Fort Myers Hit & Run Accident Lawyer
As the victim of a hit and run, you likely have a lot of questions and concerns about your future, specifically in regards to who pays for your medical bills, wrecked vehicle, and other damages if the at-fault driver is never found. Rest assured that an experienced Fort Myers hit & run lawyer will be able to seek full compensation whether the other driver is found or not. The legal team at Cardinal Law, P.A. assists clients who were hit as motor vehicle occupants, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and all other types of road users who had the extreme misfortune of sharing the road at the same time as the reckless individual who fled the scene of the crash.
What if the Hit and Run Driver is Never Found?
The truth is that most hit and run drivers never get caught. Not only do the police have little incentive to catch most hit and run culprits, unless they commit a homicide, but law enforcement usually has very few leads. Unless someone gets a glimpse of the driver’s license plate or their vehicle is filmed by a dash camera, surveillance camera, or phone, hit and run drivers tend to escape punishment. While this is incredibly frustrating and leaves victims feeling powerless without any semblance of criminal justice, they still do have the option of filing a personal injury claim against their own auto insurance policy, specifically their UM policy (uninsured and underinsured motorist policy). This works essentially the same way that filing a typical personal injury claim does: establish fault, establish damages, file a claim, negotiate terms of settlement, file a lawsuit if necessary, and litigate in court if that is what it comes to.
Vulnerable Road User Hit and Runs
Pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists have an added risk factor when it comes to sharing the road with substantially larger vehicles: the fact that if they do collide with a motor vehicle, the driver of that vehicle can easily flee the scene and never be caught. Not only will the driver’s vehicle be in working order, making a getaway possible, but there is essentially no chance that the pedestrian or bicyclist will be able to mount any type of pursuit. As such, pedestrians and cyclists in particular face extreme rates of hit and runs. 63 percent of all fatal hit and run victims are pedestrians, despite pedestrians making up a tiny fraction of road users. If you were hit as a pedestrian or cyclist, or other type of vulnerable road user not in a car, you can still pursue compensation from the hit and run driver, or your own UM insurance policy.
Contact a Fort Myers Hit & Run Lawyer Today
There is no excuse for anyone to flee the scene of a crash. It is one of the most selfish, cowardly, and outright abhorrent acts that regularly occurs in our society, yet hit and runs are committed by seemingly ordinary people, every day. For financial justice, call the Fort Myers hit and run lawyer at Cardinal Law, P.A. today at 844-874-PAIN to schedule a free consultation.
