What Exactly Qualifies as a Hit and Run?
A hit and run occurs when a motorist hits another vehicle, a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or property, and then flees the scene. It is illegal to flee the scene of a crash in Oklahoma when damage to the vehicle occurs. The motorist has a duty to stop if they hit a pedestrian or bicyclist as well.
Unfortunately hit-and-run accidents are not uncommon. There are a wide variety of reasons that a motorist may flee the scene. They may be uninsured, unlicensed to drive, drunk, inebriated, or they may be in possession of illegal drugs.
What to Do
Report the accident to the police. Call the police and report the accident. Tell them the driver left the scene and provide all the details you can about the vehicle. Stick to the facts and tell them what happened, but avoid admitting fault or guessing at who may have been at fault.
Get medical attention. Even if you don’t think you were seriously injured, you should arrange a checkup with your doctor. Some injuries take a few hours or days to manifest.
Don’t attempt to follow the driver. Doing so could be dangerous. A fleeing motorist is fleeing for some reason, and they don’t want to be identified, so they could be aggressive or violent in their attempt to get away.
Get witness information, if possible. If you are well enough to talk to people at the scene, try to get the contact information of eyewitnesses who can support your case.
Take photos of your injuries and damage to your vehicle. If you can do so safely, take photos of injuries you sustained, property damage, and the surrounding scene. These images could be valuable to your case.
Call our attorneys. If the other motorist is never found, you may have other options for maximizing your injury compensation. Your insurance policy may provide coverage for hit and run accidents via your uninsured motorist policy. Our attorneys can help you sort out your options.
Learn More about Pursuing Maximum Compensation
If you or a loved one has been injured in a hit-and-run accident in Oklahoma City or the surrounding areas, please contact the law firm of Johnson & Biscone at 405-232-6490. After discussing your accident with you, we can provide information about pursuing injury compensation and whether you have a claim that can be handled by our attorneys.
