It did not seem like a big deal at the time. One of your friends asked you to take her truck to the hardware store to pick up a pallet of interior paint. After spending a little time inside the store signing off on the pick up of the paint, you return to the truck to notice a huge dent on the driver side of the vehicle.
Someone hit the truck, and then left the scene of the accident.
Hit and run accidents happen to both empty and occupied vehicles. The frustrating thing is rarely does a good Samaritan leave a note on an unoccupied vehicle that provides the driver of the damaged car a name, a phone number, and auto insurance information. Filing a car insurance claim after a hit and run accident is hard enough. Throw in driving someone else’s vehicle and the time has come to speak with an experienced liability lawyer.
Possible Damages Caused by a Hit and Run Accident
Hit and run accidents cover more legal ground than perhaps any other type of vehicle crash. An unoccupied car is a common component of a hit and run accident. The driver of the other car does not have any accountability, especially if there were no witnesses to the accident.
You can move at a fast spend on a highway when another driver hits the side of your car while trying to pass your vehicle. Vehicle damage can include severely dented quarter panels and a compromised suspension system. Physical injuries depend on the speed of both vehicles, as well as where the other car hit your vehicle.
Liability While Driving Someone Else’s Vehicle
In the example that discussed how someone went to the hardware store as a favor for a friend, the insurance responsibility falls on the owner of the truck. In most cases, granting permission for someone to drive another person’s car places the owner in the insurance hot seat.
There are a couple of scenarios that move the burden of filing an insurance claim onto the driver of the car. First, if the driver using someone else’s car did not get permission to drive the car, he or she must deal with the insurance issues. Second, some policies include clear language that excludes certain people driving the policyholder’s vehicle under any circumstances. Other less frequent instances involve driving while intoxicated and occupying a stolen car.
Do the Right Thing after an Auto Accident
Law enforcement considers a hit and run accident to constitute a crime. The first thing to do whether you were in the car or not is to contact the closest police station.
An officer should respond by conducting a thorough investigation of the accident scene. As part of the official police report, there is a section presenting photographs of the damage done to the vehicle you were driving, as well as photos of physical evidence that demonstrates the other driver hit the car, and then took off without accepting responsibility for the accident. Before a law enforcement officer arrives at the accident scene, see if you can find at least one witness who saw the hit and run crash.
Work with an Accomplished Liability Lawyer
Hiring an attorney to handle an auto liability insurance claim is a good idea, particularly for hard to solve cases such as a hit and run accident. Your legal advocate organizes and presents the physical evidence needed to persuade your insurer to approve your claim. Most liability lawyers schedule free initial consultations with new clients.
