-5 years in prison. 

Of course, this requires that they are caught, so you should provide as much help to the police as you can. However, this is not possible in every situation. Sometimes, based on the particulars of the crash and the angle at which you were hit, there just isn’t any way for you to get a good look at the other vehicle. That’s okay – the police have many other ways to search for the hit and run driver, like examining traffic cam footage, talking to witnesses, or taking paint scrapings off your damaged car. If they are able to locate the driver, you will have the information you need to make a claim on their insurance.

What If the Driver Hasn’t Been Located and You Still Have Bills?

Many people wonder if their own insurance will cover such a situation. If you have bought Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, it may cover your bills up to the limits of the policy. UM/UIM may cover the following costs:

• Medical bills not covered by your health insurance.
• Lost wages for any work you missed after the crash.
• Pain and suffering. This can be physical pain, like from a broken limb, or emotional/mental pain, like emotional distress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia, or loss of enjoyment of life.
• Property damage, usually to repair your vehicle or replace it if it’s totaled.

Wait Before Accepting An Offer From Your Insurance Company

If your coverage includes UM/UIM, your insurance carrier will likely make you an offer to settle the claim. Often people think this is good and want to accept it right away, but it’s better to wait. Insurance adjusters all have one job – to pay as little as possible on claims. They may make an offer before you even have any idea how much your medical bills are going to be or how long you will need treatment for. If you develop chronic pain as a result of your accident, you could need physical therapy and other treatments for years to come. Although you may be eager to get some money to help deal with your bills, it’s best to speak with a hit-and-run attorney in Atlanta before agreeing to anything the insurance company proposes.

An experienced attorney will consider your current bills, including medical expenses, lost wages, and vehicle damage, and may notice that your offer isn’t enough to cover everything. They may also realize that you are likely to require continuing care and will need a way to pay for that. If this is the case, your personal injury lawyer in Atlanta will skillfully negotiate with the insurance carrier on your behalf to help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

What If You Don’t Have UM/UIM Coverage?

In this case, the best solution is to find the other driver so they can be held responsible financially. The police will do their best to find the driver, but they’re often busy with many cases and only have so much time. Unfortunately, it’s estimated that around 90 percent of hit-and-run cases go unsolved. An Atlanta hit and run attorney who reviews your case may have some ideas about tracking down the other driver. In some cases, a law firm investigator may have the time to look into your case more thoroughly. Sometimes by re-interviewing witnesses or going door-to-door in the neighborhood where the accident happened, they can find information that leads to tracking down the other driver. This kind of investigation should be done by a professional, and you shouldn’t attempt to do it yourself.

What If the Other Driver Is Found Later On, Can You Still File a Claim?

In most situations, Georgia has a statute of limitations on personal injury claims of two years from the date of the accident. If the driver can’t be located in that time period, you will most likely be unable to file a claim against them. For this reason, it’s best to find the driver sooner, if at all possible.

If you are filing a claim with your own insurance for UM/UIM coverage, the claim should be filed “promptly” You should check your policy for any specific deadlines, but in most cases, you will just be encouraged to file your claim as soon as possible. If the other driver is later located within the two-year period after the accident, you can still file a lawsuit against them. 

In the meantime, it’s better to get your claim started as soon as you can. Most insurance companies allow you to file a claim online, and the benefit of this option is that you don’t have to have a lengthy phone conversation with your insurance adjuster while in pain or on pain pills. Sometimes insurance adjusters will ask you questions and try to use what you say as an excuse to deny your claim, so it’s better to let your attorney talk with the insurance company after you file the initial claim.

The CEO Lawyer, Ali Awad, knows what it takes to explore all avenues for compensation to help his clients. He has built a thriving business out of earning his clients hundreds of millions in collective settlements and jury awards. Contact the CEO Lawyers team today to find out how they can help you. You can reach us online or by calling (833) 254-2923.