On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Jul 29, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |
Even the most minor fender bender is an annoyance. However, any variety of accidents, no matter how minor, quickly becomes a major headache if the other person involved in the accident decides to speed away from the scene.
Even though hit-and-run accidents are very frustrating, the good thing is that dealing with the aftermath of a hit-and-run is not terribly different than accidents of the “regular” variety. According to State Farm Insurance, you absolutely should not give chase after the culprit and you should try to get in contact with any eyewitnesses to the accident.
Stay put, stay safe
It may be tempting to hop in your own vehicle and drive off after the culprit, but under no circumstances should you do this. If eyewitnesses see two cars getting into an accident and then both cars speed off after each other, the witnesses will not be able to discern who is at fault.
Instead, engage in normal post-accident procedures. Move your car out of the path of traffic if it is possible and necessary. Call 911 if anybody in the area sustained an injury as a result of the accident. If not, phone the non-emergency police number to file a police report. This will assist you with insurance matters after the fact.
Asking eyewitnesses for help
Witnesses are useful in any accident scenario, but they are particularly important in hit-and-runs. Given that so many people have smartphones, it is possible that an astute eyewitness realized a hit-and-run was happening. It is possible that this eyewitness decided to take video or photo footage of the culprit as he or she drove away. If so, this will help the police locate the culprit.
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