If you have been the victim of a hit and run, or you have lost a loved one to a hit and run, it can feel like you have no idea what to do next. If the police have not yet located the person who hit you, it may seem like you have no options. Recently in Dallas, police made an arrest for a hit and run case three days after the driver killed a college student and drove off, police usually work hard to find the people that commit hit and runs when there is death or serious injury involved. This helps you identify the guilty party and gives you the chance to take them to court for your injuries. For any car accident injuries, the Dallas personal injury attorneys at the Queenan Law Firm, P.C, will fight to get our clients the compensation they deserve for their injuries or compensation for wrongful death.
Will My Insurance Cover me In a Hit and Run?
The simple answer to this is “it depends.” Texas is an “at-fault” state for insurance coverage. This means that, to get an insurance payout, you need to show that the other party was at fault. In a hit and run case where you cannot find the other party, there is no one to hold at fault. At that point, the only insurance that might cover you is your own insurance.
Some people get “Personal Injury Protection” or “PIP” along with their own collision insurance. PIP is a set amount of money that will pay for your own injuries in a car accident, no matter who is at fault. You can use this to cover your own injuries if you cannot locate the other party, but it will not pay for much. If you have small injuries, this might be enough, but for larger injuries, without an exceptional insurance plan of your own, you will not get the coverage you need.
Your Texas auto insurance may include coverage for uninsured or underinsured motorists. This will cover you in case you are involved in a car accident where the other driver has no insurance or does not have enough insurance. This would cover all injuries, under Texas law, up to your policy limits. You need to have this type of insurance available on your plane in order to get compensated, though.
Before an accident, check with an attorney about what type of insurance will best cover you in the case of a hit and run, or talk to our attorneys.
Hit and Run Injuries Where the Driver Gets Caught
If police have located and arrested the individual responsible for your injuries, then you may be entitled to compensation.
When we know who the other driver is, our lawyers can get you the best compensation you are entitled to. The criminal case against the driver who hurt you or your loved one may give you some restitution payments, but to ensure maximum compensation, your personal injury attorney has a few options.
First, we are able to get you compensation from the other driver’s insurance. Insurance companies may be unwilling to spend huge amounts of money to cover their customers who cause traumatic injuries or death in a hit and run. They often hire powerful legal teams to try to fight insurance claims, or they offer low settlements to keep their costs low.
Our attorneys have the experience to know what injuries are worth, and when insurance companies are giving you low offers. In order to make sure our clients get the maximum compensation available, we counsel our clients against accepting early offers to settle. Instead, we help guide our clients to only accept settlements that fully cover their needs for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If an insurance company will not settle for what you need, then our second option is to take them and the other driver to court, even if they have already been to court on criminal charges. In Texas, injured drivers can take the other driver and their insurers to court to fight for the payouts they need. Our attorneys have experience using evidence, experts, and legal strategy to get juries to decide in your favor.
For these processes to work best, we need to know who the other driver is. This is one of the biggest tragedies about hit and runs, but without strong insurance or the other party, compensation may not be available.
Dallas Car Accident Attorneys Can Help
When you don’t know who hurt you, all can seem lost. Our attorneys will get evidence from police and the other driver to prove your injuries when you’re the victim of a hit and run. If the other driver does not turn up, we will do what we can to get your insurance to pay for your injuries. For a free consultation with our experienced car accident attorneys, call The Queenan Law Firm, P.C., today at (817) 476-1797.