Throughout the country there are numerous instances of hit and run; and the number of instances is steadily increasing. Seven out of eight accidents are caused by other reasons while one involves a case of hit and run. A majority of hit and run cases involve the defaulter fleeing because they don’t have insurance, or they are intoxicated or know that they are in the fault and will definitely be convicted. According to a statistic released by the
National Highway Safety Traffic Administration 80% of all hit and run cases cause only property damage and no bodily harm at all.
The victim
The true victim of such a case is the person who has had his vehicle damaged and has no idea of who did it. The good news is that since most hit and run cases involve only property damage and not bodily injury, chances are that you are safe and sound; isn’t that what’s of utmost importance anyway? Under normal circumstances the other drivers insurance would provide you with cover for your bodily harm and property damage by paying for your medical bills and your vehicle repair bill. However in this case there is no “other driver” to catch hold of and you are stuck paying your own medical and repair bills. You will also need to pay for the expense involved with getting a rental car till you get your vehicle back from the shop.
The culprit
The culprit normally flees the scene due to the surety that they will be convicted with the fault of the accident. This can happen if the driver knows that the accident was definitely their fault, such as rear ending you or colliding with a stationary vehicle. Many a times the culprit is inebriated and knows that could mean not only a DUI (Driving Under the influence charge) but also a high chance that his or her insurance company will not cover the damage they caused and they will have to pay it out of their pockets. Another possibility is fright, people do many strange things when frightened which most often seem quite silly when the moment passes. It’s not uncommon for a driver to presume the worst when they collide into another vehicle and flee the scene hoping they don’t get convicted of killing another motorist; while in all probability the other driver is no more injured than they are!
People who don’t have insurance make up the other segment of drivers and simply flee the scene because once the police realize that they don’t have auto insurance the can face a fine and punitive action ranging from suspension of documents to incarceration depending on the state you are in and the extent of damage caused by the accident. If the driver without insurance is found to be at fault he or she will require to pay for all financial damages incurred by the other driver.
The protection you can buy
The only way out from such a sticky situation is to buy uninsured and/or underinsured insurance for yourself; if you have this cover and are involved in a hit and run incident your own insurance company is liable to reimburse you for any financial damage caused to you due to bodily harm or property damage resulting in the accident in question.
Replacement car rental coverage will pay for the rental bills of a car until you get your own car back from the shop.
