Being in a car accident is stressful enough, but it can be all the more harrowing if the other person involved flees the scene of the accident. Suffering injuries and property damage in a California hit and run accident can leave you facing significant medical bills, repair bills, and trauma, without knowing whether you’ll be able to hold the other driver responsible.
If you’ve been in an accident in which the other driver flees the scene, you need to hire a skilled San Francisco hit and run accident lawyer. At Delfino Green & Green, our experienced car accident attorneys can help you understand your rights and find the best way of getting compensation for the losses you’ve sustained.
Take a closer look at what it means to be in a hit and run in San Francisco and how to find the best hit and run attorney for your case.
Understanding Hit and Run Accidents
By law, anyone who’s in a collision with another vehicle must stop and remain at the scene of the accident to exchange information with the other driver and speak with the police. Hit and run accidents are accidents in which one of the parties chooses to flee the scene. These accidents occur often in parking lots, with a driver hitting a parked car and leaving, but they can happen anywhere.
Hit and runs can occur for many reasons, but one of the most common is that the other driver involved doesn’t have insurance or may not have a valid license. These collisions are particularly difficult because you won’t have the necessary information to file an insurance claim against the other driver. That is why having a San Francisco hit and run accident lawyer is essential.
At Delfino Green & Green, our lawyers can guide you through the process of filing a claim with your own insurance company to receive compensation from your uninsured motorist coverage. At the same time, your attorney for hit and runs can continue investigating to find the other party so that you also have a chance of filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Determining Liability in Hit and Run Accidents
Determining liability is much more difficult if a driver flees the scene of an accident. It may not be immediately obvious who caused the collision. Because California is an at-fault state when it comes to car accidents, the process of filing a claim generally involves assessing all of the details to determine the responsible party. Without getting details from the other person, this process can be much more complicated.
The police will usually perform a thorough investigation of the crash and gather evidence to put together a police report that is as accurate as possible. However, even if it’s clear the other driver is at fault, not having any contact information for them means the legal process of filing a claim can’t function as it would in a typical car accident.
Financial Impacts of Hit and Run Accidents
A hit and run accident can result in serious financial losses. Medical expenses can quickly start piling up, and you can face not being able to go to work for days or even weeks at a time as you recover. This results in lost wages just when you need income the most — and if you suffer severe injuries, you may not be able to return to work in your full capacity or at all.
Your car likely also sustained damage in the accident, which leaves you with repair bills on top of everything else. It can be even worse if the accident results in a totaled car. You could be facing needing to rent a vehicle or take public transportation, which both add to the financial burden of a hit and run.
But there are other expenses that can also come as a result of suffering injuries in a hit and run car accident. For example, people who have children may need to hire help if they’re in the hospital or if they have mobility issues.
If you watch over elderly parents or have other dependents, you may also need to hire people to assist you as you heal. In some cases, you may need a nurse to help you recover.
All of these expenses can leave you with all manner of debts. To have a chance to recover compensation, you need a hit and run accident attorney to help you file a claim.
What to Do After a Hit and Run Accident
As soon as possible after a hit and run driver leaves the scene, write down everything you remember of their vehicle. Never chase after the other driver, however. Instead, call the police and emergency services.
Something our hit and run lawyers recommend is that you allow medical professionals to examine you after the collision, even if you feel you haven’t sustained serious injuries. The shock of the accident can often blunt pain, so you may not realize you’re hurt until the adrenaline wears off. If you allow medical professionals to assess you, though, you can begin getting care immediately.
Offer as much information as you can to the police. Tell them how the accident occurred and provide any other details that could help them identify all involved parties.
Take many pictures of the accident scene and of your injuries. If there were witnesses, make sure to obtain their statements or at least their contact information so that your hit and run attorney can get their testimony later on.
The next step you need to take is to contact your insurance provider to let them know that you were in a hit run accident. Don’t mention fault, but give your auto insurance an idea of how the collision occurred.
Importantly, you’ll want to contact a lawyer for hit and run accidents immediately. When it comes to finding a California hit and run accident lawyer, San Francisco law firms like ours are the premier choice. We can fight to get you the fair compensation you deserve.
