What Percentage of Hit-and-Run Accident Cases Get Resolved?

Hit-and-run cases can be terrifying, especially if you need medical attention after the crash. Your injuries may require hospital treatment and could make you miss work. But you don’t have to deal with your claim on your own. A Cincinnati car accident lawyer from Bey & Associates will give you the representation you deserve. You can protect your rights and have someone fighting to get you fair compensation for an accident that wasn’t your fault. While hit-and-run cases may sometimes get more complicated than a regular car accident, you can still get justice.

The Types of Hit-and-Run Accidents

When most people picture a hit-and-run, they probably think of a car colliding with another car on the road and then driving away. But there are different kinds of hit-and-run accidents and consequences.

• Parking Lot Accidents. These are common hit-and-run accidents. Parking lots are usually packed, busy, and people are usually focused on what they need to do instead of what’s happening around them. Someone can easily hit another car and not even realize what they’ve done. When the driver isn’t aware that they’ve hit someone, they can’t decide to flee the scene because they don’t know there’s a scene in the first place. There isn’t a criminal aspect to these types of cases.
• Personal Injury and Fatality Collisions. These hit-and-run accidents are more severe. A driver can hit another driver, motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian. Instead of stopping to help, they drive away. Some people may leave the scene because they’re scared of the repercussions or are diving without insurance. But the cost of committing a hit-and-run that results in a fatality or injury could have more serious consequences like jail time, hefty fines, and losing one’s license.

Do Police Find Those Who Caused Hit-and-Run Accidents?

When people are severely injured or if there was a fatality from a hit-and-run accident, the police may have more evidence to help them find the person who did it. There’s also the fact that the hit-and-run driver committed a serious offense when they failed to stop and help an injured person who needed their help. In some cases, there are fatalities that could have been prevented if paramedics had gotten there sooner. If the driver who caused the accident doesn’t immediately call for help, the injured person may have to wait for someone else to discover the accident scene.

Minor property damage like a scrape or a sideswipe can be more difficult to find if it wasn’t caught on camera or there weren’t any eyewitnesses to the accident. If you’re in this situation and it seems like the police don’t have any solid leads to follow, don’t panic. This doesn’t mean the responsibility of the accident falls on you. Your uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance can help cover the damages.

What Investigation Methods Do Police Use?

The police have many ways they can track down a hit-and-run driver. Using all these methods increases the chances of finding the person who hit you.

• Eyewitnesses. There’s a chance someone saw the whole thing. It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone two feet away on the curb, either. Maybe the crash happened near someone’s apartment building and they happened to be looking out the window at that time. They can corroborate your story.
• Canvassing. Police will ask around the area of the accident and try to find if anyone has information. Someone may have seen a car speeding too quickly away or saw the accident as they passed by.
• Surveillance Videos. It’s hard to find nearly any public area that doesn’t have some kind of camera security system. Many people in residential areas use them as well. The police may find a recording of the accident or the driver leaving the accident scene. Even if they don’t capture the accident, they may be able to get the driver’s identity and the make and model of the car.
• Social Media. One way to reach more people is to talk about the accident on social media and ask anyone with information to come forward.

After the police catch the person who committed the hit-and-run, you can proceed with your claim now that there is someone you can hold liable for your injuries. To learn how we can help hold those responsible accountable, get in touch today. Please feel free to contact our office for a free consultation.