Car accidents and pedestrian accidents are terrifying and traumatic, especially when they cause serious, painful injuries and leave the injury victim facing an unknown future. It’s even more frustrating and distressing when the other driver who caused the accident leaves the accident scene before the police and other emergency services arrive.
Unfortunately, hit-and-run accidents are more common than you might think, including hit-and-run accidents in Colorado. Reach out to our professional Westminster car accident attorney for a free case evaluation today.
When a driver causes a collision, they are liable for the damages they cause to others. This includes medical expenses as well as property damage to a vehicle. At-fault drivers in hit-and-run accidents sometimes cause accidents by acting carelessly or recklessly behind the wheel with actions such as the following:
When a driver causes an accident, they face liability for the damages under the state’s fault-based insurance laws.
Sometimes, drivers who cause or contribute to car accidents leave the scene because of adrenaline and the fight or flight response, or due to head injuries that cause confusion. In these hit-and-run cases, the at-fault driver often returns to the scene or reports the accident later. However, more commonly, hit-and-run drivers flee due to more nefarious reasons, such as the following:
Unfortunately, police have limited resources and typically reserve their funding for pursuing violent criminals rather than hit-and-run drivers. Many hit-and-run drivers are never apprehended.
Unlike a handful of states that require all drivers to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, Colorado requires insurance companies to offer this optional policy to motorists, but does not mandate that drivers add it to their standard auto insurance coverage.
If a hit-and-run driver in Colorado injured you, and you chose to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, you can recover compensation for your damages by filing a claim against your uninsured motorist policy.
Additional options for recovering compensation include filing a claim against an optional collision policy or an umbrella policy. In some cases, an assertive hit-and-run accident lawyer investigates the accident and pursues compensation from other parties who caused or contributed to the crash, such as a negligent road maintenance agency, a city road-planning agency that designed a dangerous intersection, or the manufacturer of a defective car part.
A third party claim against any other contributors to the accident can recover compensation after a hit-and-run accident.
A car accident lawyer is a steadfast ally after a hit-and-run accident leaves a motorist facing damages like medical expenses, lost wages, future income loss, and compensation for pain and suffering. Call our personal injury team in Westminster, CO for assertive legal action that prioritizes your best interests after a hit-and-run driver causes you harm.