Filing a Lawsuit for a Hit and Run Accident
To file a lawsuit against the other driver, you must first identify them. Sometimes, the police manage to do this by relying on surveillance cameras or witness statements. Once you know who the other party is, you can file a claim against them to recover compensation.
It’s important to hire a hit and run accident lawyer because you’ll have to negotiate with the other driver’s insurance company, which is never a simple process. They may try to pin the blame on you, which can complicate the proceedings.
With a hit run accident lawyer, though, you have a much better chance of getting the assistance you deserve for the medical expenses, lost income, and property damage you’re dealing with.
Hiring a Hit and Run Accident Lawyer
If you’re searching for a hit and run accidents lawyer, San Francisco’s Delfino Green & Green can help. Legal representation is essential in these cases because you need to be able to file a claim against the at-fault party.
If you file with your own insurance company, what you can recover is limited. It won’t compensate you, for example, for pain and suffering.
To find a qualified hit and run lawyer, look for experience. At Delfino Green & Green, we have over 30 years of experience helping people get fair settlements and jury awards for the losses they sustained in hit and run accidents.
You also want to find dedicated attorneys who will do everything possible to identify the other person in the hit and run case. This can allow you to receive the exact assistance you need. Our team knows just how important finding the at-fault driver is, and you can rest assured that we’ll work tirelessly to do so.
Proving Fault in a Hit and Run Accident Case
Personal injury claims rely on finding the other party liable. In most instances, this means proving that they were negligent. Negligence requires that you establish a few key elements.
First, you’ll need to demonstrate that the other person owed you a duty of care and that they breached it. If they did anything that broke the law while driving, they breached the duty of care they owe to everyone else on the road. You would then have to show that their conduct resulted in injuries for which you can receive compensation.
To meet these requirements, you’ll need to gather evidence that proves their conduct was negligent or wrongful. Our team of hit and run accident lawyers can help you do this so that you can focus on healing. Even if the other side hires a hit and run defense lawyer, our team can skillfully build a case on your behalf.
Damages in a Hit and Run Accident Case
If you’re able to file a lawsuit after a hit and run accident, you can have the chance to receive both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages compensate you for the financial losses you’ve sustained. For instance, medical expenses fit in this category. You can receive compensation for hospital bills, rehabilitation therapy sessions, and even changes you need to make to your home or vehicle to accommodate a disability.
You can also claim lost wages as part of your economic losses. Lost wages covers income loss of all types, including commissions, bonuses, and vacation days. If you can’t return to work at all because of a permanent disability, you can claim loss of earning potential.
In instances when a loved one dies in a car accident, you can also claim coverage for funerary expenses through economic damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages cover losses that aren’t as tangible. These damages compensate you for the emotional and physical distress you’ve suffered because of the hit and run accident. Pain and suffering make up a large part of these damages, letting you get compensation for what you’ve been through.
If the accident resulted in severe injuries that make it difficult to live your life as you used to, you can also claim loss of enjoyment of life. This is an important option for those who’ve suffered disabling injuries.
You’re also able to claim loss of consortium if a loved one dies in the accident. Loss of consortium aims to compensate you for the loss of companionship and support you’ve suffered.
Choose an Experienced Attorney for Your Hit and Run Accident Case
Hit and run accidents can be devastating, and you may be facing substantial injuries and other losses. You’re not alone. At Delfino Green & Green, our experienced lawyers can help you file a personal injury lawsuit so that you can recover the damages you need to move forward.
We have decades of experience and a fierce dedication to helping clients get a fair settlement or jury award for medical expenses, emotional distress, and other losses. We can work hard to identify the driver who caused the tragic incident and gather evidence to demonstrate that they’re liable.
Our team knows how to effectively negotiate with insurance companies, and if we feel that you’re not being treated fairly, we can take your case to court. Throughout our careers, we’ve helped clients recover millions of dollars. Let us help you, too.
Contact our hit and run accident lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.