Accidents happen without warning, and being involved in a hit and run incident is especially distressful and perplexing. No matter who’s responsible, knowing how to respond in such circumstances responsibly is vital – this guide offers a thorough outline of what steps should be taken if involved in one, such as notifying authorities and your insurance provider of what has occurred. These types of personal injury are common and should be taken with extreme caution!
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1. Stay Calm and Assure Safety: In the moments immediately following an accident, take a deep breath and try to remain as calm as possible. Check yourself and any passengers for injuries before moving your vehicle into a safer area – for instance a side street or parking lot to minimize additional accidents or traffic congestion.
2. Collect Information: Gather as much information about the other vehicle involved as possible. Record details like its license plate number, make, model and color as well as time and location. Also document any witnesses present who could provide invaluable accounts of what occurred later on.
3. Notify Law Enforcement: Once the incident has taken place, notify local law enforcement authorities by calling in all details about it such as description of other vehicle and witness statements to provide to law enforcement agency for official report to keep track of future insurance claims. Having this report on file can prove invaluable when working through insurance claims processes.
4. Don’t Pursue the Other Vehicle: Chasing after hit-and-run drivers is discouraged for several reasons. Pursuing hit-and-run drivers could put your safety in jeopardy; leave this responsibility to law enforcement who are charged with tracking down these individuals.
5. Document the Scene: Take photos of the accident scene, your damaged vehicle and any injuries suffered by you and any passengers involved – these pictures may help when filing insurance claims and helping investigators reconstruct what transpired.
6. Notify Your Insurance Company: Contact your insurance provider immediately following an incident of hit and run to report it and share all relevant details, such as police report, witness statements and photographic evidence with them. Your policy may contain specific procedures for hit-and-run accidents; be sure to follow their guidelines closely in this instance.
Have A Personal Injury?
Visit us at NO COST!
- Exam and Advanced Referrals
- Physical Assessment & Consultation
- Attorney referrals if needed
- Medical managed physical therapy and chiropractic visits
- We offer non-opioid mail order pharmaceuticals if needed
7. Cooperate With Law Enforcement: Cooperate closely with law enforcement as they investigate your incident, sharing any footage from nearby cameras that shows any incident with them as evidence against those responsible for it. Having more evidence in hand increases their chance of finding them faster.
8. Seek Medical Care: Even if you don’t feel seriously injured after a hit and run accident, it is wise to seek medical advice as a matter of precaution. Not all injuries may be immediately visible, and medical professionals are well equipped to assess your condition properly and document any medical records for potential claims or legal proceedings that may follow.
9. Use Social Media Caution: Social media makes sharing our experiences easy; but be wary when discussing an accident on any public forums as they could be used against you in insurance negotiations and legal proceedings. Instead, share any necessary details only with your insurance provider, legal advisor and the police.
10. Seek Legal Counsel: If the hit and run incident includes serious injuries, extensive property damage or challenges with insurance claims, it would be prudent to consult a lawyer experienced in personal injury or traffic law in order to safeguard your rights and guide through the legal process.
Staying calm, ensuring safety, and following these steps can help make a hit and run accident less distressful. Reporting it to law enforcement officials as soon as possible and working closely with your insurance provider are key for an expedient resolution process. Prioritize seeking medical treatment over taking unwise actions or saying things you may regret in response to such events. If you were in a hit and run you can contact Precision PT and Sports Medicine to help you with your personal injury. Our team’s consults come at no charge!
