Normally, the drivers involved in an accident share their information, including the name of their car insurance company. Suppose, though, that the responsible driver had fled from the scene. What would happen then?
Where did the accident take place?
If it had taken place in a no-fault state, then each driver’s insurance would become responsible for compensating the designated policyholder. The company would pay up to the limit that had been stated in the purchased policy. Neither driver could get compensated for pain and suffering, unless one of them chose to initiate a lawsuit.
Did either of the drivers have collision coverage?
Personal Injury Lawyer in Richmond Hill knows that if a car’s insurance includes collision coverage, then the insurer must pay for any needed repairs. That coverage does not ensure the payment of money for injuries.
Had either of the drivers purchased uninsured motorist coverage?
A policyholder that has paid an insurance company for uninsured motorist coverage has the right to expect compensation for the injuries caused by a possible runaway motorist. The limits stated in the policy would determine how much money that particular policyholder could receive, if he or she had been injured during a hit and run incident.
Understand that the insurance company might expect the hit motorist to try to provide a few clues, regarding the identity of the motorist that had fled from the scene.
What if the hit motorist had carried only liability insurance?
That motorist might feel motivated to track down the identity of the responsible party. Lacking that information, the same individual would need to seek money from a health insurance policy.
What would happen if the hit and run had caused a pedestrian to be injured?
If the same pedestrian were a car owner with an insurance policy, then that policy would spell out the terms for the pedestrian’s compensation. If the pedestrian did not have that sort of coverage, then the police would seek the pedestrian’s help with finding the guilty party.
The police would do what they could to help that poor pedestrian. They would certainly share any video footage that might exist of the location where the incident took place. Sometimes that displays useful information, such as the driver’s license plate.
If the pedestrian could not get any useful facts from that footage, it might be shared with the public. Perhaps it could be posted on some website. Indeed, one victim of a hit and run did create such a website. She obtained sponsorship from a company that made safety vests. It used her website to promote its bright colored vests. At the same time, it helped the police to share the footage, in hopes of hearing from someone that had witnessed the incident.