How to Handle a Hit-and-Run Accident in Ohio

A motor vehicle collision can become a hit-and-run accident when one of the drivers involved fails to stop at or immediately return to the crash scene. However, victims of hit-and-run accidents can face unique challenges and legal complications. Knowing what to do after a hit-and-run accident in Ohio can best protect your rights and interests when you pursue financial recovery for your injuries and losses. 

Immediate Steps After a Hit-and-Run Accident

Immediately following a hit-and-run accident, steps you should take to protect your rights and safety include:

• Move your vehicle or yourself to a safe location, if possible
• Check yourself and the other occupants of your car for injuries
• Call 911 to report the accident and provide the operator with any details you notice about the other vehicle, such as the license plate number, make, model, color, and the direction the other vehicle was heading.
• Do not attempt to follow or chase the other driver, as doing so can become dangerous, and you may create legal complications for yourself by not remaining at the accident scene.
• Seek medical attention as soon as possible, even if you think you did not suffer injuries or if your injuries seem minor.

Gather Evidence

You should gather and organize any evidence you have from the accident, including photos or videos you took at the crash scene, and details such as vehicle damage, skid marks, traffic signs or signals, and road, weather, or lighting conditions. If your car has a dashcam, you should make copies of the footage from the accident and store them in multiple locations, including physical hard drives and in the cloud. This evidence can help both with the police’s investigation of the accident and their efforts to locate the other driver, as well as any subsequent legal claims you may file. 

Report the Accident

You should report the accident to law enforcement as soon as possible. The sooner you contact the police, the better the chances of them tracking down the other driver. Furthermore, reporting the accident to the police will also ensure that you have a police crash report, which you will likely need to file an insurance claim.

Contact Your Insurance Company

You should also notify your auto insurance company about the accident. Your auto policy may require you to report an accident to your insurer within a specific period after the accident. Furthermore, you may have purchased coverages for your insurance policy that can help you recover after a hit-and-run accident, including MedPay coverage to help with medical bills and collision coverage to pay for vehicle repairs. Furthermore, suppose you purchased uninsured motorist coverage for your auto policy. In that case, you can file a claim for compensation that you would otherwise recover from the hit-and-run driver, as insurance companies treat hit-and-run drivers like uninsured motorists. 

Legal Considerations

Other potential legal considerations from hit-and-run accidents in Ohio include:

• The hit-and-run driver may face criminal prosecution for fleeing the accident scene
• A victim of a hit-and-run accident may pursue a civil action against the hit-and-run driver at fault for the crash
• Fleeing an auto accident does not necessarily equate to liability for the crash, so an injured party must still prove that the hit-and-run driver bears fault for the collision.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer Today

When you get into a car accident in Ohio and the other driver flees the scene, knowing how to handle a hit-and-run accident case can help you recover compensation for your injuries and losses. Contact Kitrick, Lewis & Staley-Sladek Co., LPA today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a car accident attorney to discuss your legal options if you become the victim of a hit-and-run accident.