When you are the victim of a hit and run accident, you often don’t know what to do. First off, of course you should call the police and while you are waiting for them, write down everything you can remember about the car and driver who hit you. Next, it’s time to call your insurance company. What that call gets you depends on the type of insurance you have and how successful the police are in finding the hit and run driver.
If the police aren’t able to catch the offending driver and hold him and his insurance company responsible, you will need to file a claim with your insurer, if you can. In Laurel, Maryland, the type of policy you would need to have to pay for your expenses in a hit and run accident would be uninsured motorist insurance. This type of insurance policy covers both hit and run accidents and accidents wherein the driver at fault is breaking the Maryland state law by not having any auto insurance coverage. There are two types of uninsured motorist coverage–bodily injury and property damage. Bodily injury coverage would pay your medical expenses related to the accident while property damage would pay for damage to your car, but both would require you to pay a deductible first.
If you do not have uninsured motorist insurance, the costs related to a hit an run accident would fall to you to pay. Your medical insurance might cover a portion of your medical expenses, but property damage expenses would be entirely out of pocket. With that in mind, if you’re driving in Laurel, Maryland, you would be wise to get some uninsured motorist coverage so that you are covered in case of a hit and run.