A hit and run is a serious incident. A hit and run is an accident where a vehicle hits a person, vehicle or object and the scene without providing any information. Unfortunately, in most cases the victim of a hit and run are pedestrians. This blog will explain what you should do after a hit and run accident on the road. 

What steps should you take as a victim in a hit and run?  

There are a number of steps that you should take if you are driving and another vehicle hits yours. 

  • The first step to do is to pull over when it is safe to do so, check that you and any passengers in your vehicle are safe, and if necessary, call emergency services. 
  • In order to identify the offending vehicle, you should attempt to record their number plate, make, model, and colour of the vehicle as well as any descriptions of the driver. 
  • If safe to do so you should also attempt to take some pictures of the offending vehicle as well as the scene of the collision. 
  • Lastly, it is best to report the incident within 24 hours of it occurring.

Will I be able to claim on my car insurance?  

As the victim of a hit and run, in most cases, you may be eligible for a claim. If you are the person doing the hit and run, you will not be able to make a claim. In order to be covered for this kind of accident, you would need to have some kind of comprehensive car insurance. Unfortunately, if the driver at fault can’t be identified, then you may have to pay out the insurance excess. This means that for hit and run accidents, you will often have to pay out the excess before your claim is processed. 

What if you are injured in a hit and run accident? 

There are a number of steps that you can take if you are injured in a hit and run accident. In a non-hit and run incident, you would normally make a claim against the at-fault driver and their third party insurance policy. However, hit and run incidents are obviously different and more complex. Fortunately, in a hit and run where the driver details are not exchanged, and you are unable to track down the driver via their registration number, you can still make a claim. This is done via the government insurance policy against a ‘nominal defendant’; this scheme was made to provide protection from unidentified driver injuries. 

You may be eligible for compensation for the following: 

  • Medical and hospital expenses
  • Rehabilitation costs
  • Loss of income or reduction of your income-earning capacity
  • Replacement or repair of any damaged property you own
  • Home modification costs required due to your injury
  • Home care costs
  • If your injury is severe enough you can also claim for general damages (pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life).

With a hit and run incident, it is important that you get good legal advice. This is so you can have the best chance of winning your claim, as well as having someone on your side that understands the complexities of insurance law, particularly when the at-fault driver cannot be identified.