The chaos of a car crash is made worse when the other driver flees. For victims of hit-and-run accidents in Riverside, this creates a feeling of frustration and uncertainty. You’re left with injuries and damages, wondering how you will cover your medical bills and repairs.
Fortunately, you may have options through your own auto insurance policy, specifically through an uninsured motorist claim. Navigating this process can be complex, and it’s important to know your rights. The dedicated car accident lawyers at Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys are here to help you explore every available path to recovery.
The First Steps to Take After a Hit-and-Run
The moments after a hit-and-run are chaotic and frightening. The other driver’s decision to flee the scene adds insult to injury, leaving you to deal with the consequences alone. While your first instinct might be panic, taking immediate, deliberate steps is crucial. The actions you take at the scene can be the difference in helping police locate the at-fault driver and in protecting your right to file a hit-and-run claim.
Reporting the Incident to the Police Immediately
Your first and most important call should be to the police. Call 911 and report the accident from the scene. Filing a police report creates an official, time-stamped record of the crime. This report is non-negotiable; insurance companies require it before they will even consider an uninsured motorist claim. It also initiates a formal investigation, increasing the chances that the driver who fled might be found. Provide the dispatcher with your exact location and as many details as you can about the incident.
Writing Down Every Detail You Can Remember (Vehicle, Driver)
Adrenaline can make memories fade quickly. While you wait for the police, use the notes app on your phone to write down everything you can remember about the other vehicle and its driver. No detail is too small. Include:
- Make, model, and color of the car (e.g., “blue Honda Civic sedan”).
- Any portion of the license plate number, even just one or two digits.
- Distinguishing features like bumper stickers, a roof rack, or visible damage.
- A description of the driver if you saw them.
- The direction the vehicle was heading when it fled.
Seeking Witnesses and Nearby Security Cameras
You are not the only potential source of information. Look around to see if any other drivers, pedestrians, or workers saw what happened. Politely ask them for their name and contact information. Also, take note of any businesses in the area. Many commercial properties in Riverside have security cameras that may have recorded the accident. While you cannot demand the footage yourself, noting the location of these cameras gives your car accident lawyer a critical starting point for their investigation.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage: Your Safety Net
When the at-fault driver in a Riverside hit-and-run vanishes, many victims worry their financial recovery is impossible. This is where your own auto insurance policy can provide a crucial lifeline. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is a financial safety net designed for exactly these situations, allowing you to seek compensation even when the responsible party cannot be found.
How Your Own Auto Insurance Policy Can Cover You
Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage is an optional but vital part of your own car insurance policy that you purchase to protect yourself. For the purposes of a hit-and-run claim, the law allows the fleeing, unidentified driver to be treated as an “uninsured motorist.” This means your own insurance company steps into the shoes of the at-fault driver’s insurer. Your UM coverage can be used to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and even your pain and suffering, up to your policy limits.
The Process of Filing a UM Claim
The process begins by promptly notifying your own insurance company about the hit-and-run accident in Riverside. You must cooperate with their investigation, which includes providing them with a copy of the police report and evidence of your injuries and damages. They will open an uninsured motorist claim under your policy. You will then submit your medical records, proof of lost income, and other documentation to them, just as you would to an at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Why You Still Need an Attorney to Deal With Your Own Insurer
Many people believe that because they are dealing with their own insurance company, the process will be simple and fair. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Your insurer’s primary goal is still to protect their profits by minimizing the amount they pay out, even on a UM claim. They will scrutinize your medical records, question the necessity of treatments, and often make a low settlement offer. A skilled car accident lawyer from Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys understands these tactics and will fight on your behalf to ensure you receive the full and fair compensation you are entitled to under your policy.
What Happens if the Driver is Found?
While many hit-and-run drivers are never identified, a thorough police investigation or evidence uncovered by your attorney can sometimes lead to the at-fault party. If the driver who fled your Riverside accident is located, the entire dynamic of your case changes. Instead of relying on your own insurance, you can now pursue justice directly from the negligent individual and their insurance company, which often opens the door to greater compensation.
Pursuing a Standard Personal Injury Claim
Once the driver is identified, your hit-and-run claim transforms into a standard personal injury case. Your car accident lawyer will file a claim directly with the at-fault driver’s auto insurance carrier. You will seek compensation for all your damages, including medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. The key difference is that you are no longer limited by your own uninsured motorist claim policy limits. If the driver’s insurance is insufficient to cover your damages, you can also use your Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage.
The Possibility of Punitive Damages
In a typical negligence case, you can only recover “compensatory” damages to make you whole. However, a hit-and-run is not just negligent; it is a conscious and malicious act of disregard for your safety. In California, this egregious behavior can give rise to punitive damages. These are additional damages awarded not to compensate you, but to punish the at-fault driver for their conduct and deter others from doing the same. While difficult to obtain, the act of fleeing an accident scene is precisely the type of behavior for which punitive damages are designed.
How Kohan & Bablove Helps Riverside Hit-and-Run Victims
Being the victim of a hit-and-run accident in Riverside can leave you feeling powerless and unsure of what to do next. At Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys, we refuse to let that be the end of the story. Our dedicated team takes immediate, proactive steps to protect your rights and pursue every possible avenue for compensation, ensuring you are not left to bear the financial burden alone.
We Can Assist in the Investigation to Find the Driver
While the police conduct their own investigation, we don’t just wait. Our team can launch a parallel civil investigation on your behalf. This may involve canvassing the crash site for previously undiscovered witnesses and sending formal preservation-of-evidence letters to nearby businesses, legally requiring them to save any relevant security footage. These steps can be critical in identifying the at-fault driver and holding them accountable.
Maximizing Your Recovery from All Available Sources
Whether the driver is found or not, our goal is to maximize your recovery. We are highly experienced in managing uninsured motorist claims, ensuring your own insurance company treats you fairly and pays the full value of your hit-and-run claim. If the driver is identified, we pivot to pursue a claim against their insurance and explore all other sources of recovery. As your dedicated car accident lawyer, we leave no stone unturned in our mission to secure the compensation you need to move forward.
Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys was founded by three former defense attorneys who were tired of helping insurance companies and big corporations save money by paying the least amount possible to resolve claims. We wanted to open a law firm where we could use our years of experience handling the toughest and largest claims to benefit the individual. Each of us were tired of being cogs in the wheel that focused on paying the least amount possible to injured persons regardless of injuries or the validity of their claims.
