How to Seek Compensation Following a Hit-And-Run
As cyclists are more exposed on the road, they are more at risk for serious injury when involved in an accident. Bike-car collisions often result in broken bones, internal bleeding, and traumatic head injuries for the cyclist. If a cyclist is hit by a driver who then flees the scene, the cyclist will be left even more scared, and they will be wondering how they are going to be compensated for their injuries. Hit-and-run accidents actually happen most often when a car crashes into a cyclist or a pedestrian.
A personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, like Grey Law can assist cyclists in getting compensation. We have experience in winning compensation for personal injuries and property damage following car-bike collisions.
The first step to getting proper compensation is what you do at the scene of the crime. Even though the driver fled and authorities may feel useless, you still need to call the police and file a police report. Getting the police involved is the most important thing you can do. Police departments have vast resources that can track down the driver, but they can only do so if contacted immediately. An untouched crime scene is crucial for the police to build a profile of what happened, so contacting them right after the accident occurs is ideal.
Even if the time of the accident has passed, you can still file a police report. Your insurance company will likely require an investigation and police report anyway, so it will be helpful to get ahead and file one as soon as possible following the accident.
Immediately following the accident, onlookers may rush to your aid and express shock at what just happened. Have them write down their accounts, as they may have a description of the driver and their vehicle. The most important description will be that of the license plate, as the police can easily trace this back to the driver.
Next, you need to file a claim with your insurance agency. You should try to do this within 24 hours of the accident. Not only will your insurance agency help investigate the accident, but they can also give you coverage for all of your damages even if the culprit is not caught.
When you go in to meet with your Los Angeles bike accident attorney, make sure to bring any hard evidence from the collision, including photos of your injuries and damage to your bike. This will be essential in proving damages in court. Your attorney will also ask you to recount the events leading up to the accident so that they can get an idea of liabilities for each party.
As you meet with your hit-and-run bike accident lawyer in Los Angeles, you will need to get an idea of damages. The obvious damages will be the injuries you sustained in the accident and the damage to your bicycle. Take as many photos as possible immediately following the accident and document the healing process. You should also take photos of the damage on your bike, and get a quote from a bike shop detailing how much the repairs will cost. Keep track of all the medical bills you accumulate as you recover from the accident. As you pursue physical damages against the driver or your insurance agency, your medical bills will be crucial to getting coverage.
Not only are you able to be compensated for physical damages, but you can get compensation for emotional distress, as well. Emotional damages are harder to prove, as they are not visible to the human eye. It’s helpful to keep a diary of your emotions and any nightmares you may have following the accident. Well-documented evidence of emotional distress will be extremely helpful to your case in court.
In the event of a hit-and-run, you may have to have your own insurance agency cover your damages. When getting compensation for your damages, it’s ideal for the driver to pay, but if the driver cannot be located, then you will have to file a claim with your own personal insurance agency. Most insurance agencies require users to get uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, but your hit-and-run accident may also fall under your personal injury protection coverage, medical payments coverage, or collision coverage, depending on the severity of the accident.
Hit-and-run accidents are treated very seriously in the eyes of the law, and the driver responsible may face a felony if they left you seriously injured. Reaching out for legal counsel is a great step towards getting compensation. Your personal injury attorney can help investigate the accident, determine damages, gather evidence, and settle your claims inside or outside of the courtroom. Grey Law is a law firm residents can trust to ensure they are being treated fairly following an accident.
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