Being hurt in a car accident is bad enough. The situation can get a lot worse, though, when the other driver fails to stop after the accident or suddenly flees the scene. This can leave you without information about the driver’s identity, making it impossible to pursue a claim for compensation against the driver unless he or she is identified later.
Fortunately, if you’ve suffered injuries and losses from a hit-and-run accident, you still have options. At Goldenzweig Law Group, PLLC, our Houston hit-and-run accident lawyers work tirelessly to pursue all your options for the full financial compensation you need. We will thoroughly investigate to try to identify the other driver and help you explore alternative sources of compensation, such as filing claims with your own insurance coverage.
Contact our firm today for a free case evaluation. There’s no risk in seeking out our advice or assistance in your hit-and-run accident claim. We never charge upfront fees for our services. You only pay if and when we secure compensation on your behalf.
What to Do If You’ve Been Hurt in a Hit-and-Run Crash
When you’ve been the victim of a hit-and-run accident, you can take steps to help protect your legal rights to compensation for the injuries and losses you’ve suffered. After the accident, you should:
- See a doctor immediately. Getting a prompt diagnosis and treatment is essential to your physical and financial recovery. Attend all follow-up appointments and continue to treat your injuries per your doctors’ orders.
- Save all documentation about the accident. This includes the police report, your medical records, any video or photos of the accident scene or of any visible injuries you have, written reminders of conversations you may have had with anyone who witnessed the accident, etc.
- Get your insurance documents together. If the at-fault driver cannot be found, your attorney can help you review your compensation options through your own coverage.
- Keep a journal detailing how the injuries from the accident affect your daily life. Include how the injuries affect your emotional state, as well.
- Stay off social media. Don’t post anything that the insurance company could potentially use against you. This includes photos of yourself enjoying activities or updates on how you are feeling.
Contact Goldenzweig Law Group, PLLC, for a free case review to go over the details of your accident and to learn more about your legal options. Our knowledgeable hit-and-run accident attorneys can help you determine the best path forward in your case.
How We Investigate Hit-and-Run Accidents
Hit-and-run accident cases are often more complex than other motor vehicle accident claims because the victim doesn’t have the at-fault driver’s identity, contact information, or insurance information. At Goldenzweig Law Group, PLLC, we focus our investigation of hit-and-run accident cases on trying to identify the at-fault driver and securing all available evidence. These tactics will help bolster your case in the event that you choose to pursue other alternatives for compensation, such as filing a claim under the uninsured motorist coverage in your auto insurance policy.
Examples of evidence that we look for in hit-and-run accident cases include:
- Police accident reports
- Eyewitness statements, especially descriptions of the driver and vehicle that fled the accident scene
- Dashcam video or nearby surveillance camera footage
- Accident scene photos
- Vehicle damage reports, such as the collision with your vehicle, may leave clues about the hit-and-run vehicle, such as the color or make of the vehicle
Compensation in Your Hit-and-Run Accident Case
If the hit-and-run driver can be found, you can pursue compensation for losses and injuries you’ve suffered due to the accident, including:
- Medical expenses
- Long-term care expenses
- Lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Lost enjoyment or quality of life
Even if the at-fault driver cannot be found, you may still have options for obtaining compensation for your injuries and losses if you have uninsured motorist coverage. Although uninsured motorist coverage usually applies when an at-fault driver doesn’t have auto insurance, the coverage also applies in hit-and-run accident cases where the fleeing driver cannot be identified, as that driver is presumed to not have insurance coverage.
Time Limit for Filing a Hit-and-Run Accident Claim
Texas’s statute of limitations on motor vehicle accident injury lawsuits normally requires you to file suit within two years of the date of the crash. However, this two-year period may be paused, or “tolled,” during the time it takes you or law enforcement to identify the hit-and-run driver.
If the driver cannot be found and you choose to file a claim with your own insurance after a hit-and-run accident, your policy may set forth a shorter time limit for taking action. So you should review the terms of your policy with an experienced attorney as soon as possible.
Let Our Houston Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer Help You
If you’ve been the victim of a hit-and-run accident in Houston, let the attorneys of Goldenzweig Law Group, PLLC, fight for the justice you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss how our firm can help you pursue maximum compensation in your hit-and-run accident case.