Following a car accident, the involved parties are to stop and step out of their vehicles, report the accident, and exchange contact and insurance details to be helpful with claims. If a driver flees an accident scene, it’s known as a hit-and-run accident. While most of these accidents only lead to property damage, some could cause severe injuries or even death. Dealing with a hit-and-run accident case can be a bit overwhelming, and it’s crucial to know that there are certain steps you can follow to ensure the protection of your rights following a hit-and-run accident. Here are six things to do to defend your rights in a hit-and-run accident.

Report The Accident

You should endeavor to report the hit-and-run accident to law enforcement with immediate effect. With that done, they will thoroughly go through the accident scene, take down notes of your side of the story, and do their best to track down the offender. Even if there is no success in finding the offender, their findings and reports can go a long way towards helping you if submitted to the insurance company. If they should ever find the offender, the driver could be looking at six months of jail time and about $500 in fines, with a driver’s license suspension for about six months, based on the severity of the accident.

Hire A Hit-And-Run Lawyer

Of course, everyone’s health should be checked upon and safeguarded in the event of an accident. However, with that done, you should take extra steps to defend your rights. If you are in Massachusetts, the best approach here is to hire a Jackson hit-and-run car accident lawyer who will be there for you every step of the way. Having a hit-and-run lawyer on your side will surely help you handle the situation of a hit-and-run accident and let you concentrate on getting better.

Make An Accurate Record

Upon the arrival of the police, be sure you let them know exactly what happened, to the best of your knowledge. If you are not aware of certain things, you should let the police know. You should not make assumptions, speculate, or tell lies about any fact. If you are unsure whether you were injured and are asked, you should say not sure rather than no. Injuries sustained from accidents are usually revealed some hours after. You should also ensure that the statements the other party gave are an exact account of what transpired.

Seek Medical Attention

Of course, if you are involved in a hit-and-run accident, you should seek medical attention. Even if you are feeling okay at the moment, some injuries could take some time before they show off their symptoms. Consulting a doctor is the best way to ensure that both the visible and invisible injuries are taken care of. Seeking medical attention can significantly help you with your claims. This is because you will have to prove that the sustained injury was a result of the accident. The medical records can be added to your claim to get compensated for taking care of them. Medical expenses shouldn’t bother you after an accident, especially a hit-and-run accident.

Never Admit Fault

Initially, admitting to causing an accident might seem to be the right thing to do, but don’t forget that there might be additional factors concerning the other party that you should be concerned about. Maybe the other party might have been texting or distracted at the time of the accident. Also, maybe the other driver’s speed is a factor to consider. If you admit to causing the accident right at the scene, it might be a bit difficult to back off once the truth is out.

Take Pictures

Recording and taking pictures of the accident scene is a very good approach to defending yourself against any issues that could escalate later. Of course, the police will do their job and record the accident, but it should interest you to keep your records just to defend your rights. Everyone has a mobile device. You can use yours to capture multiple angles of the scene that you can provide to your insurance company, and also capture the other vehicle to give the insurance company a more in-depth knowledge of the accident.

Finally, the best way to defend your rights after an accident is to remain at the scene. Fleeing the scene will only endanger your rights. Also, to ease the claim process, you should properly understand the value of the damages. You should not meet with your insurance company without any proof of damage. Billing statements and receipts relating to the accident could defend your right to a fair claim. The more details you have concerning the damages, the more your claim is going to be considered.