What Should I Do If I’m Involved in a Hit and Run Car Accident in Rancho Cordova?

Hit-and-run car accidents can be especially difficult for injury victims. Not only have you suffered catastrophic injuries in a car crash, but the person who hit you fled the scene and is refusing to accept responsibility for their negligence. Fortunately, when you have a knowledgeable and experienced Rancho Cordova car accident lawyer at Triumph Law working for you, the liable party will not get away with it.

When you take steps to protect your right to compensation from the start, it is only a matter of time before we find out who caused your hit-and-run accident. Once we do, our team will work tirelessly to build a powerful case against the driver that hit you so you can get the financial support you need when you need it most. If you are involved in a Rancho Cordova hit-and-run accident, it is important to take charge of your future if you want the fleeing driver to be brought to justice.

Steps to Take After a Rancho Cordova Hit-and-Run Accident

Immediately after a hit-and-run, you will likely be in shock. Can you believe the driver that just hit you fled the scene? It is completely normal to be confused and unsure of what to do next, but here are a few good places to start once you have moved yourself and your vehicle out of the road and to safety:

Get the Police and EMTs

Do not wait to call an ambulance and the Rancho Cordova Police Department. Calling 911 should be enough. Just be sure to tell dispatchers that you need emergency medical professionals, law enforcement officials, and, if necessary, the fire department. No matter how serious the accident itself was, having these professionals at the accident scene can only help your case.

Law enforcement will be able to secure the accident scene and start collecting or creating evidence you will use to build your case against the at-fault driver once they have been identified. Police can file a crash report that includes important details about how the accident occurred and who may be responsible. Your personal injury attorney will then use these reports as supporting evidence when you file your claim against the driver who hit you.  

Contact a Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer for Help

The sooner you get a car accident attorney working for you, the better. Do not hesitate just because the liable party has not yet been identified. If you call us at the accident scene, we can meet you there and start talking to witnesses, documenting the accident scene, and taking your statement.

Alternatively, we can meet you in your Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center hospital room or even schedule a virtual consultation to discuss what happened to you. You will want to get a powerful legal advocate working for you when a driver hits you and flees the scene. This is often the best way to get the legal help and support you need while you recuperate. 

Start Gathering Evidence to Support Your Case

Your injuries may be so severe you cannot do much of anything other than wait for the police and an ambulance to arrive. However, if you can, take time to gather evidence to support your case. Take photos of your injuries, surrounding property damage, skid marks, chipped paint, and video footage so accident reconstructionists can use it to recreate the accident in their reports.

Get Medical Attention and Treatment

Even if your injuries only appear to be minor, do not make the mistake of getting a medical evaluation. Failure to treat invisible injuries could have catastrophic or even fatal consequences. You do not want to give the liable party an opportunity to use this lack of immediate medical care against you or to accuse you of exaggerating the severity of your injuries. 

Follow-up with the Police

Once you are medically stable and have a personal injury attorney handling your case, it may be a good idea to check in with the police. Law enforcement officials will have begun investigating and may have leads about who may be at fault. They may want you to visit the police department or be willing to send a detective to meet you at your hospital room or home so you can give them a statement. 

File a Claim with the Insurance Company

Next, you may be able to file your claim with the insurance company. California is a fault insurance state which would normally mean you would file a claim against the liable driver’s insurance policy. However, in many hit-and-run accident cases, drivers are uninsured.

Instead, you may have the opportunity to file a claim against your no-fault policy if you purchased this additional type of auto insurance coverage. However, you will need to discuss this option in further detail with your attorney and weigh the pros and cons. Be warned, filing a claim against a no-fault insurance company means the insurer may increase your premiums upon policy renewal or even refuse to continue offering coverage if you have filed multiple claims over a short period of time. 

Get Ready to File Your Car Accident Lawsuit

Once the driver who hit you has been identified, we can move forward with your claim. In the meantime, your attorney will begin preparing your case for trial by interviewing witnesses, hiring accident reconstructionists, and every other legal detail so you have the strongest case possible once the fleeing driver is revealed. Then, your case will be ready to move forward and you will have an opportunity to demand maximum compensation from the at-fault party.

Meet with an Aggressive Hit-and-Run Accident Law Firm for Help Today

Do not lose hope if you have been hit by a driver who fled the scene after a car accident. Your personal injury attorney and the Rancho Cordova Police Department will be working diligently to investigate the collision and identify the driver who hit you. When we do, they may face criminal charges and be subject to liability in your insurance and civil claims.

Find out more about what you should expect from the hit-and-run accident claims process when you contact a dedicated Rancho Cordova personal injury attorney at Triumph Law. Our firm proudly offers 100% free consultations to hit-and-run accident victims across the community. Take advantage of this opportunity by calling our office or completing our online contact form today.