Hit and run accidents are common.  This year we had a client driving in Beaufort, SC and he was at a stop light when he was hit in the rear by a person going 40 mph.  The person left the scene but our client got his tag number.  The police came to the scene, and tracked down the owner by his tag number and immediately went to the person’s home to find him driving up to his residence in a car with front end damage.  The police questioned him and he denied being in a wreck, however the damage to his car matched the description of where the damage should have been based on the wreck details.  They arrested him for a DUI (probably why he left the scene) and charged him with leaving the scene of the accident and following too closely.

What our client did right:

1)Stayed at the scene
2)Called the police quickly
3)Obtained a good description of the make and model of the car, and the tag

If you are hit by a hit and run driver, do your best to get the tag # and get a look at the person driving—old, young, male female, race, etc., so that the police can match a driver description with the person who is registered as the owner of car.

If the person is located, then you will be able to go against the at fault insurance company. If the person is not able to be found, then you will have to use YOUR insurance to cover the damage to your property and any injury claim you have. This is why it is important to have good insurance on your car, including uninsured motorist coverage. Call Friedman & Martin today if you have a question about a hit and run driver.