San Jose, CA Hit-And-Run Accidents
Hit-and-run accidents are very painful experiences. Car accidents can leave you with thousands of dollars worth of damage to your car, and they can leave you with life threatening injuries. You can receive assistance through a car accident lawyer. Their job is to help their client receive some type of compensation from the party at fault in the accident. This compensation would be used to cover the financial burdens you experience during and after the accident.
Things don’t always go so smoothly following an accident. In an ideal situation, the parties in the accident will exchange information and deal with the circumstances in an adult manner. But, the reality is that some drivers don’t have any intention to cooperate, and instead, they choose to run from the accident site to avoid any ramifications or punishment by the law.
This is what we call hit-and-run accidents, and they are more than stressful! Here you are in the middle of the road, the guilty person has decided to leave the scene and you are left with the aftermath. If you find yourself in this unfortunate circumstance, there are some things you should do to protect yourself.
First, you should always contact your local law enforcement agency. It’s pretty important to have the police come to the scene as soon as possible. This way, they can look for evidence in the area, and they can have time to look for witnesses that may have information about the accident. To help the police, try to remember everything you can about the other vehicle that left the scene. The vehicle type, color, a portion of the license plate number or any other information you recall is helpful for the police to find the person who fled. In most cases, the vehicle that left the scene will have body damage, which will help the policy identify the person better.
Next, you need to take care of your medical circumstances. In a stressful hit-and-run situation, you may not be able to clearly evaluate your health situation. The onset of any pain may not be noticeable right away, but it could begin later, after you deemed that you were not hurt.
You want to contact your insurance company next. Because the guilty party has left the scene, there may not be a way to get compensated for the damages you and your vehicle suffered. The guilty party may have left because they don’t have insurance coverage, or they may not have the means to pay for the accident. By calling your insurance company, securing a police report and taking pictures on the accident scene, you can ensure a means to pay for the medical cost and car repair expenses.
Last but not least, you want to hire an experienced car accident attorney who can aid you through the legal process, regardless of whether the guilty party is found or not. Oftentimes, the insurance company will try to put a limit on the compensation their customer receives, but a good attorney will fight for your rights. They will make sure you get what you deserve. If you try to find your way through the process on your own, you may find yourself falling short of what you deserve.
Hit-and-run accidents are emotionally and physically tough to deal with. It’s frustrating to have someone flee from the scene and leave you standing with all the responsibility. Fortunately, these steps above will help you protect yourself as you recover.
Contact our San Jose car accident lawyer today using the form above for a free consultation if you have been injured in an accident in the San Jose area.