The law requires you to stop and exchange contact and insurance information with other drivers or property owners involved in a vehicle accident with you. It is against the law to flee the scene of an accident if you know that you struck someone or caused damages or injuries to them. However, the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA) presented estimates from 2015 that there were 737,100 hit and run accidents that year alone.
Hit and run accidents are especially hard on victims and their families because recovering damages and winning compensation for losses can be difficult without an at-fault party to seek damages. If a car struck you in a hit and run accident, a Marion hit and run accident lawyer can be of assistance. We can help you investigate your accident and handle insurance formalities. To discuss your case, your legal options, and your compensable damages, call (614) 545-3930.
How The Fitch Law Firm LLC Advocates for You
A car accident is always traumatic and stressful. Accidents involving hit-and-run drivers are even more stressful since they can leave you unsure of where to turn for compensation. We can help. Our personal injury attorneys will take the stress and confusion out of your compensation request by doing all of the following for you:
- Handling all verbal, written, and electronic communication related to your case
- Investigating the crash scene, whenever possible, for evidence that might have been left behind
- Treating you like a person, not a case file, by providing personalized legal care and support
- Locating and interviewing witnesses while their memories are fresh and vivid
- Document your loss of income by obtaining salary history records from all full-time, part-time, consultancy, freelance, and gig-economy income
- Read and review your car accident report, medical records, and other relevant documentation
Our legal team knows how hard it can be to wait for news every time there is a development in your case. We will provide you with regular and timely updates on your personal injury claim and its ongoing progress.
How Hit and Run Accidents Occur
Any accident in which one driver causes damages to another party and flees the accident scene is a hit and run case. Such accidents can occur between two moving vehicles, a moving vehicle and a parked vehicle, or between a moving vehicle and cyclists, pedestrians, or roadside property. Ohio Revised Code (ORC) §4549.02 makes it illegal to flee the scene of an accident if you are aware that you struck someone or something without sharing contact and insurance details with the victim.
Anything that causes a regular vehicle accident can cause a hit and run accident, including:
- Reckless, distracted, or aggressive driving
- Driving while drowsy, intoxicated, or speeding
- Road damage such as potholes or uneven surfaces
- Sudden changes in road conditions or traffic patterns, such as sudden stops on the road ahead
- Poor lighting or narrow roads
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Why Perpetrators Flee the Scene
After an accident, all drivers involved must stop and exchange relevant information with each other. However, many people drive off from the scene of an accident for various reasons. Common explanations for this are:
- Someone using a vehicle illegally or without permission may drive on after harming someone rather than risk the consequences of getting caught and potentially suffering additional penalties for causing an accident
- The same applies to people driving without insurance, proper licensing, or with prior suspensions. Rather than be stuck paying out-of-pocket for damages for the victim’s compensation, a driver may simply drive off without acknowledging his or her role in an accident
- Anyone driving negligently, such as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving distracted, or driving recklessly or aggressively, may be averse to stopping and taking responsibility for damages they cause in an accident
Regardless of how a hit and run accident occurs—unless it is perpetrated by law enforcement or emergency personnel during lifesaving or emergency procedures—it is illegal to drive off from an accident without stopping. If a vehicle struck you in a hit and run accident, and you suffered injuries or damages of any kind—either by an unknown perpetrator or by private, state, local, or emergency personnel—a Marion hit and run accident lawyer can help you understand the legal standing of your case. Call the Fitch Law Firm LLC today at (614) 545-3930 to review your case with a member of our legal team for free.
Damages and Injuries from Hit and Run Accidents
Hit and run accidents can cause serious bodily harm, property damage, vehicle damage, and even death. Some of the more common damages and injuries seen in hit and run accident cases include:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries and head trauma can take many forms, such as a mild concussion or serious brain damage. Serious injuries may be permanent, have far-reaching impacts on the health of the victim, and require expensive treatments.
Body Damage
Broken bones, fractures, torn ligaments, amputations, and paralysis are not uncommon in car accidents, including hit and run accidents.
Property Damage
Most hit and run accidents result in some form of damage to your vehicle, personal belongings, property, or place of business.
Depending on the type of insurance coverage you have, you may be able to file a claim for some of the financial losses associated with the above injuries and damages. To do so, you must first identify all of your losses and damages and then quantify them. You must then provide proof to your insurer to see which losses and damages are compensable and which are not.
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Hit and Run Accident Insurance
Ohio’s at-fault accident and personal injury laws place the liability and the burden of compensation on the party responsible for the accident. With hit and run cases, however, without an at-fault party to seek damages, you will typically have to rely on your personal insurance for coverage.
You can use your uninsured or underinsured accident policy or additional collision coverage policies as well to recoup damages from a hit and run accident. Other coverages, such as bodily injury insurance, may also apply. Depending on your coverage, the limits of your policy, and the type of accidents that you have insurance for, your insurer may pay for some, all, or none of your damages.
Other factors can also affect your compensation payout, such as whether or not you file a claim within the prescribed timelines and the kinds of evidence you have for your claim. ORC §2305.10 requires you to file accident claims within two years of the accident. The evidence you can present to your insurance company needs to include the official police report on the accident, eyewitness statements, and CCTV or surveillance footage of the accident.
Seeking Legal Assistance
If you or a loved one was injured by a driver who fled the scene, you do not have to fight for financial compensation on your own. Our Marion hit and run accident lawyer may be able to assist you with your hit and run accident case. Please contact the Fitch Law Firm LLC today at (614) 545-3930 to learn more about hit and run accident law and to discuss the specifics of your case.