Prince William County Hit and Run Accident Lawyer

A hit and run in Prince William County is when one driver leaves the scene of an accident so the other person doesn’t know who was involved. This can happen in a couple of ways: it could happen when a car cuts off someone else and doesn’t stop because they don’t know they have caused an accident, or it could happen if someone hits another car and leaves the scene before anyone comes to the scene such as a police officer or an ambulance.

For all intents and purposes, that person is considered to be uninsured unless they are located. Therefore, in hit and run cases an individual would make a claim against their own insurance policy, assuming they had an uninsured motorist endorsement to their automobile policy as required by law. When making this claim it is helpful to have the assistance of a Prince William County hit and run accident lawyer guide you through the process who can help ensure you receive fair compensation.

How These Accidents Occur

Sometimes hit and runs occur late at night, or they occur around a curve where no one can see what the other person is doing until it is too late. Sometimes alcohol is involved because the person who is drinking and driving does not want to get caught by the police. Or it can happen on a busy highway where someone cut someone off and there’s a chain reaction of cars behind them and the person who actually did the negligent act does not realize that they have caused an accident. These are just some types of hit and run situations.

First Steps After a Hit and Run Accident

The first step after being victimized in a hit and run accident is to call the police so that they can document the scene of the accident. It is important to always cooperate fully with the police so that they can document what happened and gather any evidence for the victim including witnesses and additional information, such as skid marks or the surveillance from other vehicles or from traffic cameras or from nearby buildings.

After that, the injured party should seek medical attention as soon as possible and then follow the doctor’s orders to the letter so that their injuries are taken care of, don’t get worse, and to ensure that any symptoms are healed. Then, they should document the property damage to their vehicle, if any, so that they can present the strongest case possible, if they decide to pursue a lawsuit.

Some things that are considered in pursuing a lawsuit are the severity of the impact which can be inferred by the extent of the property damage to the vehicle. This can be shown through photographs depicting the damage to the vehicle and through the billing records of any repair shop who conducted an estimate to fix the damage.

Unique Aspects of These Cases

In a hit and run, there is only one person to tell the story so, in most instances, how the accident happened isn’t disputed unless there is other physical evidence to that would suggest something different. For example, if a person says they were T-boned on the left side – on the driver side – and the person fled the scene, for the most part, the insurance company or the courts will take that driver’s testimony as believable if the damage is consistent with what the person is saying. If all of the damages occurred in the rear of the vehicle and the person is saying they were T-boned on the driver side, then that might be a reason for the judge to dispute what the person is saying. But for the most part, the story told by the person who is injured is believed and liability is not in dispute.

Possible Damages

There is rarely an opportunity for punitive damages in a hit and run case because there is no one to assign blame to. It is hard to say that a person acted with an evil or malice if it isn’t known who they are. If the offender is unable to be identified, then there is no way to punish them with punitive damages. The damages in these cases are very similar and identical to the damages in other cases injury cases. Usually the injured party can seek medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering both past and future. These are the recoverable damages.

Benefits of a Prince William County Hit and Run Accident Lawyer

A Prince William County hit and run accident attorney can gather evidence to support the version of the accident that the person who is injured is describing. The attorney can collect all the medical records and summarize them in a way that’s advantageous to the person. A hit and run accident attorney in Prince William County can gather witnesses and photographic evidence, if there is any. He or she could see if there is any video surveillance of the accident. The attorney could do a request for any 911 tapes for anyone who called in to the police about the accident. He or she could help present the person’s case in a clear and compelling fashion in order to get them the full compensation they’re entitled to.