As scary and frustrating as any car accident may be, being injured by a hit and run driver is even worse. The hit and-run accident victim may feel as if he or she has nowhere to turn.
Car accidents in which the driver leaves the accident scene with the intent of evading responsibility happen frequently in Kentucky. According to KY State Police statistics, there were 12,682 hit and run collisions in Kentucky in 2018, equating to 34 crashes every day. In Lexington, WTVQ has run nearly a dozen TV reports of hit and run deaths, injuries, and arrests since the first of the year.
You are not alone if you have been injured by a hit and run driver in Lexington, Kentucky. There are steps you can take to seek compensation for your losses and possibly to find and hold the at-fault driver accountable. The Lexington car accident attorneys at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can provide the legal guidance you need if you’ve been injured by a hit and run driver. Please phone us at (877) 809-5352 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
Steps to Take After a Hit and Run Collision
After a car accident, the first thing to do is assess your injuries, and check on others if you can. If there are injuries, phone 911 and request an ambulance as well as police assistance.
If you are able, you should then try to document the hit and run accident:
- Take photos of your vehicle and its damage, the location of the crash, and anything else that may help illustrate what happened. Take a photo of your injuries.
- Ask any bystanders or other drivers who stopped whether they saw the accident and gather their contact information. If they are cooperative, make a video of the witnesses describing what they saw.
- Record anything you remember about the car and/or driver who hit you, especially if you caught the license plate number or can describe the car. Make a recording on your phone or write it down. Do it promptly.
- Cooperate with police when they arrive. Ask how to obtain a copy of the accident report.
- See a doctor within 24 hours for an evaluation if you do not go to the hospital in an ambulance. This will ensure that you receive care for your injuries, including potentially dangerous closed head injuries that may not exhibit symptoms right away. A doctor’s report documents your injuries and how they occurred.
- Report the accident to your auto insurance carrier. If the hit and run driver is not identified and apprehended, then you may need to file a claim against your uninsured motorist insurance for coverage of the accident. You should have uninsured motorist coverage unless you have specifically declined it. Your insurance company should tell you what information is needed to process your claim and what to expect during the claims process.
You should also contact a car accident lawyer. The attorneys at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, help victims of hit and run accidents recover compensation that the law says they deserve. We investigate to find out who is responsible for car accidents, and we hold them and their insurers accountable. Our attorneys understand how insurance companies work and have the knowledge, resources, and Kentucky Courage to fight for full compensation to our clients.
Insurance Implications After a Hit and Run
After most car accidents, the at-fault driver is held responsible, and the driver’s auto liability insurance compensates those who have been harmed. In Kentucky, all motor vehicle owners are required to carry auto liability insurance that provides at least:
- $25,000 for all claims for bodily injury damages sustained by any one person
- $50,000 for all bodily injury damages sustained by all persons as a result of an accident
- $25,000 for all property damage as a result of any one accident.
Kentucky also requires car and truck owners to obtain auto insurance that provides basic reparations benefits, or BRB for medical costs and loss of income. In other states, this insurance is known as personal injury protection or PIP. This is no-fault insurance, meaning it pays benefits to the policyholder, regardless of who caused a car accident.
Kentucky BRB benefits pay up to $10,000, which may be paid for specific economic losses due to injuries or death in a car accident, including:
- Medical expenses
- Work loss
- Replacement services costs, i.e., paying others for tasks the injured would have performed.
A third type of insurance, uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, must be offered to vehicle owners in Kentucky. A policyholder draws on this coverage when the at-fault driver in an accident is uninsured or has too little liability coverage, It also covers hit and run accidents.
If you have UM/UIM coverage, it is typically equivalent to your liability coverage.
Talk a Hit and Run Accident Lawyer
The best way to recover a proper insurance payout after a car accident involving significant injuries is to retain the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer. This is particularly crucial if you have been seriously injured, which means your costs and losses will be expensive. Insurers are reluctant to make full payment on car accident claims. If you are badly injured it will be difficult to fight for yourself.
The attorneys at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can handle your hit and run accident claim from start to finish. We’ll investigate the accident independently and stay on top of the police investigation to find the hit and run driver. Meanwhile, we’ll prepare a full accounting of your injuries and losses and demand full payment from all responsible insurance carriers.
Let Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer review the circumstances of the accident and your injuries at no charge before you accept anything from an insurance company. If you have already received a settlement offer, we’ll review it and tell you whether we think we can do better for you – at no charge.
We know what it takes to pick up the pieces after a devastating car accident, especially one caused by a hit and run driver. It takes Kentucky Courage to keep pushing for justice. At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, we’ll provide the Kentucky Courage you need to get through this tough time.
Please contact us now to get the legal help you need. Schedule your free consultation.
