Recovering Compensation After a Hit-and-Run

 Posted on July 13, 2022 in Hit-and-Run Accidents

When you have just been hit by a careless driver, you expect them to at least stop and exchange insurance information. When they instead take off and vanish, it can be very frustrating. You are stuck on the side of the road, injured, and the responsible party just keeps driving as if nothing happened. Hit-and-run accidents are very common, particularly in cities like Chicago. There are a number of reasons that drivers may flee the scene after causing a crash, ranging from not wanting to get a DUI to having an active arrest warrant. The good news is that you may have more options for recovering compensation than you think. An attorney with experience in hit-and-run accident cases can likely help you recover compensation, with or without catching the responsible driver.

Locating the Hit-and-Run Driver Who Fled

Even twenty years ago, hit-and-runs were much more difficult to solve. Cameras were less ubiquitous. Now, they are nearly everywhere. Some techniques your attorney might use in an effort to find the driver who injured you include:

• Using cameras - There are traffic cameras at most major intersections, which may have captured the responsible driver fleeing in a damaged vehicle, or even the crash itself. Even if your accident happened on a residential side street, a resident may have a security camera outside their home that could contain helpful footage.
• Working with police - Fleeing the scene of an accident - especially if you caused the accident and injured someone - is a crime in Illinois. The police may be interested in solving the crime. In that case, it may be best to cooperate with them in order to help identify the liable driver.
• Identifying witnesses - Unless your crash happened in the middle of nowhere, odds are that someone saw something. Locating a witness can provide missing details that can be used to identify the driver who hit you.

If the at-fault driver can be identified, you can then pursue compensation from them as you normally would.

Recovering Compensation From Your Own Insurance

If you cannot find the responsible driver, you can likely recover compensation from your own insurance company using uninsured motorist coverage. In Illinois, uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory, so you are almost certainly covered by your own policy. An attorney can still help you deal with your insurance company to ensure that you are receiving the highest amount your company will pay out given the circumstances.

Call a Lake County Car Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured by a hit-and-run driver, Salvi & Maher, LLP will fight to help you recover the compensation you need. Our skilled Waukegan car accident attorneys will identify the driver who hit you if at all possible. Contact us at 847-662-3303 for a free consultation.

Source:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=021500050K143a-2