Georgia ranks 4th in the US for fatal hit-and-run crashes, partly because walking and bicycling are popular activities in the state. However, hit-and-run collisions can also involve other vehicles.
Under Georgia law, drivers are required to stop at or near where the accident happened (as safety allows), exchange contact and insurance info with the other driver, and summon assistance for anyone involved in the accident who needs help. But what if you are hit by someone who doesn’t stop?
Unfortunately, you could be left with serious injuries and difficulty recovering compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Sometimes, hit-and-run victims believe their case is hopeless, but in many situations, there are options to recover at least some of their damages.
If you’ve been the victim of a hit-and-run accident, we encourage you to speak with a Kennesaw personal injury lawyer to learn more about the possibilities in your case.
How Can a Kennesaw Hit and Run Accident Attorney Help After a Hit and Run Accident?
Your attorney will work to find any possible solution for pursuing damages in your hit and run case.
We know that hit-and-run accidents can lead to severe injuries, ever-growing piles of medical bills, time off work, financial difficulties, and chronic pain. You shouldn’t be the one to pay the price for someone else’s mistake, and we will do everything we can to pursue justice for you.
Who Is Going to Pay For My Medical Bills?
This is a common question after a hit-and-run accident. With any personal injury situation, the at-fault party should be liable.
In most car accidents, this means that you pursue compensation from the at-fault driver’s liability insurance. There may be some difficulties in obtaining the total amount of compensation you deserve, but at least you have a place to start.
With a hit-and-run accident, you have a problem – you don’t know who the at-fault driver is. Fortunately, your attorney can help you in several ways:
Trying to Find the Hit-and-Run Driver
After a hit-and-run accident, most people call 911 and report the incident to police, who will ask for a description of the car, license plate number, etc. Being able to provide those details is helpful, but in many situations, it simply isn’t possible.
Some hit-and-run victims never see the license plate, while others may be knocked unconscious due to their injuries. Or, the accident might happen so quickly that they only see the car that hits them for a split second.
It can be challenging to explain what happened or describe the vehicle when you’re in pain or shock from the accident.
In these situations, the police will make every effort to find the driver, but the case may go cold due to a lack of leads. Detectives often have multiple cases and limited time to spend on each one – if there is no new information, they have to work on something else.
For this reason, we often have our investigative team look into the accident as well. Sometimes, our skilled investigators find additional evidence to help the police make an arrest, such as a video of the crash or a witness who wasn’t interviewed at the scene.
Our investigators will return to the accident scene, looking for clues and canvassing the neighborhood. We may spot additional cameras or talk to residents who can provide more information, and this evidence is also useful in proving fault if the driver is located.
Once the driver is found, we’ll make a claim on their liability insurance for your damages.
Using Your Own Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Insurance
Unfortunately, some hit-and-run cases remain unresolved despite our greatest efforts. When this happens, we will look at your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UI), which typically covers hit-and-run incidents.
We’ll help you file a claim with your insurance company, providing them with the police report and other information about the accident. If the missing driver is ever found, they can seek reimbursement from the driver’s insurance company in a process called subrogation.
Your attorney will help to ensure that you receive all the damages you’re entitled to after a hit-and-run accident, including:
- Medical bills. It’s essential to take into account any future medical bills you might have if you’re still in treatment. Many people also receive “surprise” bills for procedures they thought were covered by health insurance. Additionally, you can seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses for mobility aids, traveling to see a doctor and related costs. Your attorney will wait until your treatment is complete to settle the case so you don’t have to deal with any “leftover” expenses. If your injuries are severe and you will need long-term care, we can estimate your future costs so these can be included as well.
- Lost income and earning potential. You can also seek compensation for the time you missed at work, whether you took paid time off (PTO) or unpaid time off. If you become permanently disabled from your accident and can no longer work, we will also seek damages for lost earning potential.
- Property damage. This includes damage to your car, bicycle, motorcycle, or other valuables that may have been damaged in the crash, such as a laptop or smartphone.
- Pain and suffering. Many people are in physical pain for months after a hit-and-run accident, and the trauma can also cause emotional or mental pain and suffering.
- Wrongful death. Losing a loved one is always devastating, but knowing the person responsible simply left the scene can add an extra layer of pain to your grief. If you lost a loved one to a hit-and-run accident, you may have damages such as loss of financial support, loss of companionship or consortium, funeral expenses, final medical bills, and more. While you would probably prefer to recover these from the responsible party, that may be impossible if the driver is still missing. But you don’t have to struggle to support your family while grieving if the decedent had UM/UI coverage.
Sometimes, people think they can trust their own insurance company to make a fair settlement offer, but unfortunately, insurance company adjusters work to save money for the insurance company. They frequently undervalue damages or overlook some damages entirely, and it’s not unusual for the insurance company’s first offer to be a lowball one.
Your Kennesaw car accident lawyer will correctly calculate all your damages so you have a clear understanding of what your claim is worth. If the insurance company offers too little, we will negotiate with them to get you the settlement you deserve.
Does UM/UI Cover Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents?
Some of our clients are surprised to learn that the answer is yes. You do not have to be in your car at the time of the accident to use your UM/UI coverage. If you were walking or riding a bike and a car hit you, your UM/UI insurance should cover your claim.
What If You Don’t Have UM/UI Insurance?
If you don’t have UM/UI insurance, we recommend calling your insurance agent and adding it to your policy right now.
If you are in a hit-and-run accident and you don’t have UM/UI, your options are very limited. In most cases where the driver is never located, UM/UI coverage is the only option we can find to recover damages for the injured person.
If you have Medical Payments coverage (MedPay) and Collision coverage, you can use these options to pay for your medical bills and property damage, respectively. However, people with these other coverage options often have UM/UI coverage, too.
What if You Were at Work When the Hit-and-Run Occurred?
People working as W2 employees are eligible for Worker’s Compensation in most cases. It doesn’t matter that the hit-and-run driver was at fault or that you were not at your place of employment as long as you were performing work for your employer.
For example, if your boss asked you to go pick something up, and you were struck by a hit-and-run driver on your way, Worker’s Compensation should cover that situation. This no-fault compensation system pays for medical care and two-thirds of your lost income but does not cover other damages.
How Can You Get Help From a Kennesaw Hit and Run Accident Law Firm?
Please contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm for a free consultation about your hit-and-run accident. We know how stressful and frightening a hit-and-run collision can be, and we’ll do everything we can to help.
Our skilled investigators will review the evidence and search for new leads if the driver remains at large. We’ll also explain your options and assist you with filing a UM/UI insurance claim if necessary.
The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm was founded a few short years ago by lead attorney Ali Awad, who quickly made it one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country. Through his dedication to helping injured people and their families, he has recovered millions of dollars in compensation.
In his spare time, you can find him making no-nonsense posts about legal topics for more than a million followers on social media. Contact him today by calling The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm at (470) 323-8779.
