As frustrating as it is to get into a car accident, you are sure to be more upset if you are struck and injured by a hit-and-run driver. In most car accidents, if another person is at fault, you can seek compensation for your losses through the at-fault driver’s auto liability insurance. If you cannot identify the hit-and-run driver who injured you, however, this complicates filing a claim. But don’t give up.
You do have steps you can take to pursue compensation for your losses if you have been injured by a hit-and-run driver in Lexington, Kentucky. The car accident attorneys of Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can provide the legal assistance and Kentucky Courage needed to demand justice for you. Phone us at (877) 809-5352 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
Why Do Hit-and-Run Accidents Happen?
A hit-and-run accident is a collision in which one driver intentionally leaves the scene without assisting anyone who was injured or providing contact information. Sometimes a hit-and-run driver stops, and then flees the scene. Some drivers speed away without ever stopping.
There are reasons a hit-and-run driver may flee:
- Panic
- Driving without a valid license
- No car insurance
- Driving drunk
- Outstanding warrants or unpaid traffic tickets
- Suspended sentence in a previous traffic case
- Other legal infractions, potentially including illegal residence in the U.S.
- Driver is carrying illegal drugs.
A driver who has left the scene of an accident without exchanging information, rendering aid, or notifying law enforcement as required under Kentucky law may face criminal charges if caught.
A hit-and-run accident that causes property damage is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $500. If a hit-and-run driver knew or should have known that another person died or was seriously injured in the crash, they could be charged with a Class D felony punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
What Should I Do After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Lexington?
If you have been in a car accident of any kind, you should check yourself and others for injuries, if you are able. Phone 911 to request police assistance and an ambulance if anyone is injured.
Do not try to follow or stop a fleeing driver. You should instead work to document the hit-and-run accident:
- Record anything you remember about the car and/or driver who hit you, especially the license plate number; make, model and color of the car; direction the vehicle was headed. Note the time, date and location of the crash.
- Take photos of your vehicle and its damage, and of your injuries.
- Ask anyone who may have stopped whether they saw the accident and for their contact information if they did. Ask if they will let you record them saying what they saw.
- Cooperate with police and follow up by obtaining a copy of the accident report.
- See a doctor within 24 hours if you do not go to the hospital in an ambulance. This will ensure you receive care for your injuries and document the fact that you were injured in the accident.
- Report the accident to your auto insurance carrier.
You should also get a clear understanding of your legal options by consulting with a car accident lawyer. Our hit and run accident attorneys at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer in Lexington can review the accident and identify any insurance policies that may be available to provide compensation to you. We know how insurance companies work. Our lawyers have the knowledge, resources, and Kentucky Courage to fight for full compensation for you.
Hit-and-Run Compensation Amounts
After most car accidents, the driver at fault is held responsible. If there is an insurance claim from someone harmed in the accident, the at-fault driver’s auto liability insurance should pay it.
If the at-fault driver is unidentified, the injured driver should be able to rely on their basic reparation benefits, or BRB, coverage. This is no-fault insurance provided in Kentucky, meaning it pays benefits to the policyholder regardless of who caused a car accident. It is provided unless the recipient rejects it in writing. This is like personal injury protection, or PIP, coverage required in other states that have no-fault car insurance regulations.
The maximum amount of BRB payable to one person for injuries suffered in one accident is $10,000. It may be paid for:
- Medical expenses
- Work loss
- Replacement services costs such as paying others for tasks the injured would have performed.
Another type of coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, must be offered to vehicle owners in Kentucky. Its purchase is not mandatory, but many motorists have it.
UM/UIM coverage pays when the driver at fault for an accident has no auto insurance or too little coverage to pay for the damages caused. UM insurance also covers accidents caused by a hit-and-run driver who is not identified. If you are injured by a hit-and-run driver, you may file a claim against your own UM policy to recoup the costs of your medical bills and related losses. It should pay up to the policy limits.
In Kentucky, UM/UIM coverage is typically equivalent to the minimum liability coverage required for all vehicles:
- $25,000 for all claims for bodily injury damages suffered by any one person
- $50,000 for all bodily injury damages suffered by all persons as a result of an accident
- $25,000 for all property damage as a result of any one accident.
Contact a Lexington Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver in Kentucky, let the Lexington hit and run accident lawyers at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer help you seek the compensation you deserve. Let us review the circumstances of the accident and your injuries and the insurance policies available to pay for your losses. We can prepare an accounting of your losses and demand full payment from all applicable insurance coverage.
Contact Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer to set up your free consultation. Find out how Kentucky Courage can help you get the compensation you need after a serious accident.
