Any type of auto accident can be stress-inducing, let alone when the motorist who caused the incident flees the scene, adding additional anxiety and frustration. Hit-and-runs are particularly devastating when they happen to pedestrians (with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reporting in 2021 that almost a quarter of pedestrian deaths involved hit-and-run motorists), but they can also lead to vehicle damage and extensive injuries when involving motor vehicles. If a driver sustains an injury during a hit-and-run accident in Mississippi, they have legal and insurance options available to them, such as filing an uninsured driver claim; to acquire assistance with handling a hit-and-run claim, fighting for a victim’s legal rights, and seeking compensation for any incurred damages, contact a Mississippi car accident attorney from Lott Law today at (228) 215-278.
What Is a Hit-And-Run Accident in Mississippi?
Mississippi defines hit-and-run collisions as motor vehicle accidents whereby the motorist who causes the incident, resulting in property damage that is greater than $500 or a person’s death or injury, leaves the accident scene while failing to provide assistance or the required information to process an insurance claim. This definition applies to incidents involving motor vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians, with the penalties related to car accidents typically depending on vehicle damage or injury severity. In addition to being illegal, hit-and-run collisions have serious negative consequences for victims, preventing the police from carrying out effective investigations, worsening the trauma that victims experience, and, possibly, denying victims compensation.
What To Do if Injured in a Hit-And-Run Accident
Hit-and-runs can lead to the remaining drivers at the accident scene feeling bewildered. By following these steps, motorists can strengthen potential insurance and legal claims while safeguarding their legal rights.
Seek Medical Assistance
First, motorists may assess whether they have sustained injuries while checking the condition of passengers and the other parties involved in the accident. If there are any serious injuries, immediately contact emergency services and request an ambulance.
Make the Accident Safe
The next step involves making the accident scene as safe as possible by moving all the vehicles to the road’s side, away from traffic flow (if they are operational). Motorists may also turn on the vehicle’s hazard lights to make other road users aware of the accident.
Collect Evidence
Evidence collection is the following step. This involves speaking to witnesses (if any are present) and obtaining their names, contact details, and statements (if the police do not attend), taking videos and photos of vehicle damage, injuries, and the accident scene, and noting details of the fleeing vehicle, such as its model, make, license plate number, color, and unique features.
Report the Incident
Be sure to contact the police to obtain an accident report. Should they visit the scene, law enforcement typically creates this report for involved motorists, which they can then request a copy of, often a vital piece of evidence for insurance and legal claims; however, if the police do not attend, the remaining motorists may file their own accident report, including details concerning the accident and the fleeing motorist (which is a legal requirement in Mississippi if the accident results in extensive vehicle damage, injuries, or fatalities).
Find out what to do if injured in a hit-and-run accident in Mississippi, and learn how Lott Law can help victims of these incidents with their insurance claims and lawsuits, including an uninsured driver claim. Contact our firm today to organize a preliminary meeting with a Mississippi motor accident attorney.
Inform the Insurance Carrier
Finally, contact the insurance carrier promptly after the accident. Informing insurers is a typical requirement for not invalidating an auto insurance policy, and drivers might be able to recover damages if they cannot identify the driver using their uninsured driver coverage (if their auto insurance includes this).
Can You Get Compensation for a Hit and Run Accident?
Recovering compensation following a hit-and-run collision in Mississippi is possible. If motorists have underinsured/uninsured coverage, this safeguards them in the event that an at-fault motorist has insufficient or no insurance to cover their losses. Additionally, Mississippi has a state-funded compensation fund that can provide victims of these incidents who have experienced severe injuries or a loved one’s death with financial relief; another option involves bringing a lawsuit against the fleeing motorist, although this is only possible after identifying them.
What Is the Penalty for Leaving the Scene of an Accident in Mississippi?
The law in Mississippi requires drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents to stop, exchange details, and help injured parties, with a failure to do this constituting a criminal offense. Hit-and-runs can range from minor incidents taking place in parking lots to severe accidents leading to a person’s death. Some common car accidents amounting to hit-and-runs include motorists hitting parked vehicles who then leave the scene without leaving the driver of the struck vehicle a note, nighttime collisions where intoxicated motorists flee the accident scene to avoid driving under the influence (DUI) charges, collisions caused by unlicensed/uninsured motorists who flee to avoid legal consequences, and multi-vehicle collisions (such as rear-end collisions causing a domino effect) where one or more drivers leave while the other motorists remain.
Those who leave the scene of an accident in Mississippi without helping and exchanging information can expect serious penalties. In the event of a hit-and-run resulting in extensive property damage, the offending motorist may receive a misdemeanor conviction, with a maximum fine of $5000 and a possible jail sentence. However, if the collision causes someone’s death or injury, a hit-and-run is usually a felony offense, carrying a maximum jail sentence of 20 years.
Contact a Mississippi Auto Accident Attorney for Assistance With an Uninsured Driver Claim
In Mississippi, a hit-and-run collision can result in victims facing vehicle damage, medical bills, uncertain legal options, and, potentially, an individual’s death (per the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 10 hit-and-run crashes in Mississippi resulted in at least one fatality in 2016). Many Mississippi motorists may experience the fear and frustration associated with hit-and-run accidents each year, but by understanding what to do next, they can overcome the challenges of filing an uninsured driver claim with insurers and pursuing a lawsuit. If involved in a hit-and-run accident in Mississippi, consider contacting an experienced Mississippi auto accident attorney from Lott Law at (228) 215-2787; book an initial consultation with our firm today.