Maryland Hit and Run Accidents

In Maryland, a hit and run accident is an accident where one of the vehicles involved leaves the scene shortly after the accident happens. A hit and run accident usually involves one vehicle who is hit or struck by a vehicle that they can’t identify. If you have been injured due to a hit and run accident you may be eligible to receive damages, call and schedule a consultation today to discuss your case with a Maryland car accident attorney.

What Are Some Common Ways Hit and Run Accidents Take Place in Maryland?

There are a couple of different kinds of hit and runs. The most common one is late at night or on the weekend when people may be suspected of drinking while driving or texting while driving or doing something they’re not supposed to. In a panic, they leave the scene. Other hit and runs involve instances where one vehicle cuts another off and then is unaware that they’ve caused a chain reaction of accidents in the cars behind them. The person who cut off the first vehicle would be the responsible party but they have left the scene and they may not even know that they caused an accident.

Another kind of hit and run accident is where someone drives their vehicle in a certain way where they run someone off the road causing them to hit into something else like a telephone pole or a wall or some kind of stationary object, and they may or may not know that they’ve caused an accident. However, since they didn’t stay at the scene and you’re unable to identify them that would fall under the category of a hit and run accident.

How Do Hit and Run Cases Differ From Other Types of Injury Cases?

The first thing that’s different is that you’re unable to identify the party to claim against. Typically, when there’s an accident, the drivers involved will exchange insurance information and their own contact information, the name and the address of the driver of the vehicle as well as registration that could tell you who the owner is. In hit and run you don’t have that. You just have one vehicle left, so you’re unable to identify them. In some cases, you’re lucky enough that you’re able to take down the license plate and you may be able to find them that way, or if there are police in the area, the police may be able to pull over the driver of the hit and run vehicle.

What Type of Claim Should You Consider If You’ve Been Involved in a Hit and Run Accident?

The claim you should consider if you’re involved in a hit and run accident would be damage to your vehicle as well as any personal injuries to yourself and any property damage to you vehicle that occurred. An attorney is helpful because they can help you file a claim for the property damage to your car and for your personal injuries.

Additionally, becuase it’s a hit and run accident you most likely don’t know whether or not that person has insurance or not. If you have the specific endorsement for uninsured motorist claims in your insurance policy for your car, you can file a claim against your own insurance policy.

So, it is possible to proceed that way for your property damage and for your personal injuries. However, if you don’t have such an endorsement in your insurance policy then you can proceed against the Maryland automobile insurance fund. The problem with that is that because it’s an insurance fund from the government, the limits for that policy are capped at $30,000, which is the minimum amount of insurance coverage that is required for a car in the state of Maryland to be able to be driven on the road.