There are various events and periods in life that can change your world in the blink of an eye.
That said one such event would be if you are the victim of a hit and run accident.
According to idrivesafely.com, there are some 682,000 hit and run accidents in the U.S. on a yearly basis.
So, what might your world look like if in a hit and run?
Your Safety and Health Come First
If you had the unfortunate experience of being in a hit and run as of late, here are some focus areas for you:
- Your health and safety – Above all else, make sure you are okay after such an incident. It is important to remember that not all injuries from that kind of an accident show up right away. You may have a concussion or internal injuries. The best thing to do is get checked out at the scene if possible or at a medical facility soon after. Making sure you do not have hidden injuries and are okay to go about life in a normal manner is critical.
- Finding the perpetrator – People leave the scenes of a hit and run for a wide variety of reasons. That said your goal is to find the person who hit you. That being the case, you never take the law into your own hands. If you got a license plate number and/or description of the driver and vehicle, this is a good start. If you turn to the Internet when you have time, you could later do a traffic ticket search. That search is possible when you have your hands on the person’s full name and other relevant info. Such a search could turn up a driving history that one should not be proud of. That information can help police and even your legal team should you hire one to go after the driver.
- Seeing how your vehicle held up – Another item of importance of course will be how your vehicle held up. The hope is it is not damaged beyond repair. If it is, you will have a big decision to make on what to drive next. If repairs are minor or even if you have to look elsewhere for a vehicle, make sure you get insurance involved. Never take a settlement until you’ve had chance to talk to your legal counsel. An insurer may try and rush through a settlement. You want to be sure you are being compensated in a fair manner.
- Learning from this experience – Finally, no one likes the idea of being the victim of a hit and run. That said do all you can to learn from such an experience. The hope is you learn how to better avoid such an incident down the road. You may need to be a little more alert when driving for starters. No matter what it takes, be the best driver you can be moving ahead and hope you never deal with a hit and run again.
In getting through a hit and run, are you driven to come out ahead?
