What to Do After a Los Angeles Hit and Run Accident

A car accident can take you through a myriad of emotions, but even more evocative than a typical car accident is a hit and run accident. The other driver has left the scene of the accident and you are all alone with your injuries. A federal statute states that all motorists involved in a car accident must remain at the scene and follow certain protocol. Those who don’t can face significant legal consequences, and if you’ve been the victim of a hit and run driver, an auto accident attorney at Los Angeles Injury Group can help.

California Hit and Run Laws

Each state, including California, has individual laws regarding a hit and run accident. These statutes are in place to protect drivers and pedestrians. Despite the fact that leaving the scene of an injury accident is a serious criminal charge, people still frequently do it, especially in the cases of motorists who are either uninsured or driving drunk.

In these cases, there are several steps that you as the victim can take to make filing a claim regarding your accident easier. It is also possible to get compensation for your damages even if you never find out who hit you as long as you handle the accident the right way. Calling the police and a qualified California personal injury attorney are the two most important steps you can follow after being the victim of a Los Angeles hit and run accident.

Follow Safety First Procedures

If you are able to do so safely, you should first move your vehicle off to the shoulder of the road and out of the way of traffic. If moving your car is not possible, turn on your hazards and wait for police to use road flares or traffic cones to alert and redirect oncoming traffic so that your collision does not cause additional accidents.

Call the Police

Not only is it the law, but calling the police will also ensure professional documentation of the accident. The police will photograph the hit and run accident and the surrounding area and ask you for any information that you may have. They will also be able to access any traffic cameras in the area that may have caught the incident on tape. If there are any apparent injuries from the accident, you should let the police know so that medical assistance can be summoned as well.

Gather Information

While waiting for the police, gather what information you can through photos and writing it down. If you are in doubt about whether you need a specific piece of information, it’s in your best interest to go ahead and make a note of it anyway. It is always better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it. The other driver’s license plate number, make, model, year, and color of the vehicle, the date, time, and place of the accident, and quite literally any other scrap of information that you can glean from the situation. In a hit and run accident, you will not have as much information as you normally would, but anything that you can record might help. If anyone stops and offers their assistance as a witness, you should also get their personal information as well.

Medical Care

Even if you feel perfectly fine, many injuries can take hours or even days to make themselves known. After an accident, you should pay a visit to a doctor no matter what and receive a thorough check-up for any injuries you may have sustained during the hit and run.

Communicating with Your Insurance Company After an Accident

In filing a claim for a hit and run accident, you will have many areas that you want to be covered including medical bills and lost wages from time off of work. It is vital that you do not leave it up to the insurance companies to decide what compensation you will receive. It is their job to minimize their financial losses, and you will be accepting far less than you deserve if you agree to their initial offer.

A skilled personal injury attorney will be able to help get you the maximum amount on your claim so that you are not suffering financial losses due to someone else’s recklessness and negligent behavior.

California Personal Injury Attorney

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a hit and run accident in the Los Angeles area, contact the Los Angeles Injury Group as soon as possible. We have personal injury attorneys with the determination and knowledge to make sure that you do not suffer financially as well as physically. For a free, one time consultation give us a call at (310) 954-7248.