Experiencing a motor vehicle accident of any sort generates injuries that extend well beyond the physical. You also suffer emotionally and financially. When the motorist who causes your accident flees the scene, the emotional trauma strikes especially hard.
Not only have you been left alone in a potentially dangerous situation, but you now also have to grapple with the financial burden of your medical expenses, property damage, and missed time at work—with possibly no recourse for obtaining compensation from the person who caused your injury.
Do not feel the need to carry the weight of your situation alone. A Sayville hit and run accident lawyer can investigate your accident, work to identify the at-fault party, and build a case to try and get you the compensation you need and deserve.
Call Gacovino & Lake today at (631) 600-0000 for a free, no-obligation consultation.
What to Do After Your Hit and Run Accident
Ideally, after a hit and run accident, you would have the physical capacity and presence of mind to document details of the accident. These details should include:
- Recording the date, time of day, and location of the accident
- Taking pictures of the damage to your car (possibly the other driver’s car left some paint on your vehicle at the point of impact)
- Writing down any details you can recall, including make, model, and color of the vehicle that hit you
- Collecting names and contact information from any witnesses
If you were not in the condition to manage these steps, take a moment now to write down any details you can recall from the accident.
Make Sure You Get Help from Law Enforcement
The investigating law enforcement officer who showed up at the accident scene wrote an accident report that includes everything they observed, including witness information, as well as the fact that this was a hit and run accident.
If the police did not show up to the scene of your accident, contact the police immediately.
Law enforcement will work to find the culprit in your accident because when the at-fault party left the scene of the accident, they committed a crime under New York Vehicle & Traffic (VAT) § 600. Police may be helpful in identifying the individual from whom you can seek compensation for your injury.
Proving Liability if the At-Fault Party Is Identified
If police are able to locate the individual who struck you and left the scene, you can move ahead with your efforts to recover damages. In order to hold the other person liable, you must be able to prove that:
- They had a duty of care to take reasonable steps to keep you from injury (all drivers have this understood duty).
- They violated this duty of care.
- Their breach of duty caused the accident that caused your injury.
- You suffered physical, psychological, and financial damages.
This is where a Sayville hit and run accident lawyer can help you. The lawyers at Gacovino & Lake can investigate the details of your accident, your injuries, and the consequences you have suffered to prove the above arguments to be true and hold the other individual liable for your damages. Call us today at (631) 600-0000 for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Recoverable Damages from a Hit and Run Case
The types of physical, financial, and non-economic consequences of a car accident dictate the amount of money a claimant can seek in a third-party insurance claim or lawsuit. Because every accident is quite different, it is impossible to say how much your lawyer can demand on your behalf without knowing the circumstances of your accident, injuries, and losses.
Some types of damages that plaintiffs tend to seek in personal injury cases, including car accidents, include:
- Medical treatment
- Hospitalization
- Medicine
- Physical therapy/rehabilitation
- Home modification
- Mobility devices
- Lost income and benefits
- Diminished future potential earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
- Emotional stress
- Diminished quality of life
These are just examples of the types of damages that might pertain to your case. Depending on your injury and losses, you may qualify for others. Your lawyer can give you an idea of the damages you may be able to recover.
Also, if you lost a loved one in a hit and run accident, we are sorry for your loss. Keep in mind that you may be entitled to pursue a wrongful death action. Our legal team can help you with this effort.
When the At-Fault Individual Cannot Be Found
Be prepared for the possibility that the person who caused your accident and injury will not be identified or located. In this case, you may need to turn to your personal insurance company to file a claim.
New York State Department of Financial Services outlines the minimum auto insurance requirements that New York drivers must buy in order to meet the financial responsibility requirements for registering their vehicles.
If you purchased the minimum insurance required by New York law, you should be covered by no-fault (personal injury protection), liability, and uninsured motorists insurance.
Uninsured Motorists Coverage
This coverage provides protection for you in the event of a hit and run accident. It will cover only bodily injury, not any damage done to your vehicle or other property. The amount of protection should be the same as your minimum liability insurance requirement, which is
- $25,000 for bodily injury
- $50,000 for injury causing death
- $50,000 for bodily injury for two or more people
- $100,000 for injuries causing deaths of two or more people
Our legal team can help package your losses for your insurance provider and represent you in your claim.
If You Do Not Have Insurance
In the event you do not have an insurance policy, it is possible you can receive compensation for uninsured motorists and no-fault protection by filing a claim with the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC). This group enforces deadlines for filing claims, so it is important that you act quickly.
New York’s Statute of Limitations
You will need to mindful of your timing, as New York Civil Practice Law & Rules §214 limits the amount of time you have to take legal action in a personal injury case. You generally have three years from the time of your accident to act.
A Sayville Hit and Run Accident Lawyer Can Help You
Our law firm has been representing victims of personal injury since 1993. We are eager to put our knowledge and resources to work for you in your hit and run case. Our initial consultation is free, and we charge you nothing unless and until we win you an insurance settlement or lawsuit award.
Call Gacovino & Lake today at (631) 600-0000.
