Philadelphia Hit and Run Accident Lawyer

It is perfectly understandable to feel a little lost and angry after you become a victim of a hit-and-run accident. A hit-and-run occurs any time someone causes a car accident and then knowingly fails to stop to provide their contact and insurance information. When one actively and knowingly chooses to leave the scene in Philadelphia, instantaneously what was once deemed a car accident escalates to fleeing from the scene of a crime. These types of accidents can occur between two vehicles, a vehicle and property, or between a car and a pedestrian. As one who was hit you must resist the urge to follow the car that fled, often time s people flee the scene because they feel as if they stay they will be arrested, or are driving without a licensed, or intoxicated. The best bet is to write down the model of the car, the color, the license plate or partial license plate, and which direction and time that the perpetrator fled. A Philadelphia hit and run accident lawyer at the law firm of Rosenbaum & Associates may be able to assist you and your loved ones, should you ever find yourself exposed to a hit-and-run.

What Should You Do After a Hit and Run?

If the accident occurred while in a parking garage in Philadelphia, take note of the time when you first came to find your car damaged. Next write down any and all information such as any paint color on your bumper and what exactly was damaged, such as the side of your back bumper, or a taillight etc. Next you want to file a police report. Possibly talk with the garage owners, while it is often posted on signs around the lot, most garages are not held liable for any damage occurring on their premises. Even so, you may want to check and see if there are any cameras that police may be able to pull to help cross-reference potential suspects. Even if you have no information regarding the make and model of the car that struck your vehicle you want to ensure that you do file a report with the Philadelphia police, as it will be a necessary part in filing a hit-and-run claim with your insurance company. What can make it particularly frustrating is that if the driver is not identified then it makes it highly doubtful that you will be able to recover from the person that inflicted the damages. The good news is that most insurance companies after you file a hit-and-run claim do not reassess your individual plan. Schedule a call with our car accident lawyers in Philadelphia to learn more about your legal options.

Hit and Run Statistics

There are severe consequences for leaving the scene of a crime, with higher repercussions if the car accident caused injury to another. The AAA Foundation in a recent study found that nearly 11 percent of all police reported crashes involved a hit and run driver. 1 in 5 pedestrian fatalities involve a hit and run driver. Particularly disconcerting is the fact that about 60 percent of the people killed in a hit and run crash are pedestrians. While there are no sure fire ways of not being struck by a distracted or careless driver, your best defense is to be an alert pedestrian, particularly during the most dangerous hours which are the weekends and during the evening, especially between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.

While the most common form of a hit-and-run tends to occur in parking lots, where a driver accidentally or not, collides with a parked vehicle, and then speeds away from the scene of the accident without leaving contact and insurance information. This particular form of a hit and run involves just property damage to the other vehicle and can be assessed through your insurance company. Legal etiquette requires that if you cause injury to another’s vehicle, stop, get out something to write on, and jot down your contact information and your insurance information.

Contact a Philadelphia Hit and Run Accident Lawyer

If you would like more information regarding car accidents and to determine whether you have grounds for a case, please contact a Philadelphia hit and run accident lawyer at Rosenbaum & Associated online or call (215) 569-0200 for a Free Case Evaluation. Our injury lawyers in Philadelphia have over 25 years of experience working with accident victims.