Even if you don’t know who the at-fault driver is after a hit and run, there are still ways to get compensation. Your personal injury protection (PIP) will pay some medical bills and lost wages, and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) can also help.
Personal injury protection doesn’t cover non-economic damages, which you can only get after identifying and suing the at-fault driver. The police may also search for the driver since fleeing crash sites is illegal. Eyewitness statements and video footage can help us identify the driver, too, and prove they caused the accident. Your PIP coverage dictates whether you can sue without suffering a serious injury, and a lawsuit could yield non-economic damages.
For a free case assessment from Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C., call our New Jersey car accident lawyers at (201) 777-1111.
How Can You Get Coverage After a Hit and Run Accident in New Jersey?
New Jersey drivers must carry personal injury protection insurance. It covers their injuries after accidents regardless of fault, but only up to a point. PIP and other coverage can compensate victims after hit and runs. Lawsuits can too, but this requires victims to identify at-fault drivers.
PIP Insurance
In New Jersey, drivers can get policies that cover up to $250,000 in medical damages. We can review your PIP policy’s limits to see if it’s enough to cover your hospital expenses after a hit and run.
PIP can help cover medical bills and lost wages but doesn’t pay non-economic damages like physical pain or mental anguish.
UM/UIM Coverage
When drivers flee accidents, victims cannot get their liability insurance information, which is also required in New Jersey. Having uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage can help cover additional medical bills or lost wages that PIP doesn’t, as well as property damage costs.
Health Insurance
New Jersey drivers may choose their health insurers as primary coverage providers after accidents under N.J.S.A. § 39:6A-4.3(d). After a hit and run, your health insurer would pay first, and your PIP would help cover what your health insurer does not.
Lawsuit
You may file a lawsuit if you identify the at-fault driver and meet other criteria since New Jersey is a “no-fault state” for car accidents. Based on your injuries, our New Jersey car accident lawyers can see if you can sue and start looking for the liable driver.
Identifying Drivers After Hit and Runs So Victims Can Sue for Damages
We can identify negligent drivers after hit and runs. This can help you get extra compensation if PIP or other insurance doesn’t cover all your damages.
Some drivers flee scenes when victims call the police because they do not want law enforcement involved. You should still call 911. Whether the driver leaves right after the crash or before police arrive, law enforcement can help.
Since hit and runs are illegal, the police may investigate the driver’s identity. This can help our investigation.
We can survey the crash site for any nearby surveillance systems. Home doorbell cameras also film accidents, and we can contact owners to get footage.
Video footage may show us the driver’s license plate and identify the vehicle. Tell us what you remember about the driver and their car, too. Knowing the car’s make, model, and color is useful, as is knowing what the at-fault driver looks like.
Eyewitnesses may recall details about the driver or their car as well. We’ll promptly schedule interviews with witnesses. In addition to helping identify the at-fault driver, eyewitnesses can testify about their negligence.
New Jersey’s statute of limitations for car accident claims is two years. It may take time to identify the at-fault party after a hit and run, so don’t wait to contact our lawyers about your case.
Passing the Serious Injury Threshold to Get Non-Economic Damages After Hit and Runs
Once we identify the at-fault drivers after a hit and run, there’s still another hurdle to overcome before you can file a lawsuit. If you have the “limitation on lawsuit option” for PIP, you must sustain a “serious injury” to sue and get non-economic damages, which PIP doesn’t provide.
Serious injuries include death, displaced fractures, miscarriage, dismemberment, significant disfigurement or scarring, or another permanent injury.
We must send physician certifications stating you suffered a serious injury to the court within 60 days of the at-fault driver answering our complaint.
Drivers can purchase the “no limitation on lawsuit option” for their PIP. This lets them sue for non-economic damages, even if they do not sustain a serious injury.
Proving Fault for Hit and Runs in New Jersey
While a driver fleeing the scene doesn’t help their defense, it also doesn’t prove they caused the accident. They might keep contesting their involvement, and we must prove they hit and injured you.
Surveillance cameras can place drivers at the scene, as can eyewitnesses. Eyewitnesses can confirm what happened, like if the other driver was speeding or aggressively driving when they hit you.
When reviewing photo evidence, accident reconstruction experts may see paint transfers from the at-fault party’s car to yours. Tire marks or broken car parts left behind can also tie the liable driver’s vehicle to the crash.
We also need evidence of your injuries and damages. If you have obvious injuries, go to the hospital right after the accident. Keep getting medical attention as our lawyers investigate the crash and identify the driver.
Hospital bills prove your medical damages, so we’ll keep them organized. We can also tally your lost wages and quantify your non-economic damages.
Additionally, we’ll factor in future damages. Permanent injuries may mean life-long treatments, medications, or therapies, and we can seek compensation for upcoming expenses in your lawsuit.
Call Us About a Hit and Run in New Jersey
Call Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C. at (201) 777-1111 for help from our New Jersey personal injury lawyers.