hit and run Archives - Rizio Hamilton & Kane P.C.

Protecting Your Rights When You are Hit by a Car and Injured

If you were hit by a car and injured (what lawyers call pedestrian cases) here are 3 steps you can take to help yourself.

Police

First, after you have been hit by a car and injured IF you CAN, call the police or ask a bystander to call 911. It is critical to have police on the scene to investigate the accident and to create a record. Often times, injuries from pedestrian accidents are bad enough where the accident victim is unable to call the police. If you are a witness to a person who was hit by a car and injured – please step up and take action. Call 911 and please stay around to give a statement. Sometimes, witnesses do not want to get involved, but consider it a civic duty. Witness statements in pedestrian cases can be of critical importance, and sometimes these statements are the only way to get accurate accident information.

Video

Second, take note of your location. If there are no witnesses, there may be a business nearby with outside video. Many times, these video cameras will catch the accident. These videos can help catch hit and run drivers (for more information on how to protect yourself against hit and run drivers, click here) and can verify the accident victim’s version of the facts. There are circumstances where drivers who hit pedestrians claim that the pedestrian darted out into traffic, which caused the accident. A video can dispute the defendant driver’s version of the accident, and help to prove the pedestrian’s case. It is important to note, that businesses do not save these videos for very long. You must reach out to business owners immediately to try to get a copy of the video. Otherwise, all footage may be lost or taped over for good.

Treatment

Third, make sure you get proper evaluation and treatment of your injuries. Chances are, you were taken to the hospital immediately after the accident. This hospital visit is important for thorough assessment of your injuries. Hospitals often perform x-rays and CT scans to help diagnose broken bones and internal injuries. You may not feel your injuries immediately, so it is important to be assessed by medical professionals who understand the possible underlying injuries of a person who has been hit by a car and injured. Additionally, at this hospital visit, the medical staff can give you recommendations for follow up treatment. For example, you will normally have recommendations for orthopedic doctors when you have an orthopedic injury, such as a torn rotator cuff or a fractured femur.

Call Us

If you were hit by a car and injured, call our accident lawyers at (215) 567-1900 or (855) 822-6783 (toll free) for a FREE consultation. Our accident lawyers in Philadelphia and Bucks County will fight to get you what you deserve.

Rizio, Hamilton & Kane, P.C. has been helping accident victims in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for over 40 years.

Last year, we were engaged by a mother seeking justice for her daughter. Her young daughter was struck by a hit and run driver. Her daughter was severely injured, with a complex break in her leg that required surgery and a lengthy hospital stay. In this situation, we had a photo to investigate the license plate and whether or not there was insurance coverage on the vehicle operated by the hit and run driver.

As we surmised, the hit and run driver and vehicle were uninsured. In a scenario such as this, in Pennsylvania, we can sometimes collect a limited amount of compensation from the Pennsylvania Assigned Claims Plan … if the accident victim or person struck by the hit and run driver does not have car insurance. However, in this case, the victim’s mother did have car insurance. So, we were not able to pursue the Assigned Claims Plan Avenue. Instead, we were forced to look to the victim’s mother’s policy.

As you may have guessed, the victim’s mother rejected Uninsured and Under Insured motorist coverage, facilitating a devastating outcome. When an insured rejects uninsured and under insured motorist coverage, that rejection affects every person covered by the policy. The people covered by the policy would be any resident relative that does not have his or her own coverage, like children, parents, spouses, siblings.

Unfortunately, we were unable to recover anything for the hit and run victim, as all avenues for recovery were exhausted. In order to protect yourself and your loved ones from this situation, do not reject Uninsured and Under Insured Motorist coverage on your policy. This option is very inexpensive and can help you and your loved ones avoid a tragedy.

For more information on uninsured and underinsured motorist claims and hit and run accidents, call our accident lawyers at 215-567-1900 or toll free at 855-822-6783. Every consultation is FREE and Confidential.

UPDATE: On the day this article was written, a terrible tragedy occurred for a Temple student and his family in Philadelphia. He was struck by a hit and run driver near 8th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, and was killed. This firm and the community is devastated for this man and his family. Unfortunately, the suspect is still at large. This firm and the community sincerely hope that the suspect is found and brought to justice in this heartbreaking case. This case is a terrible reminder of the impact of hit and run accidents.

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Category: hit and run

Hit by a Car and Injured – 3 Steps You Can Take to Help Yourself