Even if you’re as responsible behind the wheel as anyone possibly could be, you might still get involved in a traffic accident because someone else around you was reckless or careless. Even worse, you might pull over and get out of your car after that accident just to see the person to blame for it speeding away into the distance.
If the person at fault for a wreck you were recently involved in illegally fled the scene, you should let the police do their job of tracking that law-breaking driver down and focus on getting paid fairly for your crash-related damages with a skilled car accident attorney’s help. If the police can’t find the at-fault driver, having support from a seasoned Mt Laurel hit and run accident lawyer will be even more important to getting the most money possible from your own insurance coverage.
What Counts as a Hit and Run?
Under New Jersey law, everyone involved in any kind of traffic collision must do all the following things before leaving the scene of the collision:
- Move their vehicle out of the flow of traffic if possible
- Make sure everyone else involved is okay and, if needed, summon emergency medical services to the scene by calling 911
- Exchange contact, insurance, and registration details with everyone else involved
- Present that same information to police officers who respond to the scene
Failing to do any of these things is leaving the scene of an accident, a crime that can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony depending on whether and how badly other people involved in the wreck were injured as a result of it.
Someone who commits a hit-and-run isn’t automatically considered at fault for that accident in civil terms. A Mt Laurel hit-and-run crash attorney can help with making an evidence-based case that a driver was fleeing the scene because they knew they were to blame for the accident.
How Insurance Can Help After a Hit and Run Wreck
In New Jersey, you’re typically required by law to seek compensation through your own personal injury protection (PIP) insurance coverage before you can file a lawsuit over a car crash. However, you can only sue once that coverage runs out if you can identify the specific person you’re filing suit against. If police can’t track down and arrest a hit-and-run driver, that might be the situation you find yourself facing after this particular type of wreck.
This exact situation is why paying a little more in monthly insurance premiums for uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is something most hit and run accident lawyers in Mt Laurel will recommend. If you get hurt in a wreck caused by a driver who doesn’t have any insurance or who can’t be identified for any reason, UIM coverage will provide you with the additional compensation that you should’ve been able to get from that other person’s insurance coverage.
Contact a Mt Laurel Hit and Run Accident Attorney for Help Filing Suit
Getting seriously injured because someone else broke a traffic law is always a frustrating experience. That experience can get upgraded to outright infuriating if the person to blame for your injury tries to break the law again and avoid being held responsible for their negligence.
Our attorneys know how to handle situations like this and how to get people harmed by this kind of misconduct paid everything they deserve. Call today to learn what an experienced Mt Laurel hit and run accident lawyer from Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can do to help you.
