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How should I handle a hit-and-run?

On Behalf of | Jan 26, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Car accidents of any type are stressful. However, things get more complicated when the other individual involved in your accident speeds off without a word, or possibly without even stopping.

Hit and run accidents can be extremely traumatic, particularly if you or somebody else has sustained an injury in one. According to State Farm, the best thing to do is stay put and try to see if there were any witnesses to the accident.

What should my first steps be?

The basic steps for dealing with a hit-and-run accident are not terribly divergent from what you would do in a “regular” car accident. That is, you should call 911 if anybody requires medical attention and then move your car out of the path of traffic if this is necessary. If nobody has sustained any injury, call me police non-emergency number and make a police report.

Keep in mind that though you may want to drive after the culprit, this is not a good idea. If eyewitnesses see both cars involved in the crash driving off, they will not be able to accurately identify who was at fault.

How can eyewitnesses help?

Given that most people have smartphones in the modern era, there is the chance that an eyewitness was able to get video or photo evidence of the other car involved in the accident. It is even possible that they may have gotten a picture of the culprit him or herself or his or her license plate.

This information can be very helpful when it comes to pressing charges if you so desire. Getting this information from eyewitnesses will make locating the culprit much easier for the police.

 

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