What to Do in a Hit and Run Car Accident?

What to Do in a Hit and Run Car Accident?

Hit and run accidents are very common. Around 70% of US drivers are insured while the rest 30% are uninsured. This is the reason for a lot of hit and run accidents everyday. Such a situation becomes very alarming and can catch you off guard.

In such a situation it is important that you obtain as much information about the other automobile as is possible. Though, this is sometimes unfeasible. For instance, while being parked in the parking lot, your car can be hit and you will have no idea about who hit your car. Here are some easy, yet important measures to guarantee full insurance cover and getting your automobile repaired.

In hit and run accidents information about the suspect is really important. Information such as the make and model of the car are really helpful for the government departments to hunt down whoever hit you. The impact point on your car can give a lot of information about the damage caused.

The next important thing is to inform the police. This is necessary if the person who hit your car is caught. Calling the police is also required if you have to obtain insurance policy cover.

After you have called the police you should also make it a point to file a concrete report. This can be done in two ways. Either you can visit the police station to file the report or the police can come to the place of accident to obtain the vital information from you. However, in parking lot hit and run accidents, you will have to visit the nearest police station to file the report.

After the police comes your insurance company. You should provide as much information as you have about the accident. Know about your insurance coverage. Collision and/ or uninsured property damage will cover you for the damages of your car. Both the covers have their own specific requisites and deductibles. You can ask your insurance company if these covers apply in your case. You should make it a point to contact your attorney before you make any decision about your claim.

Now that you have filed for property damages with your insurance company, you will have to wait. Most policies have a waiting period of 24 hours. During this time the insurance providers are waiting to see if the guilty party is caught or turns up on its own. If so happens, you will have to file a claim against the offender with his insurance company. This usually happens if you have filed for damage cover under the heading of uninsured property damage. Alongside this, if you have bought rental coverage in your insurance policy, you will not have to wait.

Calculate the approximate repair charges for your car. You can do this by driving in to the insurance-certified repair shops in the area. This will give you an estimate of the payment that your insurance company is going to issue for the damages of your car. You can ask an adjuster to see your car and evaluate the estimated damages if you do not want to go to the repair shops. But, this process may require around 5 days.

You can take your car for repair to the shop you previously went to for an estimate. The insurance company will directly make the payment to the repair shop. You will only have to pay the deductible on collection of your car. If you have the adjuster evaluating your car, then you should show your mechanic the estimate of the insurance company for adjustment. If he does not agree to the value, ask him/her to directly contact the adjuster so that they reach a settlement.

By Danny Carlson