There are plenty of situations where drivers find themselves involved in a car crash and where the other driver takes off. Unfortunately, there’s little you can do about this. The reasons that drivers flee the scene may be because they fear some sort of criminal prosecution, such as if they have been drinking, or because they have no insurance. Either way, it’s a bad situation to be in. Here are some of the things you can do to deal with the situation.
Uninsured Motorist Insurance
Depending upon the scope of your policy, you can sometimes be reimbursed for the cost of the accident if the driver flees the scene. This depends upon the type of insurance you carry, however, and you’ll have to speak with your insurance agent to make sure you have this type of coverage. Be aware that the state minimum insurance only covers liability. This means that the other driver is reimbursed by your insurance if you are at fault for the accident but it doesn’t do anything to help you with your own costs. Theoretically, the other driver’s minimum insurance should cover those costs but, if they flee the scene, obviously that’s not going to happen.
The Police
The very first thing you should do when you get in a car wreck and you start dealing with the other driver is take a look at their license plate and memorize it as well as you can. Even if they happen to end up across the street from you, look across the street and get their tag numbers. This ensures that you can call them into the police if they do happen to flee the scene. Many drivers forget to do this and, if the other driver decides to take off, they really have no recourse as far as tracking them down is concerned.
An Attorney
If they do find the other driver, remember that you may have an option to sue them for the damage that they cause to your vehicle and for the medical expenses you may have incurred. You can also talk to a vehicle accident lawyer if you believe that your insurance policy should have paid you in the event of the driver fleeing and they did not. You may be wrong, of course, but the attorney can at least tell you whether you have a case worth pursuing further and a car accident attorney in Dallas will know how to deal with insurance companies better than anyone else.
