How to Handle a Hit-and-Run Crash in Tennessee

Hit-and-run crashes are awful. You may be hurt, shaken, and unsure what to do while the driver who hit you is gone. Handling a hit-and-run crash in Tennessee can take days or even months and begins with calling 911, seeking medical attention, and collecting evidence. To protect your legal options after a hit-and-run accident in Tennessee, consider talking with a car accident lawyer.

Call 911 immediately

Call 911 right away after a hit-and-run. Even if you do not think anyone is hurt or injuries seem minor, contacting 911 promptly increases the chances of police finding the driver who fled. Share any details about the other vehicle you can, such as the license plate number or the car’s make and model.

Involving police and emergency medical services also allows you to document the crash date and time and the vehicles involved. An official record helps later when you need evidence for your insurance claims or lawsuits.

A driver who flees the scene of a crash involving injuries or death in Tennessee may face criminal charges, including a felony if death resulted. Unfortunately, the busy roads and tourists unfamiliar with Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and other popular areas may increase the chances of hit-and-run crashes.

Get medical attention

Always get checked out, even if you think there is no need to. Adrenaline can minimize pain, and if you have internal bleeding (or concussions or soft tissue damage), you might not realize it right away. Better to be safe than sorry.

Further, seeking treatment right away creates a medical record that links your injuries to the crash. By contrast, when someone waits days or weeks to see a doctor, the insurance company they’re going up against could say that something else caused the injuries. Due to the time gap, this claim may have a better chance of succeeding than if the person received prompt treatment.

Collect as much evidence as you can

Do not worry about gathering evidence if you are physically unable to. Your safety comes first.

That said, evidence can help a lot. If you are physically able to, take photos and videos of your injuries, the vehicle’s damage, the road conditions, any skid marks or debris, and traffic signs or signals. Take photos from many angles and at different distances.

Speak with witnesses and get their contact information. If you don’t have much on the other vehicle, it is possible a witness got the license plate or something helpful. Look for cameras at nearby businesses or homes. In tourist areas such as Pigeon Forge, footage could help identify the driver. A car accident lawyer can request this footage before it gets erased.

If you are unable to gather evidence at the scene, the responding police officers will likely collect evidence regardless and create an official accident report. Witnesses may get in touch with police later, too, to offer a video or helpful tip. If the hit-and-run driver turns up, the driver’s car may become important evidence. Your medical records and injury photos can also help support your claim. If you work with hit-and-run lawyers, they may look for camera footage and other types of evidence.

Be careful as you work with insurance companies

Read your insurance policy in detail to learn about reporting deadlines, the types of insurance you have, payout limits, exclusions, and the like. It’s confusing, but at least it may give you some familiarity with the situation. Fortunately, car accident lawyers know insurance policies very well. They can help you understand the essentials and work on your behalf so you may become financially whole. Beware of early settlement offers from insurance companies. They may be low and not take into account the full extent of your injuries.

Your carrier probably requires you to report the crash in a reasonable timeframe. As you report it to your carrier, stick with the basics. Tell the insurance company where, when, and that the other driver fled, but avoid anything speculative. Any extra word or wrong word could go against you later in a claim denial.

It is fine to say you do not know about something or that the police investigation is ongoing. Better that than giving an opinion that could hurt your credibility. Here’s how insurance coverage could help you as you handle a hit-and-run:

• Uninsured motorist coverage often applies in hit-and-run accidents, but Tennessee has specific requirements for unknown-driver claims. This coverage may help with your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses related to the crash.
• Medical payments coverage (MedPay), if you have it, can help with your medical bills.
• Your health insurance can help you get treated quickly, although you may initially be responsible for deductibles and co-pays. You might be able to get compensation for these expenses later from your uninsured motorist coverage or the at-fault driver, if identified. Your health insurer also may, at some point, seek reimbursement for its expenses from your uninsured motorist coverage or the at-fault driver. This process is called subrogation.
• Collision coverage can help to repair or replace your vehicle.

Multiple insurance policies can overlap; another reason it’s important to keep records of everything, especially your medical bills, repair estimates, and communications with your insurance company. Your lawyer can assess the various policies you have and communicate with the necessary parties to pursue the compensation available to you. If the other driver is found, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim.

Follow your treatment

Even (or especially) with all the stress you are under, it’s important to keep up with your prescribed treatment. If you do not, you risk losing important compensation since the other side could argue that a lack of action made your injuries worse.

Consult a hit-and-run lawyer

Think about getting in touch with car accident attorneys as soon as possible. They usually work on contingency, taking their fee out of any settlement or court award. Fee structures do vary by firm, but there often is no upfront financial cost to you by contacting a lawyer. If there is no recovery, many contingency-fee lawyers do not collect an attorney’s fee.

Tennessee has a one-year statute of limitations for most personal injury claims, even with unidentified hit-and-run drivers. This limit is one reason to talk with a lawyer as soon as possible. If negotiations with your uninsured motorist company don’t go anywhere, your lawyer may recommend filing a lawsuit. Contact Delius, McKenzie & McCarter online today to discuss your case and learn how a hit-and-run lawyer could help.