It’s almost unimaginable that someone would cause injury and flee the scene. But such is the case in a hit and run motor vehicle accident. It’s bad enough to be injured in an accident, but when the person who caused the damage, often serious, is nowhere to be found, the injured party has yet another problem to deal with: how to get compensation from the unknown person who fled the scene.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or someone has been killed as the result of a hit and run, legal advice is warranted to be able to deal with such a complex set of circumstances. Firstly, it is expected that the victim has notified the police and done their best to try to find out the identity of the person who fled the scene. Hopefully, the victim is able to provide a description of the make, model or colour of the vehicle and ideally, a full or partial licence plate. Things happen so quickly in an accident. It is often challenging to have the wherewithal to think clearly and quickly enough to write down details of what is likely a speeding car. Often the victim may be seriously injured. Yet insurance companies often press the victim of hit and run accidents for solid details. There are also steps which need to be taken to access the unidentified motorist’s provisions of your automobile policy and failure to do so may jeopardize your right to seek damages in a claim.
Some insurers can make it difficult for hit and run victims by bogging down the claims process in a mountain of paperwork, or even by using loopholes such as failure to meet a deadline or noting inconsistency in eye witness reports, all in an effort to reduced payouts for the claimant. As a victim, you have suffered enough already and may be facing a loss of income or well being. Justice must be sought on your behalf.
There are other important legal considerations which have to be addressed including a consideration of the minimum statutory policy limits of $200,000,000., which apply to an unidentified motorist’s claim. In addition, the need to advance a claim against the victim’s underinsurance carrier under the OPCF 44R -Family Protection Endorsement will have to be assessed.
At Horowitz Injury Law we have almost 35 years of experience in dealing with hit and run cases involving serious injury and death. We will help manage the necessary paperwork and ensure you meet all deadlines relative to your claim and that you receive support and professional guidance from our initial free consultation through to resolution. Call us today at 416-925-4100.
