There’s nothing quite like hearing the crunch of metal as you are tossed about inside a vehicle during a car accident. The entire experience is unnerving and terrifying. Normally, if you are involved in a car accident, you expect that the other driver will get out of his or her car and make sure that you are all right. Then you will exchange information with this person, and be in contact in the future about the expense for car repair and any medical costs because of injuries. If you were not at fault for the accident, then you can seek a settlement to help pay for all of your medical expenses, any inconveniences, and the cost of your rental car while the other is being repaired.

Yet what do you if you are involved in a car accident and your offender speeds off before you can even process what happened. Sadly, there are some people who will flee the scene of an accident. Sometimes it is because the offender is a criminal and doesn’t want to be discovered by the police. Other times, maybe he or she was driving drunk, and didn’t want anyone to know. Maybe he or she is terrified of the financial implications that will follow the mistake, and feels that leaving may help him or her to avoid those costs. According to Ehow, nearly 30 percent of all U.S. drivers are not insured. This leads to a lot of hit-and-run accidents as people realize that they will need to pay the expenses out of pocket.

Whatever the reason, leaving the scene of an accident that you were involved in is illegal and can often lead to criminal punishments. If you were involved in a hit-and-run accident, then you need to get as much detail about the fleeing vehicle as possible. If possible, you should take down the license plate number, as this is an almost surefire way to catch your offender. There may be times that your car was hit while parked, and you may have no idea who caused the damage. In these cases, the first thing you should do is contact local law enforcement. Search around the car to make sure that the driver didn’t leave a note that might have fallen onto the ground. If there is nothing, you may want to ask others nearby if they saw anything happen.

Whenever you are involved in a hit-and-run take down as much information about the car as you can remember. The make, model, and color of the car can be very helpful, and can help insurance adjusters to determine how much damage was caused by the vehicle. Then, you will want to call the police. This is not only important because they can help you find your offender. As well, your insurance company will require that you report the offense if you want coverage under your policy. After you report the incident, you will have to go to the department and file a report. After this report is filed, you can file a claim with your insurance company. You will probably need collision and/or uninsured property damage coverage, so talk to your insurance provider.

After this, there will be a period of waiting. Your insurance company may make you wait 24 hours before they will issue a rental car, as they wait for your offender to come forward. You will also want to get an estimate on the repairs. After you have that estimate, report it to the insurance company. Then, you will want to get the car repaired so that you can continue using it as soon as possible. During this time, your insurance company and the police will collaborate to try and remedy your hit-and-run situation. Talk to a car accident lawyer if you have more questions about your hit-and-run and need representation in court concerning your accident.