Justice For Hit-And-Run Accident Victims
Our law firm can help
When it comes to paying the high cost of long-term medical treatments and car repairs, very few people are eager to assume responsibility and pay for their recklessness.
Still, most people do the decent thing after an accident and at least remain at the scene to exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver.
Sometimes, however, at-fault drivers try to avoid all blame and flee crash sites. They don’t even call 911. Adding to the pain of a bad car accident, victims may remain in the street, injured, until a stranger notices them.
When the driver doesn’t stay, you should not get stuck paying financially as well as emotionally and physically for their over-the-top negligence and recklessness.
Whether the hit-and-run driver is ever found, Hoover Rogers Law, LLP can help you get money for medical expenses, damaged property, and other losses. If you were injured in an accident, and the driver fled the scene, contact our law firm to set up a free case evaluation.
Texas and Oklahoma UIM
Between Texas and Oklahoma, there are more than 250 fatalities attributed to hit-and-runs every year.
If the hit-and-run driver is found, a claim can proceed in the same manner as any other car accident. In hit-and-run cases where the driver is never identified, it is often possible to get money for your injuries through your uninsured motorist insurance (UIM). An unknown driver can be considered the same as an uninsured driver as far as your policy is concerned.
Unlike some states, Texas and Oklahoma do not require drivers to purchase UIM. In Texas, insurance companies have to offer such coverage to clients. If people don’t want this type of insurance, they must decline it in writing.
In Oklahoma, whether an insurance company must provide UIM, and what situations that UIM must cover, are often challenged.
Hoover Rogers Law can help you after a hit-and-run in a variety of ways. Our legal team will conduct a thorough crash analysis and dig up evidence that may have otherwise been missed. We can use this information to file a claim against the driver or with your own insurance company.
Hit-and-run motivation
Hit-and-run accidents are among some of the most damaging because the crash is less likely to be reported right away. The longer a victim waits for assistance, the more severe their injuries become, and the risk of fatality increases, too.
Studies show that most hit-and-run accidents have three things in common: cause, driver, and environment.
Cause
There are six common causes for hit-and-runs:
- Disregard for road markings
- Distracted by phone
- Distracted by another passenger
- Distracted by outside vehicle
- Following too closely to the vehicle in front
- Improper overtaking or passing
Driver
The people who choose to flee the scene of an accident often share some common traits, according to various studies.
People who leave an accident scene before the police arrive are often trying to avoid penalties in addition to the crash. Frequently, the primary reason for a hit-and-run is the negligent driver is trying to hide something wrong they were already doing at the time of the crash. The fleeing driver may be trying to hide:
- Drunk or impaired driving
- Driving on a suspended or revoked license
- Operating a vehicle without a license or insurance
- Illegal transportation
- A passenger, like a mistress or ex-boyfriend
- Potential parole violation
Environment
Often, the environment must be just right for a hit-and-run driver to flee. The person attempting to hide needs to have a reasonable belief that they will be able to get away with it. If there are many witnesses, for example, a hit-and-run is less likely. Conditions most associated with hit-and-runs include:
- Lack of light (either streetlights or daylight)
- Late night (when there are fewer people available to witness the crash and drivers often engage in more risky behavior)
- Laws (In states with light hit-and-run punishments, drivers have more incentive to flee)
- Lots of pedestrians (More opportunities for crashes)
- Lower speeds (Crashes often happen on areas of the roadway that require reduced speed like curves, ramps, bends, and overpasses)
Our law firm fights for victims’ rights
Seriously injured accident victims often must find it within themselves to push past the pain and chaos of a debilitating crash to fight for the money they deserve.
There is not much justice in forcing a person who was just hit by a car to go toe-to-toe with an insurance adjuster backed by a team of defense attorneys.
That’s why we started our firm. Our legal practice fights for accident victims’ rights in Wichita Falls and Lawton.
Contact us now to schedule a free injury case evaluation to learn more about how the law applies to you and your legal options. We only get paid when we win. Call, email, or chat online with us to discuss your situation with an experienced hit-and-run accident lawyer.