The experienced Brockton hit and run accident attorneys at Sousa & Sousa diligently investigate every accident to help victims identify all liable parties and recover the compensation they deserve. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality legal representation to accident victims in Brockton and surrounding areas in Massachusetts.
If you have been involved in a hit and run accident, you may be entitled to recover monies from your own automobile policy under the uninsured motorist coverage. In Massachusetts, if an individual negligently operates their car and strikes your car and leaves the scene of the accident and you have suffered bodily injury as a result, you may be entitled to bring a claim against your own automobile policy for uninsured motorist coverage. You may also be able to bring an uninsured motorist claim for a hit and run accident even if the other driver's car did not make contact with your car. If the other driver drove negligently causing you to swerve out of the way, lose control or leave the roadway and strike another object, then you may be entitled to bring an uninsured motorist claim. If you have been involved in a hit and run accident, whether the other car made contact with your car or not, you should immediately notify the police and obtain the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses.
Filing an uninsured motorist claim with your own car insurance does not adversely affect your insurance premium. We have helped many hit and run accident victims in Brockton, Easton and surrounding Massachusetts towns recover comepnsation for their injuries.
Hit and run accidents occur every day. While we want to believe the best of other drivers, they often disappoint with their failure to take responsibility for their own actions. While some drivers are so impaired they do not realize the damage they cause, others intentionally flee the scene of a crash without leaving so much as a note. In these cases, the innocent car owner is often left holding the bag. Even at low speeds, hit and run accidents can cause expensive property damage and bodily injury to the driver and passengers in the car. The impact of a collision can trigger a cascade of other accidents and injuries, including:
Because car accidents are relatively common, state law requires drivers to carry automobile insurance to protect against liability for property damage or bodily injury in the event of a crash. But in accidents requiring substantial repairs and medical treatment, the “minimum” coverage is seldom enough. In hit and run accidents, it is especially important to have a supplemental policy for uninsured motorist benefits. This allows the injured party to recover compensation for the damages caused by an unknown or uninsured party, even if the negligent driver never made contact with your car. It works by letting victims bring a claim against their own policy for uninsured motorist benefits. That way, injured parties do not have to rely on compensation from the fugitive driver or someone who is underinsured.
Massachusetts law prohibits negligent drivers from leaving the scene of an accident. Any person who operates a motor vehicle in a public place and leaves the location of an accident in which they were involed without stopping is guilty of a crime. The law applies to all drivers who leave after “knowingly colliding with or otherwise causing injury to any person” without stopping and “making known” their name, residence, and vehicle registration number. A hit and run accident resulting in property damage and bodily injury is punishable by up to two years in prison and a criminal fine. If the negligent driver “goes away” to avoid prosecution or evade apprehension after knowingly causing injury to a person resulting in death, the crime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
If you were injured in a hit and run accident, call the leading Brockton hit and run accident lawyers at Sousa & Sousa today. We have extensive experience handling uninsured motorist claims and can help you recover compensation for property damage or injury under your own insurance policy. Even if the other car did not make contact with your vehicle, you should still notify the police and obtain information from any witnesses. Filing an uninsured motorist claim will not adversely affect your premium and still allows you to pursue a legal action against the negligent party. At Sousa & Sousa, we can help you identify all liable parties and ensure that you are fully compensated for your injury. For a free consultation call our Brockton/Easton office at 508-230-5300 or contact us online.