Hit and run accidents can be among the most serious accidents on the roadways of North Carolina. Hit and run accidents may affect you as a motorist, motorcyclist, pedestrian or bicyclist. In these serious cases, the driver not only caused damage and injury to others, but they also left the victims without accepting any responsibility for their actions. In hit-and-run accidents, the victims will not know the identity of the responsible driver or the name of the insurance company for the responsible driver.
Many hit-and-run victims have serious injuries such as broken bones that come with substantial medical bills and time away from work. An experienced hit-and-run lawyer can assist you with maximizing your recovery for all of your losses. In many cases, a recovery for a hit-and-run accident requires making claim to the victim’s uninsured motorist insurance company. Depending on the situation, there may be multiple insurance companies involved.
For instance, if you are a passenger in a friend’s car and you are injured in a hit-and-run accident, you may be entitled to uninsured motorist coverage under your friend’s insurance policy as well as your own personal insurance policy. Uninsured motorist coverage can help pay for lost wages, medical expenses, physical therapy, property damage and pain and suffering. Under the terms of most North Carolina uninsured motorist insurance policies, the uninsured motorist coverage on the vehicle involved in the crash would apply first and any other uninsured motorist policies would apply only after the primary coverage is exhausted.
If you are the victim of a hit-and-run accident, it is very important to notify local law enforcement officers immediately. In some cases, the timing of notification to a law enforcement officer may be the difference in whether you can recover from any insurance company for your injuries.
We know that law enforcement officers will do their best to track down a hit-and-run driver. However, there resources may be limited and as time passes, the trail gets colder. In addition to contacting law enforcement officers, you should strongly consider contacting an attorney so that your claim can be protected from any procedural loopholes that might exist.
The lawyers at Hendren Redwine & Malone have extensive experience with hit-and-run accidents across North Carolina. Call us today for a free consultation about your claim.